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: Debbie Fifer’s family bought an elliptical machine so they would always be fit enough to hit the slopes — regardless of the weather or the season. But then this ski-loving clan struggled with where to put the bulky piece of equipment inside their Glenwood Springs home in western Colorado, US. “We have a really nice media room where we can watch TV or use the DVD player while we work out,” Fifer says. “But I was concerned about the looks of a gray workout machine in a room I've purposefully decorated with an African motif and leather couches.”

Turns out the home-improvement industry has got health-conscious homeowners like Fifer covered. With more people working out at home, interior designers and fitness experts are focusing on the home gym and creating functional spaces for an effective workout that also blend with existing decor.

Oversized machines have been streamlined to fit smaller spaces while customised colour panelling and coordinated upholstery appeal to the design-savvy crowd. “People don’t want to go from a very modern home environment into a clunky, heavy-metal home gym,” says Janet Lee, deputy editor of Shape magazine. Increasingly active lifestyles have made the workout room a focal point in some homes. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, between 2000 and 2006 there was a 30% increase in the number of people exercising at home, especially among baby boomers concerned with maintaining their health.

And one-third of new and potential home buyers in the US list a home gym as essential or desirable, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Home gyms also are sprouting in spare bedrooms, multi-use family rooms and garages. “The traditional home-fitness room has come out of the dark and dreary spaces of the basement,” says Dave Sheriff, owner of HealthStyles Exercise Equipment in Glenwood Springs.

The home workout trend has spurred the industry to produce more functional, user-friendly equipment, says Steve Jordan, president and owner of Steve Jordan Acceleration, a fitness boutique in Los Angeles. A few years ago, home gyms were more focused on several single-specialty machines like the Ab Roller or the ThighMaster, Jordan says. Today’s home gym is minimalist. Cables are neatly tucked away, and machines are adjustable to fit any body type and fitness level.