We all need a steady routine of exercise to maintain our energy and health. For some of us, our schedules aren’t compatible with regular trips to the gym. Others find it boring to spend endless hours on those machines. And for all of us, events like the coronavirus pandemic can shut down gyms and make it impossible to work out in our usual way. Whatever your situation, home improvement projects can be a great alternative to the gym. Here are three ways you can replace the treadmill with a hammer and nails.
Build an Outdoor Kitchen
One of the biggest trends in home improvement right now is the addition of outdoor kitchens. Families are adding outdoor spaces where they can store, prepare, and serve food just as if they were indoors. Unlike fads involving colors and materials, this is a trend with real staying power because it involves a functional space that will prove its value year after year.
An outdoor kitchen is a great project for exercise because it involves various physical activities to help prevent boredom. You’ll be laying paver stones, digging for utilities, placing appliances, hanging outdoor cabinets, and installing lighting.
All these steps provide a great workout, but best of all, they lead to a healthy long-term outcome. Outdoor kitchens involve food preparation through grilling and smoking instead of frying, making your outdoor meals much better for you than many of the things you probably prepare indoors.
Upgrade Indoor Trim
Baseboards, crown molding, and trim around doors and windows are the finishing touches on a home. Many of us either built our homes without a lot of attention for the trim or purchased a home that had been constructed with the same mindset. In time, the old trim starts to look a little dated. This makes a great DIY project, and it’s one that can tie in some good exercise as well.
There is a lot of movement involved in replacing trim, but there is no heavy lifting and no significant heights to climb. That makes it a great low-impact workout. You will need to spend a little time on a stepstool to get to the crown molding and the highest trim around doors and windows. You’ll also be safely down on your knees for the rest of the frames as well as for the baseboards.
Set up your cutting work outside to minimize the amount of sawdust that gets into the house. You’ll find that the in and out trips you make to cut each piece will give a big boost to your pedometer for the day. Finally, driving nails will give you some good toning work for your arms.
Upgrade Storage Areas
Are you in search of a DIY project that will make things more convenient around the house? Adding storage can be a big boost to your home’s comfort, beauty, and value, and you can get a nice workout while doing it. Like trim work, storage projects can be completed without going to the top of a ladder or handling heavy materials.
A great way to start with storage is to look around at wasted space in your home. Many home designs have knee walls on the upper floor that border an attic space that could easily be finished. Install a simple door, deck the space, and wall it off for a handy closet that’s just the right size for plastic storage tubs. Smaller storage areas can be created in the basement between the floor joists overhead. You might be able to construct custom-sized containers to roll under your beds.
For a more demanding workout with lots of steps up and down the stepladder, install shelves above your garage doors. This is a huge area of wasted space that’s perfect for bulky items that are not used frequently. Things like Christmas trees, bicycles, and coolers are easily stored in this area to save lots of cubic feet elsewhere while remaining well within reach when they are needed.
With your busy life, you may struggle to find time to exercise while still meeting the demands of work, kids, and social life. Finding a DIY project can kill two birds with one stone by giving you a good workout while still accomplishing a helpful and exciting project around the house and creating long-term health benefits as well.