“I can’t believe it, I forgot my sports socks,” “Oops, no hair-band,” “Gotta collect the dog from the hair dresser,” “Pollution’s up,” “Battery on the bike is down,” “Raining,” “Snowing,” “Too hot.” Just some of the things that prevent people from getting to the gym, an exercise class, or out to play sport.
If you were a celebrity or a super successful business person, well, then it would be easy, you’d have a home gym and it would be a walk in the park to fit in all the exercise you need, so to speak. Ah yes, imagine that? A home gym. You could schedule in a work-out before work, you wouldn’t have to worry about childcare…or dog care….or not having the right kit with you. Aaahh, the life of the rich and famous. Well, it may surprise you to know, that home gyms are no longer reserved for the Kanye Wests and Tiger Woods of this world. Now they are a serious option for Expats living in China also. Ahem, that’s you sunshine.
There are a few factors that are going to influence your new space: do you have a spare corner, spare room, or spare floor? Are you looking to bench-press some serious weights or loose the love-handles? Is this your home for the next 10 years or are we taking this one contract at a time? As a high-end home gym designer and consultant, if you’re looking to go, well, high end, then by all means drop me a line and I can design and kit you out but if you’ve got a spare room and you want to make it a place you can get some results by yourself, here are some tips.
First, you need to make it a space you want to be in. It’s amazing what a tin of white paint can do So make a trip to B&Q, get yourself some white paint and some mirrors; big, not too expensive, no fancy frames. There’s nothing worse than getting the best angle on the press, only to discover, your mirror has cut you off at the ornate frame. Buy enough to fit across your wall on both sides.
Next, hot foot it across the road to Decathlon where you will need to buy the following items (the quantities in brackets would be for a beginner to intermediate strength and fitness level). Suguo also sells some of these items.
- Yoga mat
- Step block
- Kettle Bells (a weight that is light for you and one that is heavier)
- Dumbbells (2kg, 5kg + 7.5kg will work for most women. Men will need 5kg, 7.5kg + 10kg)
- Resistance bands (get 2 levels of resistance)
- Medicine ball (4kg)
- Inflatable exercise ball
Your final stop is IKEA. Here you can buy:
- Weighing scales
- Wall stickers
- Sweat towels
- Hooks for the resistance bands
- Magnetic board to pin up your motivational pictures
- Free standing shelves for your weights and yoga mat
I would advise you to get either a TV or a stand for your computer for all those YouTube exercise videos you can follow or Pinterest routines you’ve collected.
Now you have everything you need to get a regular, excuse-proof, exercise regime going. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, you’ll be so hooked in a few months, you’ll be making excuses not to leave the house.
