5 best tips to start converting your spare space at home into a gym

With less than 3 months to go until the start of summer, it would appear working out from home has continued to reign supreme, with Google search trend data globally for ‘home gym’ and ‘home gym equipment’ indicating an average of 85,000 and 45,000 searches per month!

So, to inspire a nation of home workout enthusiasts, OnBuy Treadmills endeavoured to speak exclusively with experts from Garage Gym Reviews to provide the 5 best tips to start converting your spare space at home into a gym, whilst incorporating official trending stats illustrating the most popular home gym workout equipment for 2022.

Cooper Mitchell from Garage Gym Reviews revealed how to convert any spare space into a workout area at home:

“Whether you want to save on membership fees or cut down on your commute time to the gym, building a home gym makes a lot of sense. It is practical for people who live active lives, and the process of putting one together is actually rather enjoyable and convenient. There are various benefits to possessing a home gym, whether you utilise it as your primary training place or not. Because having convenient access to exercise is vital in today’s frantic environment, here are a few reasons to create your own gym”:
Saves Money
Convenient
Versatile
Efficient

​Here are 5 direct tips to get you started:

Buy inexpensive equipment and research: Make sure to research what equipment you need and what is best for the goal you have. You don’t need expensive equipment for your home gym. Check second-hand marketplaces for the best deals near you or popular sites such as OnBuy. Many people have built their gyms by scouring Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or even eBay. You can also try out different equipment and sell the items that don’t work for you, so you are never out of pocket.

Flooring – put your flooring down before your equipment: Equipment such as treadmills are heavy and need stability, so you want to make sure you assemble your space first beforehand. As the most googled home gym equipment with 54,090 searches per month globally, it’s pivotal your home is fit for purpose. There are many different flooring options available for home gyms, but for most, we suggest horse stall mats from your local farm supply store.

Proper storage: You’re working with finite space in a home gym. To maximise the area, we suggest storing as much equipment on the wall as possible. This means buying things like barbell gun racks, plate storage, resistance bands and chain holders, etc can be stored away properly and safely, as well as giving you more room when working on a different piece of equipment.

Get a good sound system: A popular system is the Echo Dot hooked up to Bose Speakers to pause or change music with your own voice – so you can control the music during your workouts! This may seem like a minor detail, but it makes a big difference when it comes to exercising, it motivates you and gets you pumped to work out harder and better.

Invest in a mini fridge: Have a refrigerator in your gym so that cold protein shakes and drinks are always available – especially water! Mini fridges do not have to be expensive, and they are the perfect size to have placed in your home gym. Again, you could check second-hand marketplaces near you to find inexpensive deals on mini fridges.

The nation’s favourite home gym workout equipment:

Treadmill: The treadmill ranks top of the home gym equipment search list, with around 54,090 average monthly global searches. Treadmills can provide useful warm-ups to more strenuous exercise or can be easily incorporated as part of a cardio routine. There are great benefits to using a treadmill, including, efficient weight-loss, muscle building and they are less stressful on the body, compared to outdoor running.

Exercise Bikes: The second most popular home gym equipment are exercise bikes, with 25,050 average monthly global searches. With an increased number of people working from home, exercise bikes allow for cycling without the pressure of having to leave the house or worrying about the weather forecast. The benefits of using an exercise bike is that it burns body fat, strengthens legs and your lower body muscles, and it is much safer than on road biking.

Rowing machines: This gym equipment ranks third, with 13,790 average monthly searches. Rowing has a huge range of benefits – as it is a full body workout, it builds power and endurance, and therefore a healthy exercise for your heart and lungs.

Dumbbells: With approximately 8,620 average monthly global searches, this equipment is 4th best. Dumbbells activate a number of different muscles, stimulating growth, and can help improve both muscle force and flexibility and they also promote coordination and stability for muscles and joints.

Yoga Mat: Yoga mats are extremely popular, with 7,920 average monthly global searches. They are used to provide cushioning and traction as you pose and work out, which is good for comfortability and posture.