Fit fitness into your daily routine – make room for a home gym

Convincing yourself to exercise is the first step to getting fit, say experts. (Image: Pixabay)

It’s a warm, dry June afternoon, somewhere in Tamil Nadu. He’s mopping his forehead, Covid-era uncut locks falling into his eyes. But YouTuber Haroon Abdul Kareem remains unfazed by the huge bulky packages lined up near the gates to his house. Patiently unboxing each piece, this 29-year-old bodybuilder and lifestyle coach, who also calls himself an internet entrepreneur, starts assembling equipment for his indoor gym, recording the entire process simultaneously for his channel, Haroon AKR.

Exercising has always been important, but the pandemic has amplified its significance for Haroon, who finds it to be a great stress-reliever too. “Covid-19 has been a wake-up call to people to get fit and understand that they should do everything possible to motivate themselves to start right now,” he says.

From motivation to action – everything is doable and urgent, say fitness experts. According to a study by researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, factors that were barriers to exercising increased by 6–41% during Covid-19 as compared pre-pandemic times, with the percentage of respondents listing the following:

• insufficient social support: 6%

• lack of motivation: 8%

• anxiety: 8%

• lack of access to exercise equipment: 23%

• lack of a place to exercise: 41%

Take charge, get going

Haroon is big on motivation. Once an overweight child tipping the scales at 120 kg, he managed in 10 years to transform to 10-30 percent body fat through a smart plan of eating and exercising right – helped at one time by people who had trained for the professional men's bodybuilding contest, Mr Olympia.

Loath to sit out Covid-19, he worked out a combo that enabled him to exercise and build content for the Insta and YouTube followers he had been building up over the years with health and wellness content. Film studies in the US and UK had come in handy while shooting.

So Haroon’s first step was shopping for equipment, importing the ones not available in India. As technicians couldn’t come in because of social distancing, he decided to set everything up himself.

Getting the equipment right

Choosing the right equipment doesn’t involve rocket science, says New Delhi-based holistic fitness guru Vesna Pericevic Jacob. Though she has her hands full running Vesna’s Alta Celo, a clinic offering customised one-on-one fitness training and solutions (another movement studio for group activities is closed because of the pandemic), Jacob banks on her own home gym to get her engines revving.

Things have been kept simple in Jacob’s personal exercise zone, which has a mat, small weights, weighted ball, Swiss ball, kettlebells, release balls, Pilates springs and slides. “Except for the Swiss ball hanging around the rest of the stuff does not take up space, is not very expensive and can be cleared away quickly once you’re done,” she says.

“Today, many kinds of ergonomic equipment are available that are not bulky and can be easily folded and stored away when not in use,” says Devika Khosla, creative director of New Delhi-based interior design company, The Works Interiors.

She advises starters to invest in a treadmill, cycle, small equipment like a yoga mat, bands, and weights of up to 7kg.

Haroon relied on user manuals to install the equipment. A cable-operated system was ruled out as it worked on pulley systems and was almost impossible to set up without help from technicians. He needed “very minimal stuff” that could train all body parts. So, instead of cables, Haroon added resistance bands and tubes to replicate the same plane of motion that the cable would give to his muscles. Powerlifting equipment included a squat rack, weight bench and an Olympic barbell bar. Weight plates – from 2.5 kg to 25 kg – were then added on.

It took all of Haroon’s strength and energies to set up the power rack, with its four pillars connected at the top and bottom with holes for the barbell at preferred levels, depending on height. It was the most expensive item, with a price tag of Rs 90,000 (those who are on a budget can bring down costs to Rs 30,000).

New Delhi-based fitness expert Vesna Pericevic Jacob.

Commit before you get cracking

It’s important to remember that you’re playing with not just your weight and strength, but your mind as well. Convincing yourself is the first step to getting fit.

“Commit,” advises Khosla. “One should set a clear intention of working out and committing a time and place for it. Select what type of exercise you enjoy and what would suit your body and lifestyle. Then, based on that, dedicate a space in the house. Buy equipment like treadmill/ cycle/ bar, etc., only when you are 100% committed to using these, else they will sit unused and occupy space.”

Jacob says the two restrictions people have are space and money. “The equipment I have at home doesn’t cost much money. You can also pace yourself and buy a few things over a period of time. Decide how much you want to spend,” she says.

Costs are often not prohibitive, but make sure you get sturdy equipment that’s safe to use. A yoga mat comes for Rs 200 to Rs 2,500; a medicine ball for Rs 300 to Rs 3,000. Treadmills come in the range of Rs 9,000 to over a lakh and exercise cycles for Rs 4,500 upwards.

A bench is available for Rs 5,000 upwards, a power rack for Rs 10,000 and above (make sure it’s good quality). Kettlebells cost Rs 500 and above and weight plates Rs 400 and above.

Also read: Smart exercise cycles in India: features, prices 

Learning the ropes

It pays to get a fitness coach or a yoga expert to teach you the ropes when it comes to a basic exercise routine, but Jacob, who is set to launch her Alta Celo fitness app soon, is thankful for the digital age. “A lot of content is available online that one can follow,” she says.

Teachers and trainers offer online as well as personalized services, so you can sign up one for a home visit.

Khosla, who prefers one-to-one training, works out under the supervision of a trainer. When that’s not possible, she turns to apps for help.

“Many apps and videos related to fitness are available on the internet and can be accessed on our smart devices. These have experts coaching the audience for workouts like yoga, pilates, body strengthening and many more, and the best part is that all one needs is a 6 feet X 3 feet space,” she adds.

Tamil Nadu-based YouTuber Haroon Abdul Kareem.

That’s where you do it

Jacob, who also dabbles in personal gym design, has a few key questions for clients: The number of people using it, how frequently they plan to use it, their fitness requirements and aspirations. “That’s because your gym should be able to cater to the present you as well as the future you. It won’t work if it looks pretty but you don’t use it. It has to be exciting – and that can happen if things are neatly placed and it’s a functional, comfortable space. You should like spending time there,” she says.

The key elements for Jacob are white walls and a few mirrors. A pop of colour can be added by fun-loving souls.

An entire room, basement or attic space can be dedicated to a gym in a spacious home or a bungalow, says Khosla. “In a small apartment, where space can be a constraint, it would be best to build a multi-purpose room. For example, a den could function as a home office and a home gym. Even a family room can double as a home gym.”

Look forward to your workout time by placing the treadmill or cycle in the TV room and doing a 30- to 40-minute run while watching your favourite sitcom or news, Khosla suggests. A young mother can set up her yoga mat and bands in the nursery. She can do her stretches, yoga or meditation and slowly heal her body when the baby sleeps, adds the designer.

Her ideal layout is a nook at home, a large window to gaze out, that also brings in fresh air and light.

Haroon has turned the filming studio next to his bedroom into the gym. The space is open, painted white. “I’ve put mats on the floor to protect the marble. If I had a more permanent set-up, I would probably put up some mirrors, metal sheets one feet up from the floor on the wall to protect it from damage.”

From the time that he was an overweight kid who was picked last for any sporting team and who always wanted to look and feel confident, Haroon feels his transformation has worked miracles in his life, making him strong and healthy as well.

He intends to continue. “I don’t feel normal on days I don’t train. It has become a part of my life, like brushing my teeth and taking a shower,” he says.