Harmonize Your Home’s Gym

A simultaneous glow-up for your workout area and your body

Story and photo by Amanda Stewart

Your home has been working hard for you this past year. At 13 months into a global pandemic, you have no doubt browsed Pinterest and design magazines to figure out how to carve a home office into your dining room or set up a homeschool nook in the corner of the family room. Hopefully you haven’t spent too much time converting a spare room into a quarantine area for an unlucky family member!

With summer in the Sandhills just around the corner, and social distancing still doing its best to stand in the way of regular gym classes and memberships, let’s consider how to elevate your home gym by seamlessly integrating your fitness gear in with your existing décor. It is possible to have a workout ready area in your home that looks just as good as it functions.

Here are some tips for setting up a functional workout space that will work in harmony with your current aesthetic, allowing for your fitness inspiration to coexist with design elements.

Make it practical: Like with all good design, functionality is the baseline feature, and the first thing you need to establish. Define your workout. Do you need some dumbbells and a TV to do workouts streamed from an app? Do you just need a yoga mat and some blocks, or are you fan of circuit training and require a large space for jumping rope and burpees? Make a list of everything you need for your workout (including water and a towel!) so that you are fully armed to stock up a location. Once you’ve determined what your needs are, pick a spot in your home that can accommodate it, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. A spacious entryway can work just as well as a living room. My own exercise area is in my daughter’s room, and with a few design tweaks (which we will cover in a moment), it fits right in with her design scheme.

Make it convenient: In our fast-paced, instant gratification culture, we have been programmed to look for the quickest, easiest way to do things. So, if you don’t make your workout corner easily accessible and in your view every day, you are less likely to work up a sweat as regularly as you’d like to! I know from experience that if I have to lug my yoga mat upstairs, then grab a towel from the bathroom, and finally run back down to the kitchen to fetch my water bottle, that the workout is far less likely to happen. Find a spot where everything can “live” in harmony together, ready to work for you at a moment’s notice.

Make it pretty: Now that we have the functional and practical aspects identified, let’s move on to the creative side of design. Workout gear can be stored stylishly in any number of storage ottomans or wicker baskets. Bring in some flair and check your form at the same time by hanging a decorative mirror above your stored fitness items. Go a step further and fold a blanket on top of your dumbbells that are stored in a basket near the sofa.

If your workout items are convenient, accessible, and blend in with your home’s aesthetic, then you will be much more likely to stay consistent with your exercise routine. And now that your home performs one more necessary and productive function, you have more time to enjoy the immense natural beauty and sunshine that encompass the Sandhills in the springtime!