Fitness has been my go-to mental break for over almost ten years. I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2013, and after that I realized I needed to incorporate a regular fitness routine in my life. And then, once I became a mom, and this became even more important for my mental health.
After spending the first six months of the pandemic working out in my living room and/or bedroom, I decided to prioritize the room in our basement that was sort of an ’empty space’ where nothing was really happening.
Items I Added To My Studio
I already had a few weights, but we added some more from Target along with a flat bench. I upgraded my yoga mat that was bought years ago from Whole Foods (not joking) and got a Manduka mat. We purchased two large mirrors from Lowe’s (only $70!) and when those got hung up it really made it feel like a studio. It was important to me to have mirrors to help make the space feel bigger because it is very small.
Creating A Fitness Studio “Feel”
The space also needed a small table to set my water bottle, phone, air pods, etc. So I got this inexpensive one off of Amazon. We also have a clock in the studio (similar), and I was surprised how useful that is. I also grabbed an old basket (similar) that we weren’t using to hold my air pods, a charger, and any other random things I bring down with me when working out. These small additions made it feel more like a studio and less like a pile of workout equipment in the basement.
This is a very simple way to build a home gym and hardly Pinterest worthy. But there is something about having a designated space in our house that is only for moving my body and getting a good sweat going that makes it feel special. And of course, all of these items in this gym/studio could be swapped out for other equipment depending on what fitness looks like for each person. I enjoy HIIT workouts, which is why I added weights, a bench, yoga met, etc. I plan on adding in kettle bells and a bosu ball this year.
C hung up a chart to track our progress, and it’s a good feeling seeing all those check marks start to rack up. I’m about to wrap up week 23 of the BBG workout on the Sweat App. Eventually I plan to share my fitness routine and how I got my body and muscle back after baby number two.
