Taking Your Home Gym Workout Outdoors

May 12, 2023 / By: Jeff Brown

With warmer weather on the way, have you ever considered enjoying your home gym al fresco?

Moving indoor workout equipment outdoors can be done. Some or all components of your home gym can be set up in your backyard or on your patio, sundeck, or garage pad.

Start out with a lighter item like a yoga mat or neoprene dumbbell. It won’t take long for you to consider how easily you could wheel out your Schwinn IC4 Spin Bike. All you need is a power outlet and a dry, level surface.

That doesn't include your lawn. Grass is not a good surface for equipment with many working components. It retains rain and nighttime dew, which contributes to the rusting of steel parts.

Not surprisingly, moisture is the biggest threat to indoor fitness equipment taken outside. But it's not the only one. Exposure to direct sunlight can cause fading paint and cracked upholstery. That leaves you two choices – bring your equipment back in when you’re done or protect it.

Don’t Leave it to Mother Nature

The choice is easy if you use only portable equipment. It’s more difficult if you want to set up a barbell, stand, bench, and weight plates. Then again, leaving weight machines outside is not unheard of.

Famous places like Venice California’s Muscle Beach, where there’s plenty of sun and nearby salt water, do it all the time. So do the many outdoor workout parks springing up around the world.

Keep in mind that, like playgrounds, outdoor gyms use equipment specifically designed to withstand changing weather. As public property, they also receive regular maintenance. If you decide to move your indoor equipment outdoors, that job will be yours.

You’ll want to put it where moisture is least likely to accumulate underneath it. Overtop protection also helps. Setting it up under a raised sundeck, canopy, water-resistant shade, or other cover will protect it from rain and UV damage. And don’t forget to cover it with a large tarp when you’re done using it.

A Regular Maintenance Checklist

If you prize your home gym, you’re likely already observing a maintenance schedule. However, when you move it outside, the elements make your attention more important. Here’s a condensed list of the chores you could be looking at:

Spraying vinyl surfaces, rubber bumper plates, and safety straps with specially formulated protectants.

Wiping the steel frame every month with mineral or 3-in-1 oil.
Keep an eye of flecking frame paint
Spraying exposed nuts, bolts, etc. With enamel paint
If you don’t have a stainless-steel bar, keep an eye on rust or any damage to your oxide or zinc coating.
Don’t forget to spray WD40 to keep your end sleeves spinning (or just bring it inside)

Check paint on iron plates, dumbbells, or kettlebells. Rub with mineral oil and wipe dry to protect your skin. Apply protectant. Stack weights where moisture can run off them. You can find a more detailed description of these practices here.

Two More Considerations

There's always a risk of theft attached to anything you leave out in your yard. Most equipment that can’t be easily taken back indoors will be too heavy for thieves to steal. However, they may swipe a weight plate or dumbbell if its not locked up or locked down.

You'll also have to determine if moving and maintaining your equipment outdoors might mean voiding the warranty. You can always ask your salesperson about that. The answer you get will help you decide which equipment you feel comfortable taking outside and which is just fine in your nearby home.

Incorporate Some Fun and Adventure.

You can also opt to leave all of your home gym equipment indoors and supplement it with a more convenient form of outdoor cardio or strength training.

We've discussed this idea in another blog, but there's one excellent low-maintenance equipment option we totally missed. It's tons of fun, functions best under direct sunlight, and actually requires moisture underneath it. Lakes or oceans of it.

The paddleboard offers it all – fresh air, peace of mind, time to reflect, and several health benefits. It supplies a full-body, low-impact workout that improves balance, burns calories, and bolsters your cardiovascular health.

A day of paddle boarding can be packed with escape, adventure, and exploration. It's an invigorating way to spend time with friends and family – or just with your own contented thoughts.

Flaman Fitness

Make the most of your summer exercise. Call of visit your nearest Flaman Fitness location, and talk to our knowledgeable equipment experts. Tell them about your fitness goals and ask about the ideal indoor-outdoor summer workout plan for you.

Category: Your Fitness Resource
Tags: Fitness-Tips moisture paddleboard paddleboarding rust security theft