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Health and fitness should be top priorities for everyone. Young or old, in shape or out, the goal is to achieve optimum health and reach peak physical fitness.

A proper diet is key to achieving good health. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining adequate fitness. With this in mind, those looking to look and feel their best ought to consider spending time in a gym.

There’s just one problem. Not everybody lives near a gym. There’s also the matter of money regarding most gym memberships. They’re easy to join but infamously difficult to cancel.

Fortunately, there’s a potential alternative to joining the nearest gym. Those with a spare room in their homes or available space in their basement or garage should consider starting a home gym. Doing so is simpler than you think and makes exercise more accessible for you and your family.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at seven steps to starting a home gym:

Make space

We’re willing to bet extra space in your home gets used for storage. If that’s the case, consider donating, selling, or storing these unused items in a storage unit. Doing so frees up that extra space for your home gym. It’s possible you only have to consolidate several storage spaces into one in order to make room for a gym in your home. However, chances are you could take a trunk or two worth of unused items to your nearest donation center and never miss a single thing.

Get the lay of the land

Once space is made for your gym, the next step is to get a lay of the land. This means using your mind’s eye to determine how the layout should look, given the space available. While the standard spare bedroom is roughly 224 square feet in size, the exact dimensions vary from one dwelling to another. Determining the best way to set up your home gym will be key to getting the most out of every workout.

Buy safe and reliable equipment

Most people underestimate the importance of safe and reliable gym equipment. When it comes to putting together a home gym, safety should be a top priority. Treadmills should always be fitted with a functioning dead man’s switch. Cabled fitness machines should be in complete working order with no frays or broken components. The floor should have gym flooring rolls to minimize damage and reduce impact. Assuming you’ll be working out alone most days, safety should be prioritized.

Consider ventilation

A stuffy room with poor airflow makes for a terrible home gym. Whether installing a window AC unit in the garage window or buying a giant barn fan for the basement, adequate airflow and ventilation reduce the risk of heat stroke and other health hazards. The good news is most modern homes come with central air, making it easy for most homeowners to ensure their home gym has proper ventilation.

Add adequate lighting

Ever notice how most gyms are brightly lit? That’s because adequate lighting enhances awareness and improves safety. Since most home gyms get put into poorly lit garages and basements, consider adding a few lamps and overhead light bulbs before using your gym.

Throw in some decor

It might sound insignificant, but carefully chosen decor goes a long way in improving the look and feel of a home gym. A few motivational posters and inspiring fixtures give you something to focus your attention on when feeling the burn and thinking about stopping. When you realize you’ve been staring at the same miniature sculpture for three minutes, your second wind has arrived, and you’re good to go for another 20 minutes.

Get started and keep going

The world is full of unused or infrequently used home gyms. Don’t make the mistake of giving up early on your fitness goals. No matter how difficult it initially seems, it gets a little easier each time. Before long, you’ll be unable to imagine going more than a day without paying a visit to your custom-built home gym.

We all have an obligation to ourselves to achieve ideal health and fitness. While it may seem easier said than done, it’s not impossible. Having access to your own gym helps!