I have created a workout space at home. I love the flexibility I have to throw on some clothes and jump into my garage and squeeze in a workout daily. My original intent on improving this space was to create a welcoming environment so that I may feel motivated to practice yoga at home. Confession time: is that I haven’t done a lot of yoga at home lately. This is another goal of mine for 2009, to create the environment and dedicate specific time slots to practice yoga at home. But, I also use this space for weight training and indoor cycling workouts.
How did I create my home gym?
1. Clean, clean and clean some more. In our garage, we have the floor painted gray with specks that is paint specific for garages. It needed serious scrubbing before I could even put my yoga mat on the floor! We also had five or six little mice living out there, which needed to be taken care of, first!!
2. Organized, and donated as much as I could. There is more that could be done in this area…This is one space that is completely dedicated to fitness equipment and I’ve worked really hard to keep it clean. Those two lovely black marks are actually where two of the bikes are stored. Plans are to cover that space with some relaxing Yoga posters and install a fabric cover for the shelf unit (that stuff has to be there but I don’t want to stare at it!!)
3. Workout mat. These are a low cost item that can be purchased at your local sports store. They look like large puzzle pieces that are fitted together. This space that has been created by the mats is where we mount the bikes in the trainers.
4. TV. We have a 1990’s TV (hand me down from the parents) hooked up to a dual VCR/DVD player. When my husband is on his bike, he will watch reruns of the Tour de France! If it’s my turn on the bike, I will turn on an old romantic comedy, and have my IPOD hooked up. Another thing I like to do is multi-task while I’m on my bike such as watch instructional fitness DVD’s while I’m riding. Recently I purchased a Kettlebell and I need to learn the skills involved in lifting it!
5. Setting the mood: Particularly for yoga, I’d like to have some posters to hang on the walls to help me keep my mind on yoga- not on how unorganized the rest of the garage is!! Also, I plan on adding some fabric to this table to hide all the stuff that is hiding underneath the table. Yoga demands concentration for all of the poses but specifically for the balance ones, and I’d really like to see some calming, material there to keep me in the zone.
6. Weights. We were lucky enough to have some neighbors who gave us a weight bench. It’s a great set except, so far, I haven’t used it enough. There is so little space in the garage – we have 8 bikes plus kid bikes out there- that I can’t pull the bench out of it’s spot. So, I have purchased hand weights in 10, 15, and 20 pounds. I also have one 15 pound Kettlebell and the 8 pound medicine ball. This is one area in which I’m not sure about…we are still paying for a gym membership as I love the flexibility it gives me especially when I am home with my kids, but with the home gym equipment, I already need 25 pound hand weights! As I get stronger, I will need to lift heavier..
So, the question is do I continue to invest in heavier weights or just get my butt to the gym?
In the end, I’m totally happy with my flexibility for workouts at home! There is still more I can do, but, I can be absolutely productive out there. (We’ve never had cars in our garage, ha!!) Now, it’s your turn. Do you have a space at home where you could workout if you wanted? What workouts do you do at home?