Is it Safe to Exercise in the Garage? (Your Home Workout Guide)

Having a home gym in your garage can be a great way to enjoy the convenience, privacy, and cost-effectiveness of exercising without heading to a crowded public gym.

Throughout the remainder of this article, I’ll provide tips and recommendations on how to ensure a safe and comfortable workout environment in your garage.

What are the Safety Issues Relating to Garage Gym?

A garage is typically not designed for human occupancy and may have various sources of air pollution and contaminants that can affect your health and performance.

Here are some safety issues that may occur while you exercise in your garage gym:

Carbon Monoxide

While working out in your garage provides a convenient and spacious area for exercise, it is important to be aware of the potential hazards present, particularly carbon monoxide. 

This colorless, odorless gas is a silent killer, responsible for over 400 American deaths and more than 20,000 emergency room visits annually.

Suppose your garage is connected to others or contains gas-consuming appliances like furnaces, cars, or water heaters. In that case, you may be at higher risk of exposure to carbon monoxide during your workouts.

Radon

Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally present in soil and rocks. It can seep into buildings through cracks and openings, like those found in garages. But how does radon affect you when exercising in your garage?

Well, inhaling radon over a long period of time can cause lung cancer, especially for smokers. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. So, it’s essential to be aware of the radon levels in spaces like your garage.

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)

When considering whether exercising in your garage is safe, you should be aware of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). 

They are a class of chemicals released from various products and materials, some of which are commonly found in garages, such as paints and gasoline. 

VOCs can pose potential health risks, especially when you’re exercising and inhaling them deeply. So, it’s important to understand these compounds and take proper precautions.

Many of the items typically stored in garages, such as paints, gasoline, and various cleaning products, emit VOCs. 

When released into the air, these compounds can potentially lead to health problems like headaches, dizziness, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. 

Prolonged or chronic exposure to high levels of VOCs has been linked to more severe health issues like liver and kidney damage and even cancer.

Fossil Fuel Fumes

These fumes are emitted from vehicles or equipment that use gasoline, diesel, or propane as fuel and can contain harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Inhaling these fumes can cause respiratory problems, asthma attacks, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, especially in high concentrations or if you’re exposed to them for an extended period.

Pests

Pests are any animals or insects that can infest your garage and pose a threat to your health or safety.

They can be found in a garage gym, examples include rodents, spiders, cockroaches, ants, termites, wasps, bees, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and bed bugs.

These pests can cause bites, stings, allergies, infections, diseases (such as hantavirus or Lyme), and even damage your property or equipment.

Mold & Fungus

Mold and fungus have a sneaky way of producing spores that can become airborne and be inhaled by humans.

Breathing in these spores while exercising in your garage can lead to some not-so-pleasant health effects. You might experience allergic reactions, such as sneezing or wheezing, which can be particularly bothersome during a workout.

For those with existing respiratory conditions, mold and fungus exposure can be even more dangerous, potentially triggering asthma attacks.

Furthermore, infections like fungal sinusitis or pneumonia might become a concern if your garage is a breeding ground for these microorganisms.

Some molds even produce toxic substances called mycotoxins, which can lead to a variety of harmful effects on your body.

Temperature (Winter)

Temperature is an essential factor to consider when it comes to both comfort and performance while exercising. Working out in a cold garage during winter can present several challenges and risks to your health and safety.

For instance, exercising in a chilly environment might reduce blood flow to your muscles and joints. This may increase the risk of injury or muscle strain. 

Cold temperatures can also decrease your flexibility and range of motion, affecting the effectiveness of your workout.

Not only that, but a cold workout space could also impair your coordination and balance skills. 

What’s more, extreme cold can compromise your immune system function, making you more susceptible to illnesses. And in particularly frigid conditions, even hypothermia or frostbite might become a concern.

So, when transforming your garage into a winter workout space, be mindful of temperature-related challenges and take measures like proper heating and warm clothing to ensure a safe and comfortable exercise routine.

How to Make Sure You’re Breathing Safe Air?

When setting up your home gym in the garage, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re breathing safe air to prevent any potential health issues. To keep your workout space safe and healthy, here are some tips to follow:

Does Parking Cars in Garage Gym Affect the Air Quality?

The answer is yes, it certainly can. Parking your car inside the garage can emit fossil fuel fumes containing harmful substances like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 

These substances can affect the air quality in your home gym, posing potential health risks.

In addition to the harmful substances, parking a car in your garage gym can also increase the temperature and humidity level inside the garage.

This change in environment creates a breeding ground for mold and fungus growth. The presence of mold and fungus can further deteriorate air quality and negatively impact your respiratory system.

How Long it Takes to be Safe?

You might be wondering how long it takes for the air quality in your garage gym to be safe after parking cars. Well, this depends on several factors:

Let’s break down these factors and provide you with some general guidelines.

In a well-ventilated garage with a single car parked for less than an hour, the air quality may take about 10 minutes to be safe. This is great news for those quick workouts.

If you have a poorly ventilated garage with multiple cars parked for several hours, the time it takes for the air quality to become safe increases drastically. In this case, it may take more than an hour. So, paying attention to ventilation and the number of parked cars is crucial.

Now, what about the weather and season? Cold winter days with snow or ice on the ground can be tricky. It may take longer for the air quality to be safe due to reduced air circulation and increased emissions from cold engines. 

Should You be Concerned of Odorless Gas like Carbon Monoxide?

Yes, you should be concerned about odorless gases like carbon monoxide. If you’re wondering whether it’s safe to exercise in your garage, one thing to consider is the presence of this gas.

Carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems if inhaled in high concentrations. It’s produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels, such as Gasoline, Wood, Coal, and Natural gas.

Since garages can house various equipment and vehicles that utilize these fuels, it’s crucial to be aware of CO dangers in your workout space.