Fernanda Anderson is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and Youth Exercise Specialist.  She has rented properties all over the world while remaining committed to living a healthy and fit lifestyle.  

Our home gym is an important area not only to me, but to our entire family.  Finding a rental that has ample space for a home gym is always the goal, but not always feasible.  If you have space to spare in your rental and truly are dedicated to reaching your fitness goals from home, I would recommend:

A Yoga Mat like this one

Trigger PointFoam Grid Foam Roller

Kettlebells: 5, 10, & 15 lbs

Fitness Bands like these

Dumbbells:  5, 10 & 15 lbs (my preference is Rogue)

Stability Ball (linked here)

Treadmill or Other Cardio Machine (linked here)

Mirrors (linked here)

Bench (my preference is Rogue)

Stationary Bike (such as a Peloton)

While having a full at home gym would be amazing, you don’t HAVE to have all that to be dedicated to your fitness.  If space in your rental is limited, go to the bare essential and take the opportunity to get creative with what you have.  At a minimum that should include:

A Yoga Mat like this one

Dumbbells:  5, 10 & 15 lbs (my preference is Rogue)

Mirrors (linked here)

Fitness Bands like these

Yes!  As dedicated as I am to making fitness a priority, I can also appreciate not wanting your living room to look like a home gym.  In my current rental we have a dedicated gym in our garage, but during the winter months I will often relocate my yoga mat, dumbbells and foam roller in the house.  

What I recommend to my clients is to have a basket or decorative storage item for your gym equipment BUT don’t completely hide all your equipment away.  Out of sight out of mind can ring true, especially with fitness equipment.  If your equipment is visible to you, there is a much better chance you will hold yourself accountable to get that workout done before you plop on the couch.

As you can probably tell from the huge difference in equipment lists, the cost of a home gym can vary A LOT.  If budget is an issue (even if space isn’t) start with the essential items list and slowly grow your gym equipment.  When brand new equipment is our of your price range, check garage sales and Facebook marketplace.  So many people invest significant amounts of money in their fitness goals, only to end up selling their equipment for a fraction of the price.  Their loss can definitely be your gain.

Obviously, make sure you check your lease and get landlord permission for any changes.  If you have a landlord that isn’t quite as into your fitness goals as you are, thats okay too.  You should have a mirror, but you don’t need wall to wall mirrors in your gym.  Ideally, you want a mirror that allows you to see your form from top to bottom.  This could be as simple as a full length closet mirror carefully propped against a wall (be careful that it is out of the way of your exercises and not a hazard.). If you can paint your space a bright color that is fantastic.  But light and airflow can make up for a lot when you can’t paint.  If you have windows, let that light (and air) flow in.  Otherwise get some lamps and  fans and create your own atmosphere.  

I also recommend having something to entertain you during long workouts, whether that is a digital photo frame or a TV.  What you use for entertainment depends on what motivates you, but generally I have found that staring at a blank wall doesn’t do much for many of my clients.

This is such an important point.  Preventing damage to flooring is simple and can save you SO much in terms of your security deposit (and additional damages).  If you have tile or marble flooring, get a carpet AND put your mat over it.  Of course, if you have the space, some thicker rubber mats would be ideal and provide the most protection.  

Just be mindful you lay any protective flooring keeping your workouts in mind.  You don’t want to be at risk or damaging the floors but you also don’t want to risk making the space unsafe to move around it.  

When you have a home gym you don’t have attendants keeping your space clean, that is on you.  Make sure you wipe your equipment down the you are done.  No one wants their rental smelling like a dirty gym, but having a clean space will also help keep you motivated.  It ensures when your ready to go with your workout, so is your gym, instead of having to clean at the start.