The Best Flooring for Your Home Gym

That room in the basement that seems to collect the junk that doesn’t have a home is calling you. Yes, this is the perfect room for your home gym. Instead of piling up odd ends of carpet, kids bikes and holiday decorations why not turn this room into a place where you can get in a good workout? If you have such a bonus room you may be tempted to just clean it out and set up your gym equipment, but think first very carefully before you do that. You want to be sure you have the right flooring for your home gym before you get all crazy hanging mirrors and pull up bars and moving the treadmill out of your living room.

Choosing the wrong flooring can ruin the function of your gym and lead to injury. What kind of equipment are you going to have in your home gym? Will you mainly be lifting weights or will you be doing aerobics and yoga/Pilates? Will you have a treadmill or an elliptical machine?

If you are mainly using weights a rubber floor is your best option. It provides the necessary cushion for heavy weights and equipment. It also gives you a non-slip surface, which is key to preventing injury. The “give” in a rubber floor is a fantastic shock absorber if you drop a weight or fall.

If you are going to use carpet, use a low pile one. The standard high pile can cause uneven surfaces for gym equipment making it a safety hazard. Heavy-duty carpets used in high traffic areas would be a good way to go, but keep in mind there is little cushion if you drop a heavy weight.

Laminate flooring is a good option if you are mainly going to be doing aerobics and yoga/Pilates. Again, dropping a heavy weight on a laminate floor can be damaging.

So get going! Clean out that room, pick your flooring and move the treadmill downstairs.