Home gyms have become an increasingly popular way of staying fit. Many people fitted out their garden sheds with equipment bought online during the initial Covid-19 lockdowns. Even though the pandemic is now over, there are still plenty of advantages in converting your shed to a workout space – you’ll save on transport costs and gym memberships, and you won’t have to wait for pieces of equipment to become available.
Here Lumberjacks, who stock Pent and Apex garden sheds at our Ipswich base, provide you with the steps to take if you are considering transforming your shed into a home gym.
1. Select Your Shed
How much space you will need depends on the exercises you plan to do – if it’s running on a treadmill and other anaerobic machines, then it should be easier to calculate. For other types of activity, such as skipping then you will need to think about headroom as well. Generally speaking, it’s better to go for a larger shed as not only do you need enough space to exercise, but also plenty of room to store items such as weights and dumbbells.
It is important to bear in mind that under ‘permitted development rights’, you aren’t allowed to erect a new shed less than 2 metres from the boundary of your property if the shed is 2.5 metres high (or taller). This will also help avoid any overlooking or privacy concerns from neighbours.
Our range of garden sheds can be found here, and we also stock a range of summerhouses and log cabins too. It’s also worth checking out our offers page, as we occasionally have some special deals available on our sheds.
- Reinforce the Floor
One of the things you may need to do is strengthen the floor as you will be putting more pressure on it during your exercise regime than if you were just using it as a conventional storage shed. Weights can also easily be dropped on it by mistake. So you will need a good sub-base underneath (preferably concrete); rubber matting is also a good idea as this is very impact absorbent and will protect wooden floorboards.
- Connect it Up
Your garden shed gym will almost certainly need electricity to power equipment, lights, heating and air conditioning. That means it will need to be connected to your mains power. It may be possible to run a power cable from your house if the shed is close enough. However, if it’s too far away, it may be necessary to connect to the mains power supply. In that case, you may need to hire a professional electrician to get the work done.
- Insulate and Ventilate
Assuming you want to use your garden shed gym all your round, you will want to fit it out with materials which will ensure it’s cool in summer, and warm in winter. Fibreglass rolls, cellulose, expanded polystyrene or foam, breathable membranes, plywood board (and even double glazing the windows) are all ways of achieving this.
Adding proper ventilation will also improve air quality, helping you to breathe better (and perform better) in the gym. If it’s too hot, then you could overstretch yourself while you are exercising. Installing wall vents or plugging in an electric fan should keep you cool.
- Secure It
Make sure you have at least a stout padlock on the door – after all, gym equipment (particularly anaerobic machines) can be expensive. It might be worth covering items up with a tarpaulin so they are out of sight of any prying eyes, too. Outdoor lighting will be beneficial – our Ellumiere range is easy to install, and the light it provides should discourage opportunist thieves.
- Start Exercising!
Garden Sheds from Lumberjacks
If you want any advice on which is the best shed to convert into a gym, then you can call us on 01473 461394. You can also follow this link and fill in the online form, and we will get back to you.
Our sheds can also be customised to meet your exact requirements – for more information click Albany Sheds 3D Shed Design or Albany Shed Co - Order Form.
