Elements of an Inspiring Home Gym

 

“What gym do you use, Legs?”

She opened the bottle. “My own.”

Bed of Roses

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Photo by TNHometour.com - Browse home gym photos

It’s not so much the size of your workout area that matters — whether you have a corner devoted to yoga or an entire home gym. Finding the motivation to use your workout space is often the hardest part. Here are 10 elements to give your workout space (and you) a jolt of inspiration.

HOUZZ

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Two treadmills, an elliptical, a recumbent bike, Bowflex, free weights, a bench press—not to mention the huge flat-screen and the glass-fronted fridge holding bottles of water and juice.Towels, he noted, neatly folded, alcohol wipes, killer view.

“Convenient,” he said, “and efficient.”

Happy Ever After

What kind of yoga is right for me?

“Sit down, be comfortable. Take a

couple minutes to breathe.”

“I usually breathe all day. At night, too.”

Her lips curved a little. 

“Conscious breathing now. In through the nose

—expanding the belly like

blowing up a balloon, out through the nose, 

deflating the balloon. Long, deep, even breaths. 

Belly rises

and falls. 

Relax your mind.”

Whiskey Beach

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Knowing which one matches your fitness style 
is a good place to start.

Gausanchennai / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

There are many styles of yoga to choose from, 

so if you're new to yoga, it might be confusing to 

know what style to try.

Mother Nature Network

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“On an inhale, lean left. Don’t overstretch, Hester.”
“You’ve got me doing old-lady yoga.”
The annoyance in Hester’s voice made the whole scene 
marginally less weird.
“We’re taking it slow. Breathe here. Inhale, both arms up, palms touch. 
Exhale. Inhale and lean right.
Both arms up. Repeat that twice.”


Whiskey Beach

Yoga vs. Gym

She opened the refrigerator, got out the water. “Either. But thanks. 

I’m going over to the gym. I want some cardio. 

I assume that’s where Quinn is?”

“Noises were made. Why don’t you stick with the Gumby routine?”

“It’s not what I’m after. Yoga relaxes me. I need to pump.”

The Pagan Stone

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By Victor Tondee - https://www.flickr.com/photos/115887883@N05/16781930910, 

CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41605463

Which Is Really a Workout?

“Is yoga really a workout?” When I typed that into Google I was pretty astonished at the contrast of dead set opinions and recommendations that are floating around out there.

Huffington Post 

Benefits of walking

"Do you know what I like to do when I'm restless?"

Her voice had lowered, and it seemed liquid enough now to slide over his skin

like mulled wine. He turned to see those vivid blue eyes glowing with

moonlight. And his hands were already reaching for her. "What?"

She eased away, slipping from his hands like a ghost. After opening her door,

she walked slowly around to his side, leaned down until their lips nearly

touched. "I take a walk."

Captivated

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By Belinda Hankins Miller from U.S.A. - surefooted, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4787159

It's good for your body and your mind and you can do it just about anywhere with no fancy equipment.

From strengthening bones to shedding pounds, researchers keep finding more and more health benefits from this simple activity. Need a reason to hit the trail or wander the pavement? Here are just a few impressive benefits of walking.

mother nature network 

How to Create a Home Gym You’ll Actually Use

Struck with admiration and not a little envy, she stopped at the base. The slope of the hill

opened the lower level to the rear of the house through wide glass doors and windows, and a

small and pretty slate patio beyond, where the dog currently sprawled on his back, feet straight

up, sleeping.

But inside, on safety mats over the wide-planked oak floor, stood the machines. In silence, she

wandered, studying the elliptical trainer, the weight bench, the rack of weights, the recumbent

bike, rowing machine.

Serious stuff, she mused.

An enormous flat-panel TV covered one wall. She noted the components tucked into a builtin,

and the glass-front bar fridge holding bottles of water. And in the corner where the wood

merged with slate rested a whirlpool tub in glossy black.

"Matt's work?"

"Yeah. Mostly."

"I'm more and more pleased with my instinct to hire him. You never have to leave here."

"That was sort of the idea. I like to hole up for long stretches. It was designed as a family

room, but since my family doesn't live here, I figured why haul myself to a gym when I can

bring the gym to me? And, hey, no membership fee. Of course, it cuts out being able to ogle

toned and sweaty female bodies, but you've got to make some sacrifices."

"I have a basement," Cilla mused. "An actual underground basement, but it's big. I gave some

thought to finishing it off eventually, but more for storage and utility. But with the right lighting..."

Tribute 

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Photo by Studio 133 - Browse home gym ideas

Start the new year off on the right foot with expert tips on designing a home fitness space you’ll stick with

Year after year, getting more exercise tops New Year’s resolution lists. And while the number of people committed to this popular goal often plummets by February, experts say having a dedicated space right at home that will inspire you to stay active can help.

