5 Home Fitness Room Tips That Could Actually Improve Your Workout

If you're looking for new and inspiring ways to feel motivated in your workout space, Elle Cole has you covered. The Dallas-based interior designer recently decorated a fitness space in the Hampton Designer Showhouse, and she believes in creating spaces in people's homes where they can exercise. "Especially mothers and people who have young children — it's hard for them to put in time at the gym, so this is just a really easy way for them to do that without feeling guilty because they're away from their children or their family."

For Elle, the goal for decorating these types of spaces is to make you feel happy and healthy. She shares her tips for creating the perfect space where you feel energized and wanting to live a better, healthier life.

When it comes to decorating your high-energy space, choosing the right colors is key, Elle says. Blues, greens, yellows, and colors in the cooler color families are the best choice for this kind of space. Try to avoid warmer tones and reds. One of Elle's favorite tips for decorating a space: have a neutral paint color as your background color that changes throughout the day. Benjamin Moore's "frostine" is one of her favorites.

Another key to the color palette is to keep your space light and airy, with bursts of color to create that energy boost. "Some people kind of get overly anxious or eager to put in lots of color, but you really don't need a whole bunch of color — just bursts of it throughout the space," Elle says.

The rooms in your home can and should be separated into multiple uses. When it comes to creating a high-energy space, you should aim for a balance between a space for entertaining family and friends and a place to work out and maintain a healthy lifestyle. "Try to think of what else you would like to do in the space besides exercise," Elle says.

But it's important to choose the right room as well, and Elle doesn't recommend incorporating any of these high-energy tips into your bedroom. "You want something more peaceful there."

It's important to keep clutter contained when designing any space, but this is especially true when designing a space for working out. According to Elle, storage in exercise rooms and game rooms is essential. Clutter isn't just a tripping hazard, but keeping clutter to a minimum will help you feel focused on the function of the space.

"When you're exercising, you don't want a lot of complications. You just want to get in there and you want to get out and do what you came to do," she says.

"Be cognizant of how you would like to feel in the space," Elle says. This applies not just to the colors you choose but to the rest of the design and furniture in the space. Try only to have furniture and equipment that you're going to use in the room. Don't overload your room with lots of knick-knacks or items that don't have anything to do with the room's function.

"If it's cooler tones, then I would suggest starting with that as your design scheme and then working from there."

When designing your exercise space, or any space in your home, it should be organic, Elle says. Choose things that make sense for you in the space, what you're using it for, and what you think works well together. While you want to be aware of certain design elements to avoid and those that will work with the space, it's important not to overthink it.