A gym in the garden provides the ultimate location to workout, without leaving home. Garden gyms can come in a huge variety of options and buildings from low-cost summerhouses to high-specification integrated garden rooms. Before deciding how to build a garden room gym, let’s take a look at some of the best examples on the internet.
If you’re like us, finding the motivation to leave home and travel to the gym is a struggle, particularly when it’s cold and dark outside. And when we do make it to the gym, it’s often overcrowded and difficult to get on the equipment. For the privilege of this, we pay a monthly membership which seems to be increasing every year.
Well, what if there was another way? a home gym can be set up with a reasonable budget and provide all features of a commercial gym, without any of the negatives. The long commute turns into a walk down the garden and waiting for equipment becomes a thing of the past. Over the last year, we’ve been repeatedly asked whether a garden room makes a good home gym and the answer is yes.
Garden room gyms are great because you can still maintain a separate room from your house to workout, so no more tripping over dumbbells walking around the bedroom. As it’s completely private, a workout can go on for as long as you like, and what’s more the gym can be open any hour of the day. For working from home, a garden room gym is the perfect retreat during lunchtime or even before starting work for the day.
Building a garden room gym is simpler than you may think. Once the initial building has been chosen and installed, a lot of the conversion work into a gym can be completed by yourself. Let’s take a look at some great garden gym examples and how to get started.
Garden Room Gym Examples
Here is some of our favourite garden room gyms online.
A modern & clean interior
This garden room gym provides the perfect balance between clean design and a practical interior. The walls and ceiling are painted white to create the impression of a larger room. Bi-fold doors covering most of the length of the building let in plenty of light and give a great view into the garden.
Placing equipment around the edge creates space in the middle of the room to move around and exercise. Despite being a garden gym, this example features a range of important equipment including a treadmill, dumbbells and a bench.
Creating a gym with different zones
The raised section in this garden gym provides space for all of the larger gym equipment including a fully assisted bench press and treadmill. The lower level features the main entrance and exercise space.
The rubber flooring provides protection for dropped weights to avoid damage. White walls and plenty of windows provide for a bright environment.
The all-white gym
Creating your own garden gym allows you to choose a colour scheme that fits your taste. This stunning example features a combination of white and cream to create a modern and contemporary building. The interior features a light wooden floor, ideal for yoga and similar exercises.
The bike machine is placed over to the side, allowing for easy access and plenty of room for exercise.
A contemporary grey design
Grey colour schemes are used widely in garden rooms to create a timeless design that will look great in years to come. The spin bike is the main highlight in this garden gym, with additional equipment such as dumbbells stored around the edge.
Spotlights provide even lighting throughout the garden gym, and windows can open to let in fresh air.
Keeping the natural wood on display
With a high-quality log cabin, there’s often no need to paint the interior wood. The below example leaves the wood exposed to create a warm and comfortable feel. Rubber mats are used to place equipment on and avoid damage to the floor.
Electric is fitted using trunking around the room to allow for TVs and lights etc to be installed. Plenty of equipment fits inside to allow for a full range of workouts.
A multipurpose room
This example features space for use as a gym and also relaxing. Workout equipment is placed in the middle of the room; Bi-folding doors feature the full length of the building and let in loads of light. The side of this garden room features a garden office as well.
How to build a garden room gym
With so many great examples online, it’s difficult to not want to get started straight away. Taking practical steps can see your garden gym built in a matter of weeks. While some garden building manufacturers will have a garden gym model available to order, it’s common to purchase a standard garden room and convert it into a gym yourself. This provides increased flexibility and allows for the building to be tailored to your exact requirements.
Get the base right
An easy mistake to make with a new garden building is using a base that is not 100% level. It can be tempting to use an existing patio or decking which may not be up to the job. The base is one of the most important areas to get right to create a solid foundation for your garden room which will remain for years to come.
Choosing the right location for your base is important. The space should have good access to allow the garden room to be built and all the materials and gym equipment to get through easily. Over time, the garden building may require maintenance such as touching up paint, so ideally you should be able to get all the way around once the building is up. The size of the base should be slightly larger than the garden gym itself. Too large will allow for puddles to build up near the edge which could lead to dampness in the winter.
