What to Know When Installing Fitness Flooring in Your Home Gym

The benefits of having a home gym are obvious – you skip the crowds, avoid continuous monthly payments, and shirk the general hassle of having to leave your home to get your work out in. Who wouldn’t want to have an individualized training space made just for them to break a sweat and get fit in? You may already be in the process of building your perfect home gym and have probably considered what weights, machines, and various fitness gear you may need to complete the perfect space – at the very least you’re thinking about it now. However, in addition to all of the obvious essentials, you’ll also want to consider what kind of flooring you’ll need to keep both you and your space in tip top shape. 

The importance of having the perfect flooring cannot be overlooked. Having the wrong type of flooring can lead to wear and tear on both your space and your body, leading to strain, injury, and unnecessary fatigue. You may not know the first thing about what flooring is best or how to go about installing it, but don’t worry, we’re here to help you out.

First of all, let’s start with some options that you may have been considering that are less than ideal. You may be thinking of flooring your home gym with something ornate like marble, or perhaps aiming for a more industrial aesthetic using granite or concrete. You may even be considering laying down some nice planks of wood like you’ve seen in some other public or home gyms. You may want to reconsider these options.

Although these options may look stylish and practical, using these materials can have very real effects on your physical well-being. Think of all of the obvious physical activities you’ll be doing in your home gym weekly or daily – running, jumping, push-ups, etc. Now imagine performing all of these activities on flooring as hard as granite, marble, or plywood. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture does it? Having this type of wood or stone flooring can cause significant muscle strain, tension, and shock injuries to your joints, making exercising a more grueling and laborious task than it needs to be. In addition to that, it’s significantly more expensive, and the installation process is much more labor-intensive. You want to be working hard on your workout routine, not laying planks and tiles.
Let’s take a look at some options that are a little more financially sound and health conscientious that may work for you.

Rubber Flooring

Rubber flooring is a practical and versatile option when it comes to flooring your home gym. Rubber flooring offers shock absorption and maximum comfort while performing your workout, and it’s not too difficult to install either. 

Rubber flooring can be installed in a few different ways, the easiest of which being interlocking tiles. Tiles of rubber flooring can be purchased in center, corner, and border pieces, making assembling the flooring of your home gym less of a hassle and more of a jigsaw puzzle. Putting these pieces together is quick and easy and requires less tools and supplies than any other method. However, it may not be the best option for more permanent flooring.

For a more durable option, you may want to consider using adhesives like industrial grade glue or double-sided tape. This method requires your subfloor to be completely clean and free of debris before laying out your rubber rolls. Once that’s done, you can lay out your flooring before applying the double sided tape or glue to the subfloor. Using a utility knife, cut away the excess rubber from your rolls so that the dimensions are perfectly fitted to the corners and edges of your wall. After that, you can roll up the rubber and apply the tape or glue to the subflooring before pressing the rubber against the adhesive. To make sure your flooring sticks firmly, use a carpet roller with around 100 pounds of pressure to press the flooring to your adhesive. There you have it, your new home gym flooring, perfectly ready for the all of the wear, tear, and use you plan to get out of it.

Foam Flooring

Perhaps the best style of flooring when it comes to shock resistance, foam flooring is a perfect option for individuals who engage in high intensity interval training, yoga, and any exercise that involves being on the floor for the vast majority of your workout. Aside from the obvious comfort associated with foam flooring, it’s extremely portable and easy to lay down on your foundation. All you need to do is simply is spread out the rolls of foam or assemble the foam tiles and you’re ready to go. The main downfall of using foam is a lack of durability – it won’t last you too long. It’s also less than ideal for using heavy equipment on, namely heavy weights and cardio-based exercise machines.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is a practical and aesthetically pleasing option for flooring your home gym. Being mold, stain, and sweat resistant, vinyl floors offer a sleek way to break a sweat without trapping in unwanted smells and stains. Installation is a breeze too, being very similar to rubber flooring, needing just adhesive and pressure to install. However, you’ll need to be wary of sharp objects in the room, seeing as vinyl is very easy to puncture. This is a good option for those who want that polished, refined work out space look and may not need the shock absorption or comfort from foam or rubber.

Artificial Turf

If you really want to go for gold, artificial turf is the most efficient and official-looking kind of flooring you can choose from. It gives your gym the look and feel of a professional athletes’ training center and can greatly boost the efficiency of your workout. You can also bring your outdoor workouts indoors during the winter. The main setback is the price per square foot of this material, which is significantly more expensive than any other option.

In conclusion, your choice for the perfect home gym flooring will rely completely on your individual needs and the workout routines you enjoy most. For routines involving jumping and floor exercises, you’ll want something more comfortable and shock resistant, such as rubber or foam. If you’re leaning towards something sleeker, refined, and built for high performance, you may want to go with the turf or vinyl if you don’t mind spending the extra dollar. Achieving your health and wellness goals within the comfort of your own home is nothing short of a luxury – choose wisely as you make the necessary steps towards building the home gym that is right for you.