WORKOUT SPACE IS AN ESCAPE FROM HOMESCHOOLING
HOLLY HARDING, 34, works in marketing technology and lives near great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, with her husband rob, 36, a firefighter, and their sons aged six and five. She says: MY HOME gym has already made a huge difference to me. Working out in the sitting room of our cottage was a tough ask with our two sons bouncing around on the sofa, wanting to watch TV or asking me to pick up pieces of dropped Lego.
Instead, I now have a gorgeous, timber-clad garden room that houses a dedicated gym with Peloton bike, top-ofthe-range rower, plus bench, squat rack and weights.
With double glass-fronted French doors, it is fully insulated with heating, while air-conditioning will keep it cool in the summer.
Lockdown gave me the impetus to build the home gym I’d dreamed of since my husband and I bought the house five years ago. I had once been a member of an expensive gym in a nearby town but gave up my memberships when we moved here because it was too far away.
During the first lockdown, I was so exhausted from working and homeschooling that meals weren’t quite as healthy as they normally would be, and I would console myself with a glass or two of wine most evenings. So I’m not as slim or fit as I would like to be.
Now, in the time it used to take me to drive to the gym and back, I can do a complete workout. I use my gym three or four times a week. It cost around £32,000 for the garden room and all the equipment. It may sound expensive but it’s an investment we will use day in, day out for years to come.
I do lots of classes on the Peloton bike and I’m also developing my core and strength using weights.
I tend to retreat to the gym when our boys are in bed. Even though I’m tired by that time of day, I feel better afterwards. Exercise is beneficial for mental health, too.
I’m going to have ceiling-tofloor mirrors on the walls, and a drinks cooler or fridge to keep water. The little touches make it more luxurious.