Get fit at home
The new year is underway and for many of us, working off the holiday baking is a major resolution for 2021. With freezing temperatures outside, closed gyms and stayat-home mandates in place in some provinces, it’s more important than ever to find space to get fit at home.
If you don’t have a separate spare room to dedicate to a home gym, the question becomes: How do you work out without having the gym equipment take over your living space? These design tricks will get you organized to get fit at home and keep your place stylish during the cold months ahead.
SMALL BUT POWERFUL
Finding exercise helpers that fit in your apartment or small home can be a challenge. Choose smaller gear, equipment that folds, and create alternative workouts that don’t require bikes, treadmills or step machines. A yoga mat is small and rolls up for easy storage. Resistance bands can be stored in a console drawer when not in use.
One of the best fitness helpers is super-small and kept on the wrist. The Polar Unite Fitness Watch tracks your heart rate for peak performance, has a guided deep breathing exercise to help relax the body, mind and manage stress, and monitors your sleep patterns so you know if you’re getting the essential recovery time sleep provides. GPS lets you track your distance and speed for walkers and runners. Changeable wristband colours let you switch up your look and stay fashionable even when not working out.
NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON’T
There are two secrets to making your gear disappear when you aren’t working out. First, choose furnishings that hide your workout equipment. My favourite hideaways are: a hydraulic lift bed, which equals the storage of six dresser drawers; a decorative screen or floor-standing mirror to hide larger equipment like a bike or treadmill; and over-the-door hooks to keep lightweight equipment and workout clothes hidden on the inside of a closet door instead of piled up in a corner
on the floor.
Second, choose gear that’s easily stashed. The F.I.T. Inflatable Punching Tower (found at Marshalls) lets you work up a sweat with a boxing partner (inflatable, that is) for a safe, socially distanced match. On your day off, simply deflate and tuck it in a drawer. Bonus: all that inflating means you give your lungs a workout, too!
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR
If you have people living below you, choose low-impact options for exercising or stagger your workout times to a schedule when your neighbours aren’t home. Resistance bands are great for repetitive strength-training exercises that generate no noise.
Earbuds will keep your 5 a.m. Zumba class or workout music silent for your ears only. Choose a room with sound absorbing carpeting or floating laminate flooring with a sound-absorbing pad underneath (standard in most new condos).
USEFUL STARTERS
Lucky enough to keep fit in a dedicated room? Here are a few key starters to help set up the room:
• A large mirror is useful to help you notice body alignment while exercising, they also make the room appear spacious by reflecting and amplifying light, creating a brighter and happier room to work out.
• Interlocking rubber flooring is a great sound absorber and will help reduce stress on your joints when bouncing around.
• A television screen makes it easy to load virtual classes and or keep you entertained during long cardio sessions. Live with others? Save their morning sleeps by investing in ear buds.