Right now, almost a third of the world’s population is under lockdown orders due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). That’s making even normal daily activities impossible in some places. In the areas where businesses have been forced to close their offices, displaced workers have scrambled to set up comfortable spaces to work while at home. It’s also causing legions of DIY enthusiasts to look for projects they can tackle as they ride out the lockdown.
One such project is turning an outdoor shed into a home gym or fitness space. It’s a project that carries the benefit of giving the DIYer something to do while in isolation, both while completing the retrofit and afterward when the work is complete. It’s a great and productive way to turn the current crisis into an opportunity to better your physical health and increase your wellbeing. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started.
Start with The Floor
To have a proper fitness space, you’ll need a floor that can stand up to things like dropped weights while simultaneously being comfortable enough to do push-ups or sit-ups on it. In a shed, you’re likely to begin with concrete slab flooring, which makes an excellent foundation layer for your fitness space. To make it perfect, you should first give it a coat of an appropriate moisture-sealant or epoxy to keep your new gym or fitness space dry. Then top it off with interlocking rubber flooring tiles. They’re available in a variety of colours and styles to suit whatever décor you plan to use in the finished space.
Insulate and Ventilate
To make sure you’ll be able to use your new gym or fitness space year-round, you’ll need to make sure it can stay comfortable in all weather. That means making sure the shed is insulated properly and has the right types of ventilation for the summer. The insulation options that you choose should be capable of keeping the space at an even, habitable temperature in both summer and winter months. Then, because you’ll be working out in the space, you’re going to want to add plenty of ventilation as well. This is best accomplished by adding a combination of louvered vent and corro mount vents throughout the structure.
Add the Right Lighting
To make your new gym or fitness space really useful, you’ll need it to have great lighting to compliment whatever workout equipment you’re going to use. Since natural lighting is always best, begin by adding as many windows to your shed as possible. These will add light and additional ventilation and are available in tinted and louvered designs for extra privacy and comfort. Then, you’ll want to add overhead lighting to augment the natural light and to make the space usable at night or in inclement weather. For sheds with limited electricity, solar lighting makes an excellent addition to suit your needs.
Equip and Get Ripped
With your shed prepared, the next thing to do is to add whatever exercise or home gym equipment suits your workout needs. If you’ve never had a home gym before, a simple weight bench, some comfortable seating, and some free-weights are a good place to begin. Once you really get into it, though, you’ll want to add some cardio equipment or a multi-station home gym to round out your kit. Then, you’ll be able to spend your spare time getting into shape or building the body you’ve always wished to have – and you’ll get to do it in the comfort of your own home, too.
