Are you one of the over 75 percent of Americans who doesn’t get enough exercise every week? If so, don’t worry or feel bad: obviously you are not alone! Life is busy and getting to the gym can be a hassle.
Creating a home gym could set you up to gain all of the benefits you get from consistent exercise, including:
Crafting a great home gym — a space that you’ll want to come back to and workout again and again — doesn’t end with a yoga mat and a treadmill. Understanding which home gym color schemes to use can greatly affect your home gym experience, and therefore your overall health.
So whether you’re getting ready to create a home gym or you’re simply looking for some design ideas for your pre-existing home gym, keep reading for some color expert approved ideas!
Certain colors have been shown to help improve workouts, increase heart rate, and pump you up for a workout. The boldness of these colors can be overwhelming if used in too heavy of a dose, so you’ll notice a common suggestion among these home gym color schemes: moderation.
Red
The color red can lead to an increase in your heart rate, which can be beneficial for workouts. This can give you energy and make you feel pumped up. Keeping a sustained increased heart rate during workouts is linked to weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, improved stamina, and improved heart health.
I recommend smaller amounts of red around the room via accents, decor, art, etc, instead of entire rooms because it can make you feel agitated in larger amounts. Combining red with plain and basic colors like white can reduce the “aggressiveness” of the color to create a good balance.
Check out my work as an interior paint consultant.
Orange
Orange is a great energetic and spirited color. It’s gives off feelings of youth, energy, and enthusiasm, which can be great in small doses for a gym/work out area of the home.
However, in larger amounts it can come off as a bit too playful and still a bit too overpowering to cover a complete room. The playfulness might not work for more serious athletes or for creating a home gym with a more serious environment.
Too much orange can be too overpowering when overused, so consider using it through accents, decor, art, and, like with red, balancing it out with plain and muted colors.
Bright/Neon Colors
Along the same lines as red and orange, bright and neon shades can help you feel alert and energetic, which is great for a gym environment. But, also like red and orange, they can cause eye strain if overused.
Neon colors make excellent accent walls and trim options. Another way to incorporate neon colors is through gym equipment itself. Many exercise bands, weights, mats, sweat towels, water bottles, and other pieces of equipment are made in neon colors like yellow, orange, aqua and pink.
Purple
You might be starting to notice a pattern here: I’m listing colors that elicit feelings of energy, stimulation, and alertness. Purple is no exception since it can help people feel intense and motivated, especially since purple is associated with power.
But, again, too much of this color can be distracting, especially if you choose dark or bright shades.
The colors I just went over are great options for most gyms since they can keep you alert and energized during the workout. However, not all colors or workouts are created equally and certain colors are better suited for different modern gym designs.
Red, Orange, Neon, and Purple
The colors we just went over are excellent for most gyms, especially if you’re focused on high intensity and cardiovascular workouts that require energy and an increased heart rate.
Blue
Studies show that blue colors can improve focus and concentration, which can help you keep your mind on the workout. Blue can also exude a feeling of well-being and calm, and it’s viewed as a “trustworthy” color by many, which can help you feel good while working out.
This could work in most gym types, and it could be particularly helpful for areas where you want to do calming exercises like yoga. Other workouts that require immense focus like weightlifting and following fitness videos could also benefit from blue color palettes.
Another interesting thing to note is that the color blue makes objects appear lighter compared to red objects. Making your heavy weights and dumbbells blue could use this fact to help you during your workouts.
Green
The same studies that show that blue can improve focus posit the same ideas about green, as well. Green also gives off the feeling of growth, nature, and renewal, which is perfect for a fitness and exercise transformation.
Green has also been shown to boost long-term concentration, which makes it a great choice for those doing longer workouts like distance biking or running. The peaceful and restorative feelings green can give off also make it perfect for calming fitness activities like yoga and stretching.
Something else that I’ll mention is the use of light. If you can, try to position your home gym in an area with windows or natural light. If you can’t do that, somewhere with bright overhead lights will do.
Why is this? For starters, the light will illuminate the colors you’ve chosen for your space, which can potentially help with their effects.
Another reason is that natural light can help make you more active. This is beneficial for workouts. During the day, natural sunlight is best. However, if you work out during times when it’s dark outside, turning on bright lights in your gym can help you feel energetic, alert, and increase your activity levels overall.
A color consultant is a great resource for designing and deciding on the perfect home gym color scheme for modern gym designs.
I’m an experienced color expert that has worked on dozens of projects and color schemes over my career. Check out my Color911 app to help you throughout your planning process, and read more about colors and gyms there as well. Contact me to get started on a consultation and planning!
