Being fit is the need of the decade; whether you have been a fitness freak or not, daily exercising has never been more important. We all are facing new challenges every day and enough has been said about being stuck in a room. .Considering that, a home gym might be just what you need to find the motivation to exercise. In cities like ours, it's a luxury to get an entire room for exercising but essentially a corner is all you need to help you work up a sweat.Now let's talk about innovative ways to spruce up a small corner in our house and turn it into a gym. An effective home workout space only requires about a 6'x 1O' balcony or a similar area with good ventilation and light.Here are some of the pointers to keep in mind while setting up a gym corner:• The flooring needs to be either of wood or rubber, something that is not toohard or too soft. One can easily get rubber mats from e-commerce websites.• A small wall storage unit and a few hooks that can hold all your equipment.• A mirror and/or an entertainment system to engage yourself.• Well diffused light and clear ventilation.The kind of equipment you choose largely depends on the kind of exercise routine you follow. A yoga mat, stationary cycle, compact home gym, skipping rope,weights, dumbbells, artificial climbing wall, abs roller, step bar and resistance band all are great exercising tools.Here we have taken two sample spaces and planted a few ideas that can be easily incorporated into your home.The first scenario has a beautiful balcony of a 1O' x 11' area with a double-height, something that is commonly found in city apartments. Depending on the walls andopenings, you can arrange your own space in a similar fashion. Double height emphasises the feeling of being in the open and gives us a chance to even opt for a climbing wall or a monkey bar.In this model, one can accommodate the following things:1. Wooden flooring2. Storage cabinet or shelves3. 1V screen4. Kettlebells5. Yoga mat6. Push up bar7. York barbell8. Punching bag9. Stationary exercise bike10. The flat wall can accommodate:a. An artificial rock-climbing wall for double-height ceilingsb. A Swedish wooden ladder and stall barsc. Wall-mounted functional trainerThe other option is an 8' x 5' area balcony. Here, there will be constraints but we still can easily fit the following items:1. Rubber floor mat2. Storage cabinet or shelves3. Yoga mat4. Exercise step platform5. Skipping ropes6. Personal dumbbells7. Inflatable exercise ball8. Ceiling mounted pull up bar9. MirrorThe two models show that there is much potential to be explored in that balcony of yours! A few potted plants can make for a good viewing and a small adjoining setup to workout will only add to its charm. So, don't let the lack of space hold you back. Carve out a niche for yourself, and let the exercising begin.Ms Maitreyee Kelkar (B.Arch, M.S. - Architectural Sciences - Lighting [USA]) is a practising architect and principal lighting designer at Studio SOL. .To concludeThe onset of the COVID 19 pandemic has jolted everybody and may have temporarily thrown us out of the game. But all is not lost. By making a few adjustments, we can harness our true potential and enjoy our life to the fullest. The pandemic may have put us behind closed doors but we should remember that it is for the greater good. One year into the pandemic has proven that staying indoors is immensely helpful in curbing the spread of infection. The aforementioned ways will help you and your family members take charge of the health and get fitter with regular practice while staying indoors. The pandemic has also taught us to take a pause from the hustle and bustle and be grateful for the simple yet most important things of life. Sound physical and mental health can help us achieve any goal that we set in our life. Easy things such as taking small breaks from work or studies, regular exercise, a healthy diet, quality sleep and meditation to relieve stress are essential for a fitter body. Along with these, regular consultation with a physician, dietician and physiotherapist will help in identifying and reworking any imbalance that may lead to illnesses.
Being fit is the need of the decade; whether you have been a fitness freak or not, daily exercising has never been more important. We all are facing new challenges every day and enough has been said about being stuck in a room. .Considering that, a home gym might be just what you need to find the motivation to exercise. In cities like ours, it's a luxury to get an entire room for exercising but essentially a corner is all you need to help you work up a sweat.Now let's talk about innovative ways to spruce up a small corner in our house and turn it into a gym. An effective home workout space only requires about a 6'x 1O' balcony or a similar area with good ventilation and light.Here are some of the pointers to keep in mind while setting up a gym corner:• The flooring needs to be either of wood or rubber, something that is not toohard or too soft. One can easily get rubber mats from e-commerce websites.• A small wall storage unit and a few hooks that can hold all your equipment.• A mirror and/or an entertainment system to engage yourself.• Well diffused light and clear ventilation.The kind of equipment you choose largely depends on the kind of exercise routine you follow. A yoga mat, stationary cycle, compact home gym, skipping rope,weights, dumbbells, artificial climbing wall, abs roller, step bar and resistance band all are great exercising tools.Here we have taken two sample spaces and planted a few ideas that can be easily incorporated into your home.The first scenario has a beautiful balcony of a 1O' x 11' area with a double-height, something that is commonly found in city apartments. Depending on the walls andopenings, you can arrange your own space in a similar fashion. Double height emphasises the feeling of being in the open and gives us a chance to even opt for a climbing wall or a monkey bar.In this model, one can accommodate the following things:1. Wooden flooring2. Storage cabinet or shelves3. 1V screen4. Kettlebells5. Yoga mat6. Push up bar7. York barbell8. Punching bag9. Stationary exercise bike10. The flat wall can accommodate:a. An artificial rock-climbing wall for double-height ceilingsb. A Swedish wooden ladder and stall barsc. Wall-mounted functional trainerThe other option is an 8' x 5' area balcony. Here, there will be constraints but we still can easily fit the following items:1. Rubber floor mat2. Storage cabinet or shelves3. Yoga mat4. Exercise step platform5. Skipping ropes6. Personal dumbbells7. Inflatable exercise ball8. Ceiling mounted pull up bar9. MirrorThe two models show that there is much potential to be explored in that balcony of yours! A few potted plants can make for a good viewing and a small adjoining setup to workout will only add to its charm. So, don't let the lack of space hold you back. Carve out a niche for yourself, and let the exercising begin.Ms Maitreyee Kelkar (B.Arch, M.S. - Architectural Sciences - Lighting [USA]) is a practising architect and principal lighting designer at Studio SOL. .To concludeThe onset of the COVID 19 pandemic has jolted everybody and may have temporarily thrown us out of the game. But all is not lost. By making a few adjustments, we can harness our true potential and enjoy our life to the fullest. The pandemic may have put us behind closed doors but we should remember that it is for the greater good. One year into the pandemic has proven that staying indoors is immensely helpful in curbing the spread of infection. The aforementioned ways will help you and your family members take charge of the health and get fitter with regular practice while staying indoors. The pandemic has also taught us to take a pause from the hustle and bustle and be grateful for the simple yet most important things of life. Sound physical and mental health can help us achieve any goal that we set in our life. Easy things such as taking small breaks from work or studies, regular exercise, a healthy diet, quality sleep and meditation to relieve stress are essential for a fitter body. Along with these, regular consultation with a physician, dietician and physiotherapist will help in identifying and reworking any imbalance that may lead to illnesses.
