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The ongoing pandemic has made it difficult to find gyms and workout classes that are consistently available, leading many people to create workout areas in their living spaces. From bikes and treadmills with online classes to instructor-led yoga videos, you have endless options for at-home indoor workouts to keep you fit and busy throughout the cold winter months. By finding the right equipment and optimizing your indoor space, you can get a start on optimizing your indoor workouts for the winter.

Optimizing Your Indoor Workouts For the Winter

Setting Up a Gym at Home

Tailoring the space you have available to the types of workouts you want to do doesn’t need to require a lot of time or money. With dedicated exercise space, you’ll make it simpler and more fun to get your body moving this winter.

Type of Exercise

What exercises do you most enjoy? Your answer to that question will determine the type of space you need to carve out at home.

For things like yoga or cycling, you’ll need about 10–15 square feet. For weight racks, treadmills, or HIIT workouts (cardio and weights), you’ll need 30 square feet or more.

Available Space

People with homes may have an extra bedroom, an open basement, or some garage space that can serve as a workout room. Bigger spaces can make room for stationary bikes, treadmills, or weight racks.

For anyone in a smaller apartment or shared living space, you may be able to rearrange furniture in the bedroom or living room so that you can roll out a yoga mat or store dumbbells for easy access.

Remember, bodyweight exercises are a great way to work your body without requiring much equipment or space.

Equipment

Once you figure out what exercises you want to do and how much space you have, you can start buying the necessary equipment and deciding where you’ll store it.

Things like resistance bands, yoga mats, and jump ropes can easily be stored in a closet, drawer, or under furniture.

If you have more space, you can set up a squat rack, punching bag, and dumbbell set.

Beyond workout equipment, consider adding a fan, mirror, and dry erase board where you can plan and track your exercises.

Healthy Air for Your Indoor Workout

No matter what exercises you’re doing this winter, make sure your indoor environment is equipped with Healthy Air. Here are some things to consider:

AprilAire Fresh Air Ventilation: If seeing your breath during an outdoor workout makes you want to move your exercise indoors, no one will blame you. Just make sure to ventilate the air inside by cracking a window and using fans to move the air. Even better, AprilAire whole-house fresh air ventilation can replace the stale indoor air with fresh air from outside. This is essential with the increased inhalation and exhalation that comes with exercise.

AprilAire Air Filtration: While you can’t always control the quality of the air outdoors or at the gym, make sure you’re filtering the air that’s coming into your workout space at home. AprilAire whole-house air purification systems have custom controls, so you can schedule a “cleaning event” for before and after your workout.

AprilAire Humidity Control: Sweating is the sign of a good workout, but it also adds humidity to your indoor air environment. For maximum comfort, you’ll want to keep the humidity level between 40–60%. AprilAire whole-house humidifiers are useful when dry winter air zaps moisture, and an AprilAire whole-house dehumidifier can keep the humidity level in the ideal zone during all your sweat sessions.