Home Gym Flooring Essential Tips and Guide

Home Gym Flooring Essential Tips and Guide

Flooring should be the first thing or among the first things to plan when you're ready to build your home gym. If you thought you could arrange all the equipment you need on a concrete floor in your house or garage, think again. A concrete floor doesn't offer the cushioning, stability or traction that gym goers require. Weightlifting, cardio workouts or performing jumping jacks on concrete floors may cause also micro-injuries, which can develop into more serious injuries over time. 

The type of flooring material you choose will determine how safely, effectively and enjoyably you're able to work out and as often as you like. So, how do you decide which type of home gym flooring to invest in? Is there one material that ticks all the right boxes? Here's a quick dive!

Priorities when choosing home gym flooring

Protecting your floor: Your flooring needs protection; even when training a few days a week your floor can take a beating. Dropping heavy weights or frequently moving equipment can seriously damage your floor, so choose wisely depending on your type of workout. 

Protect your equipment:  Your home gym flooring needs to protect your fitness equipment and over time your investment will add up.

Stability: Non-slip flooring helps you maintain your balance during any workout. Remember that it's easy to injure yourself while training. Safety first, no matter what. 

Shock absorption: The floor should ideally absorb the energy your body creates during movement and range of motion exercises. If not, you're likely to feel fatigued easily, and experience joint and muscle pain. 

Sound absorption: Vibrations created by weights moving or dropping on the ground can be felt inside your gym and other parts of your house. Flooring plays an important role in preventing noise and vibrations from transferring out of your gym. 

Design: A rubber gym floor doesn’t have to be black. You can choose from a number of finishes that will compliment your home beautifully. 

Health & Safety: Your flooring should be free of noxious and toxic fumes, so make sure you chose the appropriate material. 

Rubber gym flooring is the way to go

Keeping these factors in mind, rubber is an excellent gym flooring material. It offers good shock absorption and is easy on your knees and joints. Additionally, flooring made of rubber provides the right level of slip resistance.

Rubber has a slight springy quality to it without being too soft. The problem with soft surfaces is that it's easy to roll your ankles on them, and the abrupt movement can affect your workout experience or even cause minor sprains. Rubber flooring hits the sweet spot between stability and traction, minimizing chances of slips while offering adequate springiness.

Working out in a basement with a concrete floor is no fun when the weather is chilly. Uncovered cement and hardwood floors get cold quickly and are less comfortable during the winter months. Rubber is a good thermal insulator, and rubber flooring does its bit to keep your home gym nicely warm. Rubber gym flooring is also the answer to a noiseless home gym. 

Types of rubber gym flooring 

There are different options in rubber flooring to make your home gym functional and stylish. 

Rubber gym floor tiles

Interlocking rubber floor tiles look sleek and provide a secure, non-slip surface for all types of workouts. The seams are tight with no edges to trip over. Tiles made from natural rubber are more durable and appealing. They come in a variety of colors, so you have more flexibility in decking up your home gym to your personal preferences. Tiles are ideal for small spaces and installation is easy as there is no need for adhesive. 

Rubber gym floor rolls

Rather than interlocking, floor rolls are installed using adhesive. The adhesive doesn't un-attach due to regular, heavy use. Rubber gym floor rolls have high tensile strength and are resistant to fatigue from wear. Colour options are usually fewer compared to rubber tiles. Rolls are a permanent solution to cover large gym areas. 

Rubber gym floor mats

You can also create thicker flooring using rubber floor mats. They provide the same high-performing, durable and safe surface as rolls and tiles. Mats can be straight edged or interlocking, with the latter offering a tighter, more durable fit. 

Heavy-duty gym flooring

Heavy-duty gym flooring solutions are designed to absorb impacts and falls in free weight areas of your home gym. They're basically recycled rubber flooring rolls installed using an adhesive. Heavy-duty gym flooring rolls are low-maintenance and available in multiple colours. 

Ready to shape up your home gym?

A lot of thought goes into creating a safe home gym that promises a great workout experience. Getting the flooring right is critical and rubber tiles, rolls and mats should definitely be on your radar. Explore your choices today and make sure you invest in the right gym flooring for your home gym.