Skip The Gym-Build Your Own

Skip The Gym-Build Your Own!

Hacks and tips for creating your own fitness space.

Obviously gyms are a fantastic way to get fit. You have access to high tech machinery and equipment, not to mention personal trainers. If you like the gym, by all means don't skip it! This series is for people like myself who aren't "gym people". Maybe you aren't very social. Maybe you don't want to be looked at or spoken to during your workout. Maybe you live in a rural area without close access to a facility. Whatever your reasons for not being a "gym person", this series will help to give you ideas on how to maintain a healthy, effective alternative exercise regimen...no gym required!

Personally, I have a home gym I have built over the years. I love it. I can get in a great daily workout with the only hassle being climbing to my 3rd floor art studio/fitness cave. You might be wondering 'How much does that cost?' 'How much space do I need?' 'Where would I start?' I'm hoping to help to answer these questions for you. I'm also going to give you tips to save you money and time!

This segment is based on my own home gym. You may have different forms of exercise you like doing, different fitness goals, and may need to build your own home gym differently than I have. Use this as a guide, and tweak it to suit your personal fitness needs.

How much space do I need?
The total area of my home gym equipment and "free" floor space area is 80 square feet (an 8'x10' space). This gives me plenty of space to move around, lift heavy, bust out cardio and flex. :) There is also plenty of space for my kitty Joy Faery to take a bath, as you can see here. 

In this space I have the following items:

• 1.5 lb. Ankle Weights
• 3 lb. Dumbbells
• 8 lb. Dumbbells
• 20 lb. Dumbbells
• Adjustable Dumbbells (5-50 lbs.)
• 8 kg. Kettlebells
• Yoga Mat
• Exercise Mat
• Elliptical
• Fitness Band
• Balance Ball
• Other options: Printables and iPhone Apps

How much does it cost?
Probably not as much as you think! I have acquired these items over a period of 6 years or so. I just add to my home gym when my fitness needs evolve or change. You will notice on the graphic, I'm showing you my out-of-pocket costs thus far. Because many of these items have been gifts or acquired for free (which is why most items have no price), I'm also estimating costs of purchasing all of these items brand new. Of course, this will vary depending on brand, condition and quality.

Money-saving tips
There are many ways to save lots of money when building your home gym. Some items you could even acquire for FREE:

• Ask for gym equipment as gifts for birthdays and holidays. I've gotten a lot of my equipment this way.

• Check sales and specials.

• Online auctions, such as EBay

• Websites like Freecycle, Craigslist. If you're interested in a mechanical piece of equipment such as a treadmill or Bowflex gym, it is always a good idea to bring along someone who is handy (if you are not) to give the equipment a quick once-over.

• Garage sales and online garage sales. Many towns have at least 1 local "garage sale" facebook page. Post in these, and check them for updated items being offered.

• Shout it out-once your inner circle of people knows you're interested in building a home gym, you'd be surprised how many of them have equipment at home, collecting dust, that they'd be willing to give to you or sell for cheap.

• Fitness instructional videos-youtube has a vast number of full-length videos in just about every genre you can think of. Some of them require basic equipment, such as a set of weights, while others require no equipment at all. I strongly recommend you check out fitnessblender.com's channel for hundreds of free videos of all types.

• Printables-Pinterest (you may follow my Fitness board here), POPSUGAR and WorkoutLabs are just a few of the resources where you can download and print free workouts. I have some hanging on my wall.

• Phone apps-there are many FREE and CHEAP fitness apps for smartphones. My favorite iPhone apps include: C25K, Sworkit, Interval Timer (this works great with the above mentioned printables), Fitness Buddy. 

Note: Although some people love them, I'm not a huge fan of the step tracker apps and devices. Measuring steps is not an accurate way to gauge your activity level. For example, if you walk for a half an hour, you're taking more steps than you would be if you engaged in plyometrics or kickboxing for example. However, the latter two workouts will have you burning far more calories and building much more muscle. Not to mention the calorie counters and step trackers on these devices are not always very accurate.

I hope I've answers some of your questions! Have you already started to put together your own home gym? If so, please share yours in the comments below!

Menstrual Massacre

Tips to avoid Menstruation Massacre!
Staying on track when the menses attack

The headline may be a bit extreme, as I know menstruation is just a natural (some would say beautiful) part of life for women. But if you're anything like me, you dread the arrival of Aunt Flo because she has a tendency to overwhelm, if not annihilate, fitness goals during her stay. If you are one of those women in tampon commercials frolicking in a field of lavender in a white gauze dress or excitedly sitting on a bike in spin class, then this post isn't for you. Since I'm pretty sure those women only exist somewhere beyond the rainbow alongside the mythical unicorn, you may want to read on.

