Fitness Feels For Your Mental Health: Can Your Home Gym Make You Happier?

Hitting the gym regularly makes you happy in more ways than one. Besides promoting the production of the feel-good hormones that elevate your moods, exercise also helps in reducing signs of stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, getting your dream body boosts your self-esteem, confidence and you feel empowered to conquer the world. All these work best in enhancing your mental health. However, while you can get these effects in a public gym, some people swear that working out at their own home gym makes them happier and enjoy a better impact on their mental health. How is this so? We look at different ways exercising at home makes you happier as well as how it can have a positive impact on your mental health.

The privacy

Exercising in a crowd can be intimidating for some people. Some people experience fears of being judged by other people in the gym or what other people might think about them. You might feel like you don’t have the perfect gym body, or feel afraid of looking awkward while using the equipment or doing certain exercises. While going to the gym is meant to help you reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, such feelings might make it even worse. It can be hard to relax and get the full benefits of exercise if all you are thinking is if you have the right workout gear or if you are using the equipment properly. Thankfully, a home gym provides the privacy that you need to work out without the judgmental eyes of other people. You can learn how to use equipment or do exercises properly at your own pace without the added pressure.

Ability to design your dream workout area

When exercising in a public gym, you don’t have any control over the aesthetics of the gym. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to design a visually appealing and functional gym space when it comes to a home gym. You can decide the equipment that you want, the size and from which brand. If you want to add plants, mirrors, and the like, you have the liberty of creating an inspiring and motivating gym that will make you never want to miss a session. When designing your home gym, however, consider proper lighting and ventilation. Moreover, if you plan to use weights and heavy equipment for your workouts, it is important to protect your floor by installing quality rubber lock tile. It will make you feel safe and relaxed to get the most out of your workouts.

It’s less stressful

When it comes to public gyms, even planning time out of your schedule can be stressful enough. You have to make many considerations such as childcare, traffic, weather, gym outfit and your job schedule among others. This is not forgetting that you have to wait in line to use equipment, which can be rather frustrating. But, when you have a home gym, such stresses are unheard of. You don’t have to carve out two hours out of your schedule for the gym. You don’t have to worry about childcare services. Additionally, you can exercise in whichever outfit you deem fit, whether it is raining or snowing, your gym is open 24/7. The good thing with a home gym is that you don’t really have any excuse for not working out, which is important in achieving your fitness goals; a key ingredient to your happiness.

You can work out with friends and family

Bonding with other people is known to enhance happiness and improve mental health. Unlike in a commercial gym where you have to deal with people that seem judgmental, a home gym allows you to work out with people that you love. You can bring in a friend and exercise together as you share stories about life or a difficult situation that is stealing your peace. You can also bring everyone in the family to the gym without worrying about their safety.

You can set your own rules

There is nothing as frustrating as working out in a room that is too cold or too hot. Unfortunately, gym managers try to please everyone, so they settle on a middle ground. You don’t have to worry about such things in a home gym. You have the freedom to set the thermostat at a temperature that is comfortable for you. If you want to fully blast your favorite tunes or watch your favorite show, you have full control over that. You also don’t have to follow the dress code rule or any other rule in your home gym.

Conclusion

Taking care of your mental health in this chaotic life is important for your general wellbeing. Moreover, hitting the gym is a great way to pump in some endorphins, and get rid of daily stress. However, between paying for a gym membership or exercising at home, the latter makes you happier. It might be expensive to get started, but setting up a gym at home impacts your mental health positively in the ways listed above.