Home Gyms Are Latest Must-Have Amenity

Home gyms are the latest must-have amenity. One-third of new and potential home buyers say a home exercise room is either essential or desirable, according to the National Association of Home Builders.WCI, a developer of luxury homes, began noticing the shift in luxury home design to more lifestyle-driven floor plans in the 1990s, as baby boomers began demanding health-related amenities such as home gyms, spas and meditation rooms aimed at helping them live longer, says Gabe Pasquale, chief marketing officer of the company’s Northeast region.Ninety percent of the custom homes designed by Abramson Teiger Architects in California include home gyms. Most are about the size of a regular bedroom and have room for a treadmill or an elliptical trainer, plus a multifunctional home-gym machine.