Shape Up at Home (Manage My Home)
We all know the benefits of exercise: improved mood, better immunity to disease, fewer back problems. But many people find it difficult to fit a trip to the gym into the schedule - or aren't comfortable working out in front of others. Creating your own home fitness center might be the way to go. Here's how to do it:
Create the Space
Having a good space is the key to home fitness. Ideally, you should dedicate an area to exercise. An exercise room, or nook, helps you stay motivated (you know you go there to exercise) and makes working out more comfortable (since no one is watching).
If exercising must share its space with other purposes, pick an area that has relatively little traffic and that you can easily clear out when you want to exercise. If you must put way your equipment between workouts, store it within easy reach. Otherwise, "put away" can very easily become "out of sight, out of mind."
Your space is most likely to help you stay motivated if it meets these criteria:
- It's safe: Your space should be clean and dry, with a level floor. Your equipment should be stable and set up according to manufacturer's guidelines. Place stored equipment where no one will fall over it and where it won't not fall on anyone.
- It's pleasant: Exercising in a dark basement or cold garage isn't fun. Take the time to spruce up your space with better lighting, new paint, pictures, and whatever else makes you happy. If you like your exercise space, you'll visit more often.
- It's roomy: You don't need a huge space, but both you and your equipment need to fit. Measure wall to wall and floor to ceiling before you go shopping. Hitting your head on a short ceiling gives "low impact" an all new meaning. A basement with 6'6" clearance might seem fine until you step up onto a foot-tall treadmill and start jogging.
- It's entertaining: If music motivates you, put in a stereo. If you need something to keep you from being bored silly on those sessions on the cardio machine, add a TV or magazine rack.
Get the Equipment
The best equipment for you is the equipment you will use, so think about what you like doing: remember, you don't have to do just one thing. Variety makes exercising more fun. Here are some of the options:
- Treadmills are a long-standing favorite. Good models have a variety of programmable workouts and an incline feature for added exertion. Look for higher horsepower in the motor and a sturdy frame. Treadmills need 6 feet of clearance behind them, in case of unexpected dismounts.
A note on impact - this time on your home. When you run, the impact can transfer through your floor to your home's frame and set the whole house rattling. Ideally, you want the treadmill on a surface with little or no vibration transfer, such as like the concrete floor in your basement, or vibration deadening exercise flooring.
- Ellipticals give a good cardio workout with less impact on your knees - and your home. Most have reversible direction, and the better models offer an incline feature to maximize your workout. Like the treadmill, you need clearance around them for safety.
- Excercise bikes are no-impact and take up the least space of the cardio machines, because you don't need safety space behind them. Like the other machine styles, they have a variety of programmable workouts. They also don't cause much vibration and so can be put on almost any surface.
- Rowing machines give great low-impact, full-body and cardio workout. Proper technique is important, so read the manual or get some help before you start. Foldaway models make this an ideal machine for multi-purpose spaces.
- Free weights are dumbbells and barbells for strength training. They are excellent because they allow a full range of notion, but get some training so you use them correctly. Also, they tend to be quite loud when dropped on the floor, so purchase proper weight-lifting mats to protect your floor and lower the noise level.
- Weight systems, sometimes called home gyms, provide a variety of strengthening exercises without the noise of dropping heavy weights. They can take up a fair bit of space, so be sure to measure your area before you buy. They also greatly increase the load on your floor system, so be sure you have the structural support for it.
- Punching bags offer a great combination of aerobic workout, upper body strength building and stress relief. Get some training if you've never done bag work before, to avoid hurting your hands. Hang your bag securely in a way that won't send vibrations through the whole house. Freestanding bags are also available, and you can set them up in an out-of-the-way corner of your home.
- Floor mats are perfect for stretching, yoga, Pilates, or old-fashioned push-ups and sit-ups. Look for non-slip, easily washable surfaces.
Get Working Out
Three bits of advice to get you going:
- Consult your doctor before you start, especially if you have not been physically active, are older, or have a pre-existing health condition.
- Put exercise in your schedule. If you set a time to work out every day, it is easier to make it part of your routine.
- Set reasonable goals. Don't expect instant results and don't push too hard too soon. To quote a very successful turtle, "slow and steady wins the race."
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