Now I can't claim to always successful in battling the bloat, especially when it sneaks up on me (like this month). However, if you can achieve success with ANY of these suggestions, then you've achieved *something*.

Arm yourself with the following items, 3-5 days before your period starts:

• Red Raspberry Herbal Tea
• Berries of any kind
• Watermelon
• Leafy Greens
• Apples
• Nuts/Seeds, Salted
• Sea Salt
• Vegan Dark Chocolate
• Denise Austin's Indoor Walk video
• Heating Pad
• A Bottle of Absinthe

Mmmmm....absinthe....
...but we will get to that in a moment.

Red Raspberry Tea

At least 3 days before you expect to start your period, start drinking 3 cups of red raspberry tea per day. Continue this through the last day of your period. Red raspberry is used to aid in the prevention and relief of cramps.

Berries of any Kind

Eat handfuls of them a few times a day, either with a meal or as a snack. Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, berries can also be used in the prevention and relief of cramps.

Watermelon

Eat it, a cup at a time a few times a day. You can mix it with your berries for a nice fruit salad. Studies have shown watermelon to have muscle pain-relieving properties (also great to eat any time of the month an hour before a workout to aid in muscle recovery).

Leafy Greens

Eat liberally, with every meal. High in iron, leafy greens can aid in replenishing the iron you lose while bleeding. They also tend to have a good amount of calcium and other nutrients.

Apples

Mix with your other fruits for a fruit salad, or eat by itself to help curb appetite and reduce or eliminate cramping.

Nuts and Seeds, Salted

Usually, raw unsalted nuts are best. But this time of the month, salted nuts serve many purposes. Before grabbing a handful of chips, grab a handful of nuts instead!  They're packed with protein, calcium, omega fatty acids and other nutrients which makes them a superior salty snack to chips, which are just empty calories (chips are my downfall when I'm flowing!). Nuts satisfy the salt craving many women get, and they're filling. Try to fight the urge to quickly gorge on them! Eat them very slowly, savoring the salty flavor. Eating more slowly will help you to feel more full and hopefully reduce binges.

Sea Salt

Ok, so you've eaten a handful of nuts, have eaten them slowly but STILL crave salt! Gargle with sea salt water, without swallowing. You will still be absorbing some of the sodium, so be careful how many times you do this and the quantity of salt you use. This method will give you the taste you crave, without ingesting all of the salt (which can make you more bloated).

Vegan Dark Chocolate

Even if you're not vegan, opt for the vegan chocolate option here. Anything that contains milk contains the protein casein. Casein is addictive-it exists to ensure that infant cows will continue to nurse. If you stick with a casein-free chocolate when those cravings hit, you may be more likely to eat less of it than you would a milk chocolate or non-vegan dark chocolate.

Walking Video

Now let's talk exercise. Menstruation is different for every woman, so listen to your body. You may be able to just take an aspirin and dive right into a high intensity workout. It's quite possible this won't be the case. If you feel how I feel,  you're depleted of energy and your back and stomach hurt so badly that you want to make the couch your temporary home for a few days. No matter how awful and sluggish I feel, I try (note I said "try"; again, listen to your body. Over-exertion can make your menstrual experience worse) to at least get in a 15-minute walk. If you don't belong to a gym and don't have access to a treadmill, don't feel like going outside, watch this video. Segments are also available on Youtube. It's ridiculously easy, silly even. There are 3 levels on the video, and most beginners can follow any of them. They're equivalent to a 2-mile easy walk and you don't even have to leave your house. If you feel pain and discomfort, or if your body tells you to stop, listen to that body! But remember doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING.

Heating Pad

Self-explanatory, helps to provide comfort and relief to cramps and aches. When I use mine, I can reduce my dependence on aspirin. It's also comforting, like a good snuggle with a warm cat.

Absinthe, when all else fails

Well, you've tried all of the above. You ate your berries, you tried your heating pad, you tried the indoor walk. You are still miserable. All you want is some relief, for crying out loud! Enter The Green Faery, Le Fae Verde, the little imp that hides inside the absinthe bottle. Mind you, alcohol is never recommended by anyone as a substance to be included in your health or fitness lifestyle, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Why am I suggesting absinthe over the popular red wine option? The answer is in the bottle. One of the main herbs used to brew absinthe is wormwood. Wormwood has been used for centuries in treating womens' issues such as period cramps.  I can attest to the fact that it really does help with the pain. Absinthe has a very high alcohol content, so always dilute, sip sparingly, and you don't need much to help ease the pain. A glass or two is plenty. Make sure you drink plenty of water also, as alcohol is dehydrating.

I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't just skipped to the final step on occasion.