Busy schedules, competing priorities, and lack of self-confidence are among the top reasons why people don’t go to the gym even when they want to. These are just some of the obstacles people face when trying to find the motivation to exercise at group gyms.
From navigating traffic—which is common during peak gym hours—to lacking the social energy to work out in crowded places, to standing in lines at gym machines and locker rooms, achieving your body goals may seem like a pipe dream. For many.
Except it doesn’t have to be. If this is your case, home gyms are your saving grace.
If you have the space and a small starting budget, you can create a gym that works for you. So, what does it take to set up a gym in your home and what are the benefits? BDLife I spoke to Eshuchi Lumumba, a longtime fitness enthusiast who works as a teacher, recording musician, and interior designer in Nairobi.
“The idea of starting a gym in my home came about because of the harassment I faced about two and a half years ago after I moved from Lavington in Nairobi to Ruaka,” he says. “Going to the gym meant I would have to turn around at least four times a week – which is a lot of How many times a week do I exercise?
Eshuchi Lumumba performs a bench press exercise in the gym of his home in Ruaka, Kiambu County on September 3, 2024.
Image credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Detours mean he’ll spend up to two hours in traffic jams just to get to the gym for a one-hour workout session.
“My time on the road didn’t make sense to me, and when I looked around, I couldn’t find a gym that had the right equipment to fit my training needs,” he says.
He quickly did the math and concluded that if he pooled the monthly subscription fees as a lump sum, he would save money in the long run and keep his equipment for himself.
“As an interior designer, planning and designing the space was a no-brainer. I installed a floor-to-ceiling mirror – just to transition the communal gym into my own space. I mounted some of my photos on another wall to complete that feel. I added some downlights to enhance Aesthetic appearance and also providing adequate lighting for photography (and he is great at that).”
His research before embarking on this process helped him make informed purchases.
Eshuchi Lumumba exercises his abs in the gym of his home in Ruaka on September 3, 2024.
“When I went shopping, I knew what I could do without it. For example, I don’t have a treadmill. It’s bulky and takes up a lot of space. I can easily achieve similar results by setting up another station that doesn’t take up as much space,” he says.
When building your own home gym, function and efficiency are key drivers of the decision-making process. Unlike public gyms, you may not have the space, money, and need for some equipment. What works for you depends on what you are trying to achieve with your body.
Strength training
To improve the functionality of his gym, Lumumba first installed a rack cage. Then he bought enough boards for strength training and hired a metal fabricator to build a dumbbell rack.
“Most, if not all, types of equipment that need to be installed in a gym come with a manual. To cut costs, you can read the manual and install it yourself. This also helps you know what you have in case you need to disassemble or repair loose nuts.”
He also repaired the floor himself.
“It would have cost me about Sh10,000 to arrange the interlocking floor mats. This would have been an unnecessary cost as this is something anyone can easily do.
Eshuchi Lumumba trains in his home gym in Ruaka, Kiambu County on September 3, 2024.
Image credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Does this make economic sense in the long term? “Yes, it is. Over time, I spent less on setting up my gym than I would have spent on subscription fees over the past two and a half years.
He has spent Sh350,000 so far. He says the money is a fraction of what he would pay for a decent gym membership.
“When you think about it, it’s a lifesaver for me,” he says.
Many would argue that having a home gym encourages laziness. It can be one of those things that you’re super nervous about when setting up but only use it occasionally. Lumumba disagrees.
“I have to remind myself not to go to the gym more often than my body requires. To my advantage, I can use it anytime I want. Plus, having it here means I don’t have to get up earlier than I should in the morning to beat the traffic on the road and in Different stations in the gym.
Eshuchi Lumumba trains in his home gym in Ruaka, Kiambu County on September 3, 2024.
Image credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Besides saving time and costs, a personal gym enhances your privacy. Some people lack the confidence to train in settings with strangers or may have exhausted their social batteries. Public gyms become a huge hurdle in your fitness journey – an contradiction by every definition but a valid reason to not show up for reps or any activity at the gym. Others demand privacy for religious reasons.
“Your space ensures you maximum privacy from any people or energies you don’t want to interact with. It also saves you from the pressure of doing things at the gym because the trainer or another gym user is doing them. It saves you from feeling guilty while Exercising when you can’t reach certain levels like your other gym mates does remind you to do things at your own pace,” he tells BDLife.
What about maintenance? “Treat your home gym as you would any other room. It requires regular cleaning and sometimes professional cleaning. Just like a public gym, disinfecting surfaces should be routine. Additionally, having good ventilation in the room ensures Keep the gym and the rest of the house fresh.
Does having a personal gym mean stopping going to the public gym? “I go to my local gym when I want a change of environment. There’s no guilt in going to places you frequented before,” he says.