Many options are available for garden room bases including ground screws and timber framing. For a garden room gym, we recommend a solid concrete base. The building itself will weigh hundreds of kilograms. Once all of the weights and equipment are added, there will be significant pressure on the base and concrete ensures there won’t be any damage over time from dropping weights.
Choose the right building
The biggest decision you’ll need to make is which type of garden building to use. This will largely depend on budget, size and how often the garden gym will be used. The lowest cost option is a summerhouse which can be purchased online for around £1000. While a good starting point, the building will need some work to get it ready for use as a gym and may need the floor upgrading to an optional heavy-duty option. Insulation will be key in allowing for use throughout the colder months. We have covered insulating a summerhouse in detail previously and good insulation is ideal for use in the winter as well.
Log cabins also make great garden gyms and for several thousand a solid quality building can be purchased which won’t require too much work. Unlike summerhouses, log cabins have much thicker logs and 44mm wall thickness and upwards options won’t require any additional insulation in the walls. We still recommend insulating the roof and this can often be purchased with the building.
A garden room is an option for those with a larger budget. Garden rooms include a lot more as standard including full insulation and uPVC doors and windows. The result is a feeling similar to being inside a house, the environment looks great and very contemporary. A garden room is usually installed by a professional who may offer upgrades for use as a garden gym.
Whichever type of building you choose, we recommend paying for professional installation. Log cabins in particular can be challenging to put together. The building size should provide adequate room to workout and keep all of your equipment stored safely.
Install gym flooring
Garden rooms come with solid wood flooring to provide a strong base that will last for years. But this won’t take into account dropping weights or the thuds of running on a treadmill at high speed. Gyms have rubber flooring which is designed to absorb the knocks from weights & physical exercise.
Installing similar flooring inside your garden building is easy and can be completed by yourself. A huge choice is available online of rubber mats designed for home gyms. The mats click into place to protect the floor and create a comfortable environment for a workout.
Get online
If there’s one thing we can’t live without in the gym, it’s loud music for motivation. Electricity and an internet connection can easily be installed inside a garden room gym to allow you to stream music or follow a workout video with ease. We see many garden gyms which feature TVs on the wall and they look great. Electrics need to be installed by a professional electrician. The supply is often taken from the main fuse board in the house and set up as a separate circuit. A trench will be dug running from the house to the garden room gym to ensure the wires are safely buried underground.
Getting internet into a garden room is widely discussed online and there are many options available. For garden gyms very close to the house, a Wi-Fi extender may be sufficient to boost the signal and provide a reliable connection. However, Wi-Fi isn’t designed to travel through thick exterior walls any many will find the connection is not stable enough, particularly for streaming videos and music. We recommend installing an ethernet internet connection for a garden room. The wiring can be run at the same time as the electrics and will provide a super-fast connection just like in the house.
Choose your equipment
The most exciting part of any home gym install is getting to choose all of your new equipment. Gym equipment doesn’t have to cost thousands and can be found for reasonable prices by shopping around online. Remember, you’ll be saving money by no longer paying a monthly gym membership. Websites such as Amazon have a huge choice of equipment available with everything from weights to treadmills.
We recommend choosing equipment that can be used for different workouts. This reduces the space required and also cost. For example, adjustable dumbbells mean you can use the same dumbbells and just change the weight for each workout compared with static weighted dumbbells. Other essential equipment includes a cardio machine such as a cross-trainer or treadmill. Workout bands also make a nice addition to a home gym.
Verdict
Gyms are great, but a gym all to yourself is even better. A gym in your garden reduces the long journey to a few steps and there’s also no more waiting to get on the equipment. There are many great examples online which provide plenty of inspiration and ideas.
Deciding how to build your garden gym will depend on the specification required and the budget available. Even with a small budget, it’s still possible to create a function home gym that can be used to stay in shape. Do you already have a garden gym? send us a photo for it to be featured.
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