Working out at home offer flexibility and fun. Learn how to set up your home gym space on a budget and with ease.
How to create a home gym in a small space:
Multi-functional spaces
Got a small garage that’s underused but full of potential? Even an under-the-stairs space can make an effective spot for all these small home gym ideas. The key thing is to think outside the box by adapting what room you have available.
Create a workout nook
If you have space to use larger pieces of equipment, such as an exercise bike, creating a dedicated workout nook can keep these bulky items from swamping the space. Room dividers or a cubby shelf, like the IKEA Kallax, are great ways to separate your gym room from the rest of your living area.
Mirror, mirror
A full-length wall mirror will bring light and the illusion of space to a small home gym. It also means that you can check your form when lifting weights – or simply admire the progress of your hard work.
Storage
For even smaller spaces, the key to creating a compact home gym setup – without permanently feeling like you live in a fitness centre – is putting things away after use. Much of the exercise equipment we mention below packs up easily into a plastic storage box (on wheels perhaps?), which you can slide in and out of a shelf or cupboard when needed. Alternatively, creating hanging space and hooks for your equipment can be a lifesaver. This is particularly good for ropes, mats and resistance bands. It’s worth keeping in mind that you don’t want to store any heavy weights over head height, though, as they can be dangerous to get down. A better approach is to keep these out of sight under some furniture, like a sofa or bed, until you need to use them.
What do you need for a small home gym?
Here are some small exercise equipment ideas for a compact home gym setup:
1. Second-hand exercise bike
This is the biggest (size-wise) of our suggestions. You don’t have to get a super fancy machine to reap the cardio benefits. And an older, basic exercise bike can be surprisingly compact. Look for one with a small footprint or one which folds down.
2. Stationary trainer
If you have space to store a bike in your house or garage, one handy bicycle accessory you can buy is a ‘stationary trainer’. This stand fixes the wheels in one place so you can use it as an exercise bike. Just make sure to check if you’ll need a specialist stand for your particular bike.
3. Home gym mat
Are mobility, stretching and strengthening more your thing? In this case, nothing is simpler than a basic yoga mat that’s also handy for your body-weight workouts, and, of course, home yoga sessions.
4. Small dumbbells or kettlebells
If you opt for dumbbells (rather than bars with interchangeable weights), these will take up a lot less space. At Gumtree, we recommend taking your time selecting a few weights that will suit your abilities and goals. This will take up less room than a full weights rack and help you stay within safe limits when you’re working out solo.
5. Resistance bands
These simple bands take up even less space than dumbells and serve a similar purpose. They fold down to about the size of a pair of socks, and you can even travel with them.
6. Agility ladder for your home gym
Ever seen those bootcamp exercises where you have to run while keeping your feet inside a ladder? Well, that agility ladder is great for coordination and getting your heart rate up. Additionally, it is easy to store because it rolls right up like a yoga mat. Bonus: it’s light enough to carry to the park when the weather is fine.
7. Balance ball
A balance ball is like half a yoga ball on a flat board. Some come with resistance bands too for a 2-in-1 session. It trains your balance, your core and can be used in many creative ways for a great workout. When you’re done, just slide it under some furniture.
8. Ab-wheel or core glider
These two inventions seem to have been created with a small space in mind. Shaped as a wheel or a disc that slides easily across the floor, they each help you intensely tone your entire core. You can watch videos on how to use them safely to get a killer workout in next to no space.
9. Door pull-up bars
For a full rundown, our guide to the best pull-up bars for your home will help you find the perfect fit. Some bars come with a caveat that, if you ever take them down, the door frame might need repainting. It’s often worth it, though, because pull-ups are a famously good workout and very quick to fit in between tidying up, studying or work.
Things you already have for a home gym
- Firstly, you may already have stairs in your house or leading up to your flat. A quick Google search will provide you with tons of ways that you can use those to get your sweat on. You’ll never look at a staircase the same way again!
- Finally, tins and bottles. Anything is a hand weight if you think creatively. You can use a 2-litre water bottle, for example, for a weights workout. Please don’t use glass wine bottles, though – they’re better saved as a post-workout reward.
- Alternative ideas, especially if you’re going to turn a small garage into a gym, include hanging a punching bag from the ceiling – though you’ll want to check first that your rafters can support it.
Flat-friendly workout ideas
‘But I live in a flat/house share’ – we hear you! Neighbours don’t usually appreciate the repetitive thunk of a treadmill or the clunking of feet and kettlebells hitting the floor like a herd of baby elephants. For spaces where you need to be neighbour-considerate, we have to get clever.
Mat workouts are still an excellent idea for your small home gym. If you get a slightly thicker mat (physio mats work well), they add a little extra cushioning, too. You can also still use the resistance bands, balance ball, hand weights and door pull-up bars without disturbing the people downstairs.
These days, on-demand workouts are available online via just about any video hosting service. Plus many are free. Opt for core workouts or something low-impact like yoga or Pilates. Some yoga accessories can help you max out the effectiveness. You stay fit, and your neighbours stay sweet enough to take in your parcels when you’re out – win-win!
If too small a space has been your go-to excuse for not getting your heart rate up, it’s time to change that. We hope this article has given you fuel for your fitness fire. Sprint, lunge or burpee over to Gumtree to pick up all the equipment you need to create your dream compact home gym.
