When you think of a gym, the image that comes to mind is usually a larger space filled with equipment of different shapes and sizes. The truth is that you don’t need a huge amount of space in order to exercise, and you can certainly build a home gym with only a small amount of floor space.
Small home gyms are more possible than ever before thanks to smart gym equipment. The right devices can help you stay in shape (and work off any holiday pounds you pick up).
What’s the minimum size for a home gym?
While you can’t properly work out in a closet, you don’t need an entire garage to make a home gym, either. Small home gyms can be built in as little as 50 square feet of space or in a room that’s around 7 by 8 feet — the size of a smaller bedroom, for example.
The amount of space you need depends on the type of equipment you use. Free weights require less space than a multifunctional machine, while a smart gym like Mirror or Tonal may require slightly more space because you need to move around a lot during the workout.
As a rule of thumb, as long as you can lay down and fully stretch out with your arms extended above your head, you probably have enough space. Bigger tends to be better, though. Nothing cuts a workout short like accidentally punching a hole in the wall during an intense boxing session.
The 4 best smart home gym equipment options for small spaces
There are a lot of smart workout devices on the market that can help you get in shape, and some require more space than others.
Bowflex Blaze
The Bowflex Blaze is a multifunctional piece of gym equipment that lets you access more than 60 different exercises and 210 pounds of resistance. Unless you’re a lifelong gym rat, it has more than enough variety for most people.
You can perform rowing and leg presses thanks to the sliding seat, while the cable and pulley system lets you work your biceps, triceps, deltoids, and more. The Bowflex Blaze also enables you to buy additional weights to increase the resistance to a total of 410 pounds if needed.
While bulky, the Bowflex Blaze is a solid option for a home gym because it packs so many different workouts into a single machine. If space is limited, the fewer devices you need, the better.
Tonal Home Gym
The Tonal Home Gym mounts on the wall and is perfect for smaller spaces, but it does have two extending arms to allow for resistance training. The unit is about the size of a full-length mirror but packs an LED display into its build with professional workouts, trainers, and more.
Tonal adjusts the level of resistance based on your workout goals. Its ability to personalize workouts means you effectively have a trainer in your home gym with you, even if the space is only large enough for one person. There are on-demand workouts you can choose from to fit every mood, whether you want a fat-buster that’ll make you sweat or just a simple workout to get your blood pumping and work off the afternoon blues.
Bowflex SelectTech 560 Dumbbells
If you’re trying to greatly cut back on the amount of space needed for your workout, you can’t get much smaller than dumbbells. The Bowflex SelectTech 560 Dumbbells use built-in technology to track your sets, reps, and the amount of weight you’re using. All of this information connects to your phone.
All you need is a place to sit (preferably a sturdy chair or a weight bench) to make use of these dumbbells. They use a twist-and-lock method to adjust the weight, and you can add up to 60 pounds depending on your needs. While dumbbells aren’t the best for a full-body workout, if you’re trying to get into summer shape, the SelectTech 560 are a solid choice.
Mirror
Mirror is probably the most well-known piece of smart gym equipment. It looks just like a full-length mirror, with a streamlined design that fits into any space. When active, it displays stats about your workout, on-demand classes, and more.
What truly sets the Mirror apart is that it offers one-on-one personalized training and connects with a variety of workout accessories. It does all of this for just $1,500, which is definitely on the lower end of the scale for this type of workout device. Thanks to its small size, as long as you have enough room to move around, it’s a great choice for small home gyms.
