One of the important lessons of the pandemic has been an appreciation of health and wellness for every member of the family. When gyms were closed to help stop the spread of the virus, many began working out at home. This led to another minor epiphany. Sustainable physical fitness can only occur when it becomes a lifestyle change and a home workout program can help make this possible. 

The residents of the master-planned community of Devonshire, located just east of Dallas, have many activities to do for burning off calories while having fun. Great amenities such as huge swimming pools, beautiful walking and biking trails, and a wealth of watersports about ten minutes away at Lake Ray Hubbard, all offer great recreation. However, having a regular fitness program - one that becomes a healthy lifestyle - is still better accomplished with a dedicated space in one’s own home. 

The challenge becomes building a workout space that is used. Is there anything sadder than a room full of expensive equipment - rowing machines, treadmills, exercise bikes, etc.- that nobody ever uses? These machines were built with good intentions but became the world’s most expensive place to hang the cleaning! 

Three Advantages of Working Out at Home 

Dana Santas is a fitness coach, a frequent contributor to news organizations such as CNN, and the author of the highly respected home workout program, Fitness, But Better. She outlined the advantages of working out at home. 

• Enjoying the ease of access and time efficiency. With no travel time and no closing time associated with your home, it's hard to make the common time-related excuses not to exercise. Additionally, your training time can be more efficient as you don't have to wait your turn for equipment or spend extra time on your workout to rationalize the commute or cost.
• Shifting your training perspective from a chore to a lifestyle. Because the gym is part of your home, training becomes part of your lifestyle rather than another to-do outside of the house. This creates a sense of ownership of your fitness, instilling it as a healthy lifestyle habit rather than an obligation.
• Shedding insecurities and relishing quality time. Without having to feel self-conscious about others judging you during workouts in a public gym, your home gym time is of higher quality, letting you focus entirely on yourself and your goals. 
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How to Build a Home Fitness Space That Will be Used

When planning any lifestyle change, it is important to start small. This is certainly true with building a fitness space. 

As Santas told CNN, “While my garage gym is now fully equipped, that hasn't always been the case. My commitment to training at home was an evolution that started small. Several years ago, my "home gym" was nothing more than a crate holding a kettlebell, two small dumbbells, a yoga mat, foam roller, and a few mini tension bands. It was only as my training consistently expanded that I committed to a dedicated space.” 

Santas offers a few tips on building a functional home gym. 

• Think through the utility of the space you are considering converting (guest room, media room, garage) and create an acceptable, practical plan for relocating items and repurposing other areas as necessary. 
• Build a space for workouts you enjoy. For example, do you enjoy lifting weights more than doing cardio? Create a space that facilitates strength training. If it's the other way around, design it for that.
• Make the space comfortable. If your workout space is not climate-controlled, like a three-season porch or garage, I would also advise figuring out heat and AC options. 
• Set a realistic budget for equipment and start small! You don't want to invest in items you'll rarely use. If you favor cardio instead of weightlifting, invest in a solid piece of cardio equipment, like a rower, indoor bike, or elliptical. Before you tackle weightlifting, the first piece of equipment is a quality barbell. 
• Overloading your home gym can make it less functional. One of the best ways to curtail this tendency, while also reinforcing your training habit, is to tie a new product purchase to achieving a fitness goal. For instance, training five days a week for eight consecutive weeks could serve as an equipment-purchase milestone.

“Remember, you can accomplish a lot with a set of dumbbells, a kettlebell, mat, foam roller, and mini bands, “Santas concluded. 

The Healthy Lifestyle at Devonshire: It’s Priceless



Living in the master-planned community of Devonshire means having convenient access to shopping, exemplary Forney schools, and entertainment in Dallas, just a few minutes away. This buys something priceless: Time. If you're ready to use that time to build a healthy lifestyle, click here and get more information on an amazing place for you and your family to flourish.