These home gym flooring ideas will help you choose the flooring that best accommodates your taste and exercise needs. And you actually have much more choice than you may think – it's not all about a nondescript black floor.
Home gym ideas are heavily reliant on the quality and look of the floor – after all, apart from the walls, it's the main thing you'll be looking at while working out, so it makes sense to invest in an option that's both good-looking and functional.
Home gym flooring ideas: functionality vs. looks
Where it comes to the design considerations of your in home gym flooring, you have quite a few options. A home gym floor doesn't have to be black, and it doesn't have to look like a commercial gym.
In fact, in-home gym flooring can look just as sophisticated as the floors throughout the rest of your home. From Scandi-inflected blond wood looks to colorful options, you can have pretty much any look you want, but there will be some practical considerations.
First of all, as our gallery of ideas will show, engineered home gym flooring tiles will be more appropriate than the very expensive real wood flooring you see in older homes (although this can be accommodated – we explain how later).
You can even have a soft floor in your home gym – so long as you are prepared to regularly clean it. Health & Fitness expert from FitKit Iveta Bernane explains that choosing the right flooring for your home gym is largely down to personal preference and the type of exercise you're planning to do: 'carpet flooring helps add a layer of soundproofing for high-intensity workouts, yet hardwood and tiled flooring allows for a stable workout base.'
Be prepared to protect fancier flooring types from the increased wear and tear in a workout area. Iveta advises 'laying down a yoga mat no matter which flooring you choose as the cushioned layer helps reduce impact on the joints.'
1. Go for blond wood for a smart, contemporary look
There is probably no trendier flooring type than blond wood at the moment, and if you are style-conscious, this may be the best type of wood flooring for you home gym. Designer Taniya Nayak has created an impromtu home gym in a stunning room in her home. The whole look is minimalist and uncluttered. You may be able to get away with similar if you only have relatively light-weight equipment.
If you're planning on acquiring heavy-weight home gym equipment, real wood is not recommended. Go for a hardworking laminate alternative. You'll still be able to achieve the same blond look, just minus the damage you'd cause to real wood.
2. Choose dark laminate tile for a strong look
Of course, going for a darker laminate floor is better from the purely functional perspective.
You'll not see the scuffs and marks that will inevitably form with the daily use of your home gym. However, dark floors can also look cool, as proved by this dramatic look created by KTM Design.
3. Protect your flooring with a rubber mat
Still worried you'll damage your nice floor? A rubber mat underneath the heavier equipment is your answer.
Alex Gwilliam, Sales Manager at Green Retreats, recommends 'choosing hardwearing oak laminate options and installing a quality third-party rubber matting to protect it further from heavy machinery or weights.'
4. Go all-rubber if you're into serious fitness
There's a reason why rubber is the preferred flooring material in professional gyms. Not only is it hardwearing and won't show any marks, but rubber flooring also gives you great bounce. If your preferred form of workout is HIIT, gymnastics, or boxing, rubber is a must. And it can look good, too, especially paired with crisp white walls.
5. Protect flooring in older homes with a natural mat
Of course, not all homes will suit rubber. If your home gym or yoga studio is in an upstairs room of an older home, you'll want something a bit softer.
This gorgeous yoga studio was designed by DeGraw & DeHaan Architects on the attic level of a historic home. The floor-protecting natural sisal mat is much more appropriate here than rubber would have been.
6. Go for the parquet finish for a more formal look
Don't like the traditional gym look at all? We hear you. There's really no reason why you can't have an ornate floor in your workout area. Just make sure you go for tough, engineered wood flooring, not real parquet!
Peter Keane, Director of The Natural Wood Floor Company, believes that 'for flooring that works hard in the home gym, engineered wood flooring can’t be beaten. Parquet flooring creates a striking impression over large spaces, with a variety of woods that can be combined in a number of ways to achieve an individual look.'
7. Choose bold colors in a garage gyms
If yours is a garage gym, you can really experiment with your flooring. You don't have to stick to neutrals – garage spaces are naturally quite bland, so a pop of bright color can really bring them to life.
We love the strong pairing of royal blue and orange in this garage home gym design by Garage Flex. Vinyl tile or resin flooring will be your best bet if you're going for color.
What is the best flooring for a home gym?
Home gym experts tend to agree that rubber is the best material for home gym flooring. Mark Reynolds, founder and CEO of WeMakeGyms.com, hails the rubber-composite option as 'always' the best – it 'can come in loose lay tiles (we recommend with an undermount system) or in rolls which provides a seamless finish at the expense of more involved and costly installation involving adhesive so is also permanent.'
Katie Thomas, founder of KTM Design, agrees and adds that 'Rubber flooring is best for your home gym because it’s easy to install over any existing flooring and is durable so can support all the heavy machinery that you may have.'
How thick should a rubber gym floor be?
Mark says that with rubber flooring for home gyms, 'thickness depends on the product but usually 20mm-30mm is the sweet spot.'
Katie adds that 'if you use weights over 40kg you should consider a thickness up to 80mm.'