Ideas for Creating an Exercise Space in your Home

Just about every single one of us could stand to exercise more. There are a lot of benefits to getting a gym membership or joining an exercise group. However, it also makes sense in this busy modern world to create a little space for exercising at home, too. This allows you to get your exercise in even when the day is jam packed with other activities (or you’re just not feeling like you can drag yourself to the gym AND through a workout routine!) Whether you set aside an entire room for your exercise or just carve out a space, this is something worth doing for your health and wellbeing.

Tips for Exercise Rooms

If you have the space to create an entire room that is devoted solely to exercise then this is your best bet. An exercise room helps you to get in the right mindset for working out every time you enter it because you get in the habit of knowing just what it is for. Here are some tips for creating a room for exercise:

o   Get creative in selecting or making a room for exercise. If you actually have an entire room set aside for an exercise room already then that’s great. But if you don’t, look around and see what room you might turn into an exercise room. An unused garage, a basement that’s currently just for storage, a guest room that barely ever has guests, even a large closet can be turned into a space for exercise.

o   Choose the exercise equipment that you’ll actually use. Even if you have the space for an entire set of gym equipment there’s no point in owning it if you won’t use it. Don’t get what you think you need; get equipment that actually makes you feel excited about exercise.

o   Add a media center to your exercise room. Music and workout DVDs can really add to your exercise at home so if you have the space then you should incorporate these options into the design of your exercise room.

o   Consider adding a water cooler to your at home gym. Although this isn’t a necessity, it’s a nice extra that can help remind you to drink water when you’re working out regularly.

o   Add mirrors to this room. It really helps your workout if you can see what you’re doing right and wrong and correct yourself as you’re working out. Mirrors aid a lot with this. This is a good tip whether you’ve got an entire room set aside for exercise or are just using a portion of another room to workout.

Tips for Exercise Space in Other Rooms

Although it’s terrific if you can find a way to make an exercise room in your home, not everyone has the luxury of that much space. That’s okay; you can set aside a portion of a room for exercise instead. Here are some ideas for making that option work in your home:

o   Think small when it comes to selecting equipment. When you’re working with a limited amount of space, you can’t necessarily start adding exercise bikes and rowing machines to the room. However, a few free weights, a jump rope and a yoga mat will take up limited space and still provide you with a great workout.

o   Find a way to separate the workout space from the rest of the room. This can be done physically by actually setting up a room divider. However, it can also be done just by creating a routine when you workout, spreading out your workout gear and focusing on the exercise as the purpose of the room at this time.

o   Turn your equipment to face the least distracting area of the room. This may mean that you look out a window or it may mean that you face the wall when exercising depending on what works best for you.

o   Hang something inspirational in the space where you’re going to be workout. A vintage poster of a favorite athlete, a framed photo of when you looked your best or a quote that inspires you can be a great reminder of why you’re working out when you’re not necessarily in the mood to exercise.

Don’t Forget About Exercising Outside

Having your own exercise room inside of the house is great because it allows you to work out in all weather. However, if you can’t do that (or you just want a second option for exercising at home) consider setting up an exercise area outside in the yard. Here are some ideas for making that work for you:

o   Consider outdoor games as an option for exercise. What types of activities will the whole family enjoy that you could add to your yard and use for exercise? A badminton net would be a great example.

o   Think about adding a trampoline to your yard. This is one of the most effective forms of at home exercise. You can get a full size trampoline but even a mini trampoline provides excellent exercise opportunities.

o   Do you have room for a pool? Swimming provides an excellent workout so if you’ve been looking for an excuse to add a swimming pool to your yard then now is the time.

o   Set up your exercise equipment where you can use it to supervise the kids while they play. This will allow you to kill two birds with one stone and reduce your excuses for not exercising when you’re outside!

Do you have a space for exercise in your own home?