Exercising My Right to Organize

Part of my goal in 2014 is to find more balance, and part of that means placing an effort on taking better care of myself.  Things like a better sleep schedule, a better daily routine, making time to eat better throughout the day and having the ability to step away from the computer to get in a quick workout.  This past year I found that I was at my best when I would toss on my workout clothes and go for a quick run.  Outside.  But the winter months don't allow for me to do that, and I find myself spending more time on the computer and snacking than getting active.  Not a great combo.

We purchased a treadmill years ago, and it is something you don't see make an appearance on the blog all that often because 1) it doesn't get used as much as it should and 2) it is ugly.

It once lived in our laundry room, and once we re-designed the dressing area off of our bedroom, it moved into a corner there.

I hate to say, it was doing a better job holding piles of things I need to deal with, my accessories and handbags and even clothing and hangers.  Oh, and collecting dust.  Not a very inspiring space to step away and get a quick run in.

The front of the treadmill hid the rest of our gear.  Clearly, it needs a good cleaning and a little lovin'.

My goal was to give this little corner a quick refresh to inspire me to use it more frequently, and easily access the workout items.  I also wanted to bring in some items to make it even more effective and easy to use when the mood strikes, and also for cleaning up when we are done.  Heck, I may be inspired to even create a workout routine and schedule when all is said and done, but one thing at a time.

Part of the problem with this area is that everything is tossed on the floor and becomes dusty and messy.  After a bit of measuring, I realized I had enough room to bring in a narrow bookcase to get items off of the floor and make them simple to use and access.

A quick run to our local Target and $20 later, and we had a cheapy white bookcase.  Doing what I can to keep this room looking pretty {it is my secret little getaway space}, we decided to give the bookcase a little extra attention.  We started by lining the back with some leftover wallpaper from this bookcase project, and building a cap for the top.  The cap was designed out of some inexpensive poplar wood from Home Depot.

The cap was essentially a way to make the bookcase seem a bit more substantial and to give the top a finished effect.  It would also make it a smidge stronger and hide and wear and tear from shoes and equipment being placed on top.  By nailing a few pieces of trim around the front three edges of the poplar board, and giving it a quick coat of stain leftover from past projects, we successfully brought the bookcase from cheap to chic in minutes. 

And it just slides on, so it is not a permanent update, but one that we think will stay.

Here is a better view of the area after the bookcase was assembled and everything was put back in place.

I placed the heavier dumbbell weights at the bottom, since that is where there is the most support and the shelf is less likely to sag.

The next shelves hold some more standard gear, such as the medicine ball, yoga brick, resistance bands and back care kit.

Another shelf holds our water bottles, my headband, fitness magazines with workout ideas and cleaning wipes to help us keep things a bit tidier in-between uses.

The upper shelf has been installed and used for a few years now.  It is from Ikea, and when installed upside-down, it is the perfect place to store our mats off of the ground.  This is one solution that has rocked since the beginning for us!

To hold my iPad during a quick run or down on the floor while stretching, I use an acrylic plate stand.  I have been using this for years and love it; it works great at my desk as well.

The small white dish holds our treadmill key.  Keeping it there is a safety feature to prevent the littles from hopping at in a moments notice.  We also decided to keep it unplugged in-between uses for the same reason.

I added an adorable small basket {also from Target} to hold extra towels for those really intense runs {the kind that have me screaming for help and wobbling off of the treadmill after a good ten minutes}.

And that completes the tour!

I also like to store my workout clothing in their own drawer in my wardrobe as well.  That way they are always simple to find.

This little update sure put a fire in me to want to run inside and make better use of that little corner of ours.  I always say I feel more productive in a neat and orderly environment, and this is definitely no exception to that rule.

As far as a routine goes, I sort of just do what I have time for and what I feel like I want to focus on for the day.  My goal is 15-30 minutes of some sort of exercise Monday - Friday, just to break up the hours of sitting I do on the computer, but any tips and suggestions from those of you who have mastered this already would be sincerely appreciated.

So how about you?  How do you keep your fitness nook organized and inspiring?  Any essentials that you have found make for a smoother workout?