If leading a healthy lifestyle is important to you, a home gym could be a worthwhile investment. You don’t have to leave the house to workout, and it gives you the freedom and convenience to build your own exercise room with only the best gym equipment you see fit. While the idea of a home gym may conjure up images of tiny, dark spaces crammed with bulky gym equipment – think treadmills, exercise bikes and cross trainers – there are alternative ways to get fit in your home. Depending on your budget and interests, you could have a yoga studio, meditation room, weights room, basketball court or even a dance studio. Browse the photos on Houzz for more ideas for home gyms, and save your favourites to an ideabook.

What kind of home gym should I have?

To get the most out of your home gym, plan a space that will allow you to incorporate many different fitness regimes. A spare room can be transformed into a hub for aerobics, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, dancing and cardio – just add timber floorboards or rubber flooring, a mirrored wall, an exercise machine, some dumbbells, a TV and a killer sound system. This way, there’s something for the whole family. If you have the space and enjoy doing specific workouts, consider making a specialty room like a yoga studio.

How do I create a double-duty exercise room?

Make the most of your home gym by making it a dual-purpose room. You could combine your gym with an office space, playroom, guest bedroom or garage, for example. Consider which space is most practical. A treadmill in your bedroom won’t be ideal if you workout at the crack of dawn while your partner is still sleeping; likewise, you won’t want to lift weights in a garage that isn’t properly insulated and feels more like a sweatbox.

What kind of home gym equipment do I need?

Again, this depends on what you enjoy doing most. Yoga mats, dumbbells and punching bags are popular purchases, or you could splurge on big-ticket items like a treadmill or multi-functional home gym system. Additional extras to help get you in the zone include a sound system, wall-mounted TV, as well as a mini bar to store cold drinks. Don’t forget to allow for efficient ventilation and cooling.

Whether you want inspiration for planning a home gym renovation or are building a designer home gym from scratch, Houzz has 29,396 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Colby Construction and Trevor Fulmer Design. Look through home gym photos in different colours and styles and when you find a home gym design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful home gym ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.