Project 11: Creating a "Home Gym"

If there's one thing that I'm really into, it's personal fitness and healthful living. This has been ingrained in me since I was little, hopping from sports team to sports team, and consumed my life while I was on a Division I sports team in college. Now, out of college and off of all sports teams, I genuinely enjoy working out on my own and running the occasional 5k, 10k, or half-marathon (I even win some now and then!).

The problem I've run into as of late is that I feel like going to the gym after work puts a major damper on my life. In the spring, summer, and fall, I was blessed with the ability to either get up early and go for a run outside, or put on my running shoes after work and run into the sunset. Now, with several inches of snow and ice covering the sidewalks, and how dark it is in the mornings and at night, running outside isn't an option. I can go to the gym I belong to after work no problem, but it means not getting home until 7 or 7:30 - when I'm already spending 2 nights a week in class away from home (and Matt), it becomes increasingly harder to justify another 3 nights away and motivate myself to do that!

I've been thinking about this for awhile now, and the solution that I've come up with is to create a home gym (of sorts). I know when I think of a "home gym", I think about the kind of machines on the right - lots of arms and weights and pulleys and things that take up a huge amount of room and cost an arm and a leg. But you know what? This is not the only option for home exercise equipment. A simple search on the web revealed that other people feel the same way I do - working out at home doesn't require this monstrosity, just a little creativity! I've set myself a goal for this month (we're already on the 9th, so this will have to be done quickly!) of creating my own permanent workout area in my apartment for under $100.

Other than the $100 stipulation, there are a few rules that I'm going to give myself for this venture:

1. The space I choose must still be usable for it's original intention (i.e. the guestroom cannot become workout room, it must still be the guestroom).
2. There must be at least 3 kinds of activities included - so I can't just buy some dumbbells and call it good.
3. I can't make Matt's life miserable.
4. It must be well organized, and cannot be an eyesore to look at.

I'll post about my progress this weekend, as I hope to make major strides in this goal as soon as possible!