The great recession of 2008 – 09 forced many people to cut back on their household expenses and unfortunately their gym membership was on the list.  Working out at home or outside of the gym isn't anything new, but you'd be surprised at what factors seem to determine trends for those building a home gym or buying big ticket fitness equipment. 

Buying Home Fitness Equipment Follows Economic Trends

According to the Wall Street Journal and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, big ticket workout equipment like treadmills and elliptical machines closely matches trends in the housing market.  When new home sales are up, more people are buying home gym equipment.  It makes sense though.  If you're in the market to buy a new home, you may be considering some extra space to dedicate to working out or a place to do your Crossfit exercises at home.  

Contributing to the decline of gym memberships at this time were other factors such as the availability and popularity of fitness dvds and smaller home gym equipment like mats, dumbbells, TRX and other lower priced gear. Check out our post Top 4 Crossfit Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home for other ideas (link opens in new window).

Building A Home Gym 

1. Space is the first consideration. If you're shopping online, don't just look at the equipment dimensions, look at the space in which you'll be using it. A good idea is to tape out the size of the equipment on the floor to get a better visual. If you're buying a Gravity or Total Body Gym you're also going to need to factor in the space you'll need to exercise on the machine. For example if you're doing chest flys, you'll need an extra 3-4 feet of clearance on either side of you.
2. Cost is another (and maybe the most important factor).  The percentage of people who buy home exercise equipment and don't use it is staggering.  Unfortunately most people hold on to their gear because they plan on "getting around to it" at some point or another.  Selling it means giving up.  Check out craigslist or some of the local buying apps first.  You can get great deals on used exercise equipment!  Unlike gym gloves which are something you probably wouldn't use if someone else wore them, equipment is a different story. 
3. Commitment is the often ignored third factor for those building a home gym.  Sure you're saving time working out at home versus traveling to the gym, but are you going to use it consistently?  Studies show that people are MORE likely to get a full workout in and do it consistently when they have to travel to a physical location.  At home it's easy to get distracted by kids, something interesting on TV, or work. At the gym, you're there to sweat and get back home. 

If you're still committed to building a home gym, check out sites like Amazon to get an idea of customer reviews and pricing and use this to decide which equipment you're going to buy.  You can check out GymPaws full like of fitness equipment at http://www.amazon.com/shops/gympaws for a good place to start. 

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