Home Gyms Spruce Up and Slim Down
October 27th, 2008
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, between 2000 and 2006 there was a 30% increase in the number of people exercising at home, especially among baby boomers concerned with maintaining their health. About one-third of new and potential home buyers list a home gym as essential or desirable, according to NAHB. The space falls just behind home offices and theater rooms as the most popular specialty area.
Home gyms also are sprouting in spare bedrooms, multi-use family rooms and garages. A few years ago, home gyms were more focused on several single-specialty machines like the Ab Roller or the ThighMaster, says Steve Jordan, president and owner of Steven Jordan Acceleration, a fitness boutique in Los Angeles. Today’s home gym is minimalist. Cables are neatly tucked away, and machines are adjustable to fit any body type and fitness level. “The consumer realizes that exercise and movement can be done in small spaces or on equipment that has multiple uses,” says Jordan, who has designed home gyms in spaces as small as 4 by 4 feet.
In today’s home-gym market, the look of the equipment is just as important as the function. Manufacturers are using “home-friendly” materials and colors, including wood grains and brushed stainless steel.