HOUZZ

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He stopped in the doorway. He’d seen their setup

at their beach house in the Hamptons, but that was

small change compared to this.

Two treadmills, an elliptical, a recumbent bike,

Bowflex, free weights, a bench press—not to

mention the huge flat-screen and the glass-fronted

fridge holding bottles of water and juice.Towels, he

noted, neatly folded, alcohol wipes, killer view.

“Convenient,” he said, “and efficient.”

Happy Ever After

Why I Run

Dawn,the awakening, promise of it, was her favorite time to run. 

The running itself was just something that had to be done, three days a week, like any other chore or responsibility. 

Rosalind Harper did what had to be done. 

She ran for her health. A woman who'd just had-she could hardly say "celebrated" at this stage of her life-her forty-seventh birthday had to mind her health. 

She ran to keep strong, as she desired and needed strength. 

And she ran for vanity. Her body would never again be what it had been at twenty, or even thirty, but, by God, it would be the best body she could manage at forty-seven. 

She had no husband, no lover, but she did have an image to uphold. She was a Harper, and Harpers had their pride.

But, Jesus, maintenance was a bitch. 

Black Rose

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By bigwavephoto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50090597

 I run to not only keep my heart pumping to the best of its ability and maybe to burn some calories when I went crazy with pasta servings, but to ease any stress and flip any generally negative emotions, giving the phrase “run it off” another very literal meaning. I've run through breakups. I've run through disagreements with my family and friends. I've run through world conflict and affairs that keep me up at night.

It’s an opportunity to test out mindfulness practices I’ve picked up over the years, the ones I have such a hard time doing while sitting in my apartment.

InStyle

People Who Hate Working Out Are More Intelligent

"I guess the bastard elliptical is doing its job. How do you keep in shape?"

"I use the gym three or four times a week, play basketball, that sort of thing."

She sent him a slitted-eye, accusatory stare. "I bet you like it. The gym."

"Yeah, I do."

"So does Parker. I think you're both sick."

"Keeping in shape is sick?"

"No, liking what goes into keeping in shape is sick. I get doing it, but it should be considered a chore, a duty, a necessary evil."

Bed of Roses 

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By Gesundheitshuette - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16548001

Those with a steadfast commitment to the couch potato lifestyle may be onto something after all. According to a new study published in the Sage Journal of Health Psychology, people who will find any excuse to skip the gym have higher levels of a trait called “need for cognition,” or a “tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive endeavors,” according to the researchers. In other words, those who lack any sort of athletic ability may make up for it in intelligence and a general love for deep thinking.

MY DOMAINE

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They'd passed mile three with Del taking the lead when Mac dragged herself in.

“There it is.” She bared her teeth at the Bowflex. “The enemy.” 

She scowled at Parker, who finished up her session with basic yoga poses to stretch out. 

“You're already finished, aren't you? I can tell by that smug look on your face.”

Savor the Moment

How Seeing affects Eating

By sunny mama - cauliflower crust pizza slices, CC BY-SA 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39964349

How much food people consume can be influenced by subtle cues about weight 

that aren't consciously perceived, according to a novel 

chocolate-tasting study in the journal Appetite.

WSJ 

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“"This is because you think if you eat half my slice of pizza it doesn’t count.”"

"“Well, it doesn’t, technically."”

Blood Brothers

On your Bikes

Source: newyorker.com via Norman on Pinterest

This cover, and story, in The New Yorker reminded me this scene from one of Nora's Best Novels:

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"I have to shower," she told him, drawing back far enough to smile again. "I'm still sticky from that last scene."

"I enjoyed watching it. You've fascinating thigh muscles, Ariel."

Amused, she lifted both brows. 

"I have aching thigh muscles. And I'll tell you something, if I were to ride a bike for the three or four miles I did today, it wouldn't be anchored to the floor."

Dual Images

yoga mistakes to avoid

“Quinn’s remedy, weights and machines. Mine, yoga. Yours . . .” She gestured to the cards.
“Everybody’s got something.”

The Pagan Stone

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Afraid to try yoga because you are worried about getting injured?

Our Daily Dose blogger got tips from David Magone, a yoga instructor who teaches workshops at Exhale in Boston, on how to avoid common yoga mistakes...

>BOSTON<

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“Either. But thanks. I’m going over to the gym. I want some cardio. I assume that’s where Quinn is?”
“Noises were made. Why don’t you stick with the Gumby routine?”

“It’s not what I’m after. Yoga relaxes me. I need to pump.”

The Pagan Stone