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Writer's picturePat Browne

Home gyms help beat the covid blues

Staying physically active during the COVID-19 outbreak is important for our physical and mental health. Being active can enhance mood, improve wellbeing and increase energy levels by helping to reduce stress, anxiety and depression – and even boost immunity. But what do you do when the snow is falling, and the gyms are closed?

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A home gym might be just what you need to find motivation to move. If you don't have a dedicated workout room, that's ok. Ingenuity is what drives us in small places. We’ve seen full gym set ups in our basements or garages. Even a nook will do for many types of exercise. We’ve also seen couples and families taking daily walks. Yoga mats with streaming TV has helped others and the explosion of streaming dance parties has found a dedicated following.

While a home gym with a beautiful view would be nice, our window-challenged basement spaces have been turned into cool workout zones. Newer recessed LED lighting (doesn’t require as much space in the ceiling), light coloured walls, and mirrors visually expand the space. Gym quality interlocking mats both add a design element and protect the floors. This home gym flooring idea is not necessarily cheap but it is easy to install. Not to mention, it helps to reduce the noise of running on a treadmill or setting down heavy weights.

Get creative with equipment. We’ve all heard it, equipment is almost impossible to find or if you did order, may take weeks to arrive. Just stick with it. There are items listed on Kijiji or FB Marketplace. For major equipment, we purchased ours from @treadmillfactory. For hand weights, @fitnessdepot seems to receive new supplies weekly. One of the things I found most helpful are the streaming services from @peloton. Our spin bike is not a Peloton, but I do have an ipad and I can stream their programs, hook the ipad to the bike and have a virtual Peloton setup.


Find the space to stay active. If cycling is your thing, set up a system to ride your bike indoors. Don't let winter sidetrack your training. I have friends who cycle throughout the world via their TV. If you don't park your car in the garage, then what about a gym?

Streaming services lets you ride with the pack. A garage can make a great gym.


We’ve invested in our gym. Will this replace my studio gym when we can all gather again? Probably not, I still love the atmosphere of F45, but it will definitely supplement whatever we do in the future!

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