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Zen @ Home

09   29

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Trending Now: Home Fitness and Yoga Rooms

Imagine rising early as the sun peeks up over the horizon. The whole house sleeps as you tiptoe out of your bedroom, on your way to start your day with your fitness or yoga routine. Now imagine you need only walk a few steps to be in your studio. You’ve just added tenfold to the tranquility factor by not having to get in your car and drive.

This growing trend of home fitness rooms goes above and beyond the treadmill parked in the spare room. When you consider how much time we commit to fitness regimens, its not surprising people are choosing home additions to customize their “gym” specifically for their own needs. This path to enlightenment and a lighter you, can be both incredibly timesaving, and in the long run, more cost-efficient than a yearly gym or yoga studio membership.

A few years ago, architect Peter Sterios, a longtime yogi, began envisioning a dedicated practice space. Renovating his single-story home, he decided to add a second level that would include a 380-square-foot master bedroom, of which 160 square feet would be devoted to yoga. “Asana and meditation practice are as much a part of our everyday lives as brushing our teeth,” Sterios says. “It was important to make them as convenient as going into the master bath and grabbing a toothbrush.”

The possibilities are endless, and can be customized to fit most budgets. Good lighting design can mean the difference between a vibrant, energizing home gym and a dull, drab one. Natural lighting is ideal for a home gym since natural light streaming in from windows is more energizing than artificial light. Consider floor to ceiling windows and skylights. In addition to adding a vibrant look to your home gym, using as much natural light as possible is cost effective in the long run since using natural light won’t run up your electricity bill. For flooring, you can go with classic hardwood, or a greener option like recycled rubber.

When you have your fitness room at home, you’re not restricted to the hours set by the owners. If you want to work out at 6am or 2am, it’s all there waiting for you! With the busy schedules so many of us have these days, working out at home saves countless hours of driving time, not to mention waiting in line for that one piece of equipment you, and everyone else seems to love.

Also, having a fitness or yoga studio at home can encourage the entire family to get healthy, setting a positive example for the kids.

For decades, Westbridge Homes has been building and remodeling nice homes for nice people. If this is something that interests you, let us know. We may be able to help create the personal fitness room you’ve always wanted.

by michele chastain 2011