The unprecedented growth of the real estate industry over the past twenty years has caused homeowners to look at their own house solely in terms of resale value. Keeping tabs on your home's worth is prudent, but every now and then it's refreshing to shift our attention from the bottom line to life itself.

Creating a Home Gym

We have plenty of excuses to not get in shape. We don't have the time. We don't have the money for a gym membership. We are tired beyond belief. Most of all, we don't know where to start.

Making room for a home gym removes many of these obstacles. The biggest benefit of having an exercise room in your home is the convenience factor. No longer do you have to worry about lugging yourself to a gym that may be miles away. A home gym can also make fiscal sense - gym memberships can be expensive. Having exercise space in the comfort of your own home is a great way to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle

Essentials: balance

Before you begin planning your home workout space, you need to know what your health goals are and what exercise plan will best help you meet those goals. An ideal exercise plan balances conditioning, strength training and flexibility. Fitness and health magazines can be a great resource, or you may wish to set up a consultation with a personal trainer to discuss your options.

Finding your space

Spare bedrooms are ideal for home gyms because of the space and light they usually provide. Basements can serve as an adequate space provided that the light, air quality and environmental elements are sufficient.

The amount of room you'll need will be determined by your style of workout. Highly aerobic workouts require sufficient room to move. If strength training will be an emphasis, you will need room for equipment (regardless of whether you decide to purchase machines or free-weights). By the same token, exercise machines take up a varying amount of space. Any workout area should be laid out with plenty of breathing room.

Buying equipment

Prior to buying any equipment, make sure that what you'll be purchasing fits in with an exercise program that you will realistically keep up with. A good salesman might be able to pitch you a state-of-the-art machine with hundreds of features, but it will do you little good collecting dust in six months. Set your exercise program, research equipment beforehand, and stick to your guns.

It's best to avoid the big "box" stores that sell everything from appliances to lawn furniture when shopping for exercise equipment. Specialty retailers have higher quality products and more knowledgeable sales staff. Whenever possible have equipment delivered assembled and installed, and inquire about repair programs or warranties.

When buying complex equipment, saving a few dollars may lead to significant disappointment later on. It's worth your while to spend a little extra to ensure quality. Always give equipment a thorough test on the sales floor.

Gyms for every budget

Here is a basic outline of suggested equipment at three different price setups.

Budget gym

• Jump Rope
• Exercise Ball
• Aerobics Step
• Dumbbells

Middle of the road

• Non-computerized stationary bike or rowing machine
• Inexpensive set of free weights
• Adjustable bench
• Exercise Ball

The dream gym

• High Quality programmable treadmill (health club quality)
• Elliptical trainer or Stationary bike for cross-training
• Premium multi-station machine with more than one stack of weights
• Adjustable bench with plate weights

Aesthetic appeal

A spacious room with top-of-the-line equipment won't make much difference if you hate stepping foot in the place. While you don't have to create an exercise utopia, it is important that you enjoy (as much as possible) the room in which you'll be working out. Keep the room well lit without crossing over into washed-out fluorescence.

Choose soft carpet that will comfort and cushion your body during floor exercises. The room should be adequately ventilated, and you may want to invest in an air conditioning unit.

Extras

If you truly want to deck out their exercise space, you can go wild with amenities to your home gym. Many people enjoy watching TV while working out - particularly when doing longer cardiovascular exercises. Ceiling mount kits are fairly inexpensive and easy to install. If you're a music lover, you may want to save space for a small stereo system. You can install a water cooler for relatively little expense, or simply keep a mini fridge stocked with water and/or sports drinks.

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