Got a home gym? Gotta move it? That’s OK. With the right moving company handling the heavy stuff and a little advanced planning, you can relocate your gym equipment with ease. You understandably want to take all your fitness equipment with you when moving to a new house, as you probably spent a fortune on those treadmills and bar bells.
Good for you for staying fit! But all that equipment can pose a challenge when you have to figure out how you will move the awkward, heavy stuff. Here are some tips for before and after moving your fitness equipment.
Clean and Sanitize the Equipment
Fitness equipment is germy. After all, you do a lot of sweating while using it. Every time you touch the equipment or sneeze on it, you’re leaving bacteria. Moving is the perfect time for giving all your equipment a deep clean. Sanitize and clean all items before you wrap and transport them so you don’t transfer disease-causing bacteriainto your new digs.
- Use sanitizing wipes or paper towels sprayed with all-purpose cleaners to clean all surfaces of weights, treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes, says Moving Tips.
- Wipe down yoga mats and accessories, as well as storage cubbies and shelving.
Clean all handrails and surfaces of your gym machines. - Try a solution of white vinegar and water spritzed from a spray bottle if you don’t have wipes. Wash blankets, towels, and head bands on the washing machine’s hot water cycle.
Pack Up Small Items First
Start off with the smallest items first, such as yoga mats, blocks, towels and blankets. Roll up mats, securing them with straps or placing them in bags. Pack all small items in one or two boxes, being careful not to overfill.
These items include:
- Steppers
- Jump ropes
- Kettle balls
- Portable steps
- Belts
- Hand strengthener grips
For items that are large but not heavy, fold and pack them neatly. For example, if you have inflatable exercise balls, deflate them properly to save space. If you have delicate items like mirrors, wrap them in blankets, secure with tape and pack them in flat screen TV boxes.
Pack Hand Weights and Barbells
You’ll need some sturdy, heavy-duty moving boxes for these items. To be extra safe, use packing tape to secure the bottoms, and add extra padding on the inside. You should use a few small boxes instead of one big one when packing your hand weights and barbells. Can’t find strong boxes that can handle the weight? Try plastic bins. First wrap all weights in newspaper or bubble wrap to protect them before adding to the box.
Move Your Treadmill and Elliptical
To move a treadmill, you will need a furniture dolly and moving blankets:
- Unplug the equipment, disconnecting all wires.
- Fold, secure and lock the treadmill.
- Place on the dolly.
For an elliptical, you’ll first have to disassemble the hardware so the device can fit adequately through doorways and hallways. Put pedals and handlebars in a large, secure baggie, and nuts and bolts in another. Wrap the elliptical in blankets, transporting it out of the home with a dolly.
Move Your Weightlifting Machines
To move your weightlifting machines, you will have to:
- Remove all weights, disassembling the equipment.
- Secure hardware (nuts, screws, bolts) and put them in plastic baggies.
- Tape instruction manuals to all equipment.
- Secure moving parts with zip ties, tape, bungee cords, or rope.
- Wrap odd-shaped gym equipment in blankets, towels or bedding for scratch-free transport.
- Wrap weight bars in bubble wrap or towels.
Setting Up the New Gym
Now that you have everything in the new place, it’s time to set up your gym again.
Inspire Activity
Hopefully you have more room in your new house for a bigger gym with lots of windows and natural light. It’s difficult to get inspired in a dim, windowless basement room! But most homeowners are relegated to using basement rooms for their home gyms, which usually have minimal windows and ventilation.
This means you’re tasked with getting much more creative when it comes to an inspirational design that sparks motivation. If you can’t add windows, you can do your best to resemble natural light with recessed lights and bright white bulbs.
You can even go bold with cool colors to define your workout space with pinks, bright blues and oranges.
Create Space
No one wants to work out in a cramped space. Cramming one corner with random equipment won’t serve your needs. It will just add to the confusion and clutter of the room. Space out the room and create designated work zones for the best flow. For example, one part of the room could have barbells and dumbbells, while another may act as your stretching area.
Give the Illusion of Space
For small rooms, the best way to add the perception of space is to add a lot of mirrors. Not only does it make the room look bigger, it allows you to watch your form as you work out.
Protect Floors and Joints
Your gym floors can really take a beating, especially if you use heavy weights. Protect them with interlocking foam mats. Don’t work out on bare concrete or thin carpeting, as this can be very bad for your joints and feet. Replacing your existing subfloor with basket weave is a good idea, which is made from soft woods such as maple.
Now that you have created the perfect home gym in your new house, it’s time to get to work! Hire movers to get the equipment there, and start your new fitness routine in style.
Call Portland Move
The experts at Portland Move have lots of experience moving home gym equipment, so lean on us for the heavy stuff. We would be happy to supply you with a free quote to get you started. Just call us at (971) 265-6029.