Home Fitness Part I: Simple Steps for Transforming Your Home Into a Workout Space

Home Transformation 

Late day at the office? Car in the shop? On babysitting duty tonight? With our busy schedules, it’s not always convenient to hit the gym. But a break in your routine can undo critical training—while a night off may not exactly bring on the bulge (it takes a few weeks for that to happen), it can definitely harm your mental conditioning, making it harder to get back in the workout routine. Thankfully, there are a few small things you can do to turn your home into your very own fitness center. These tips run the gamut in home gym upgrades—from exercises you can do tonight, to some tips for creating a motivating gym space. 

1. Set up a treadmill nook: Sometimes you have to fit your gym activity to your space, and not the other way around. But, that doesn’t mean that a home workout center is out of reach. Work with what you have by setting up mini-gyms that fit in the corner of a room. Smart organization is the key to managing a compact space, so make sure to include plenty of shelving to hold your towels, mats, and equipment.

2. Install your own barre: Barre is a great way to earn that lean dancer’s body. But it’s not always possible to plan your night around the dance studio’s offerings. Instead of skipping class altogether, plant your plies on your own barre. With a large mirror installed behind, you can focus on your form. 

3. Hit the stairs: Stairs are great for a home workout. Not only can they provide some serious cardio, they also act as strength training for your glutes and quads. Try incorporating circuits by taking steps two at a time, jogging with high knees, and hopping up stairs using both feet. 

4. Incorporate plenty of natural light: A lot more research needs to be done before we truly understand the effects of light on our bodies and minds, but some studies show that bright light stimulates activity and may even improve your metabolism and increase the efficacy of exercise . A skylight or picture window added to your workout room lends your space a boost of natural light, especially if you’re renovating a dim garage or attic for your at-home gym. 

5. Give yourself room: If you’re finding your lunges are a little stunted when you exercise in your living room, a creative rearrangement may be in order—and hey, moving furniture burns calories, too. To get your workout kicking as quickly as possible, try putting heavier pieces on casters—that will get your furniture moving so you can get your body moving faster and (hopefully) more frequently. 

Written by Life Fitness