A home gym offers plenty of advantages – it can save you money, provide flexibility to workout when you want, allow you to stock and utilize only the equipment best for your workout goals and keep you in a comfortable setting where weird “Wally” from the next treadmill over isn’t staring at your chest. A home gym might be just the thing you need to get you to actually exercise. To get the most out of your home gym, follow these tips.

Decide what you want to achieve in your gym.

Write down a list of personal fitness goals to avoid stocking a home gym with a lot of items that mean nothing to you. Do you want to lose weight? Gain muscle strength? Stay off the couch? Having fitness goals will help you stock your gym with the best equipment to meet those goals. If weight loss is your plan, you will need to focus on cardiovascular equipment. Looking to tone up those muscles and you will need more weights.

Decide what equipment you need.

Whether you have a big budget (big enough to order Tony Little’s Gazelle right off the infomercial) or a small one (your kids have a jump rope somewhere, right?), you can find plenty of items to put in your home gym. Essentials for strength training include adjustable benches with power racks for holding barbells, dumbbells and plates or a total gym concept that uses an adjustable height, inclined bench and sliding seat platform to use your own body weight to increase resistance. Flexibility bands, weight and stability balls and mats are pretty basic items for a home gym. For cardiovascular exercises, add a jump rope, treadmill, elliptical machine, rowing machine, stair climber or stationary bike, along with workout DVDs from your favorite actress-turned-aerobics-star.

Make your gym comfortable.

Make sure your gym stays cool enough for you by adding a fan (if there is not one already in the room), and even a small floor refrigerator to hold your water and cold towels. Add a small television and DVD player as well as a small MP3 player for your favorite tunes. Brightening up your home gym will also help you stay on track, while making the room more appealing to use. Try something like Philips HomeLight Cool White light bulbs, and paint the room in colors that energize you – or make you think of the beach, and you on the beach . . . in a bikini. That should motivate you!