Home Gyms

Costs
History
Maintenance
Pictures

Popular Home Additions Topics
Pros and Cons
Questions and Answers
References

Home gyms are high on the list of popular home additions. If you’ve decided that this is the year you’re going to get in shape, but don’t like waiting in line for the treadmill, or forking out high membership fees each month to a health club, then it may be the perfect time to create your own personal workout oasis.

Costs

The cost of building your home gym depends on the type and number of workout machines you purchase. Get a price quote from a licensed installer to discuss labor rates in your area. For equipment costs and exercise machines, here are some ballpark figures:

On average, elliptical trainers cost from $300 to $5,000.

Exercise balls and resistance bands are cheap, ringing in under $100.

Exercise bikes cost $300 to $600

Rowing machines can be as much as $1,000

Stair climbers cost between $2,000 and $4,000

For those that want to splurge, a home sauna runs from $3,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on the size.

Pictures

Home Addition

Pros

A home gym allows anyone to follow a workout routine on their own time, with an added dose of privacy.

Home gyms be made to fit a variety of budgets, depending on the equipment purchased.

These rooms can increase the likelihood that you will follow a workout routine.

Cons

Home gyms may not bring the highest resale value down the road, as some homeowners may not be interested in using them.

Some homeowners spend a small fortune on buying equipment and rarely use it.

Materials needed for home gyms are very specific (rubber flooring, moisture-resistant paint), so this space won’t be the most versatile.

Maintenance

The maintenance required of a home gym is minimal and usually limited to regularly wiping down the equipment after use.

Common Questions and Answers

What types of saunas are best for in-home use?

Indoor saunas come in many shapes and sizes. You can customize your own sauna and have it built right into your home gym. Other choices include portable saunas that can be plugged into a standard wall outlet, pre-built saunas that come in modular insulated panels, pre-cut saunas that require you to frame up your own walls and provide your own insulation, and combinations of traditional and infrared saunas.

Many come with soft-touch control panels inside and outside of the sauna, surround-sound stereos with remote controls, as well as recessed lighting inside and outside. Pre-manufactured saunas usually seat anywhere from two to four people, but if you have limited space, a one-person sauna is another option. Custom-built saunas can accommodate as many family members or guests as you’d like.

Besides the exercise ball, what’s an inexpensive piece of equipment for a home gym?

One excellent option is resistance bands. In addition to their compact size, resistance bands are color-coded to specify a unique tension level. These are great for home gyms because they allow for a wide range of exercise combinations without large equipment or high costs. They also include a number of nifty attachments for various techniques. Most cost under $100.

History

Home gyms became popular in the 1990s, when technological advances and changes in the manufacturing of exercise machines made them affordable for people to install them in their own homes.