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The Outdoor Gym

Now we know the garden and outdoor space can be considered to be an additional room for your home, the question is which type of room? It seems most of the design world’s focus has been on creating outdoor lounges and kitchens.

However, here and there we see more designs and designers using the space as an outdoor gym. With Summer fast approaching, I thought I could share some really easy ways get fit outside without going all out and building a special outdoor room/building dedicated to sports.

The Waff: the fitness addict’s alternative to the bean bag

This inflatable cushion, available in a variety of sizes and colors, was invented and designed based on 3D technologies and the human anatomy.

It is designed to fit the body whatever its position (lying flat on one’s stomach, on one’s back, on one’s side, seated, standing, etc.) Used as a seat, the “instability” of the cushion forces your body to contract its muscles to create the balance. It can be also used as an exercise tool: each purchase come with a whole set of instructions to get you going.


Photo: Mariposas del Sol

The yoga deck

If you have a deck or outdoor patio, a great idea is to use it for yoga alone or with friends. If you have a lawn are that is fairly flat that’ll work, too.

Also, invest in a set of hand weights so you can also do some strength training in this same space.

The water bike

For regular cardio training from home if you have even a tiny pool: discover the underwater bikes by Hydrorider who sell such odd inventions for around $1200. Check out this video (Editor’s note: This looks like so much fun!):

The water treadmill

Very few of us only can afford Olympic-sized swimming pools for the beneficial lap-swimming, and if you’re lucky enough you might have inherited one at a previous owner’s expense. But, for the rest of us, there’s Swimmill.

Swimmill is the aquatic version of the treadmill as it lets you swim without changing your position. The water current produced by Swimmill is the one that moves. Swimmill allows you to adjust the speed of the water current to satisfy all kinds of swimmers, from beginners to the most advanced. It makes the length of your pool infinite and allows you to enjoy swimming for any time or distance you choose in your own home.

The list of sports you can do in the tiniest outdoor space is actually quite extensive, making lack of space a poor excuse for not being in shape. So, it’s time to get Googleing to find what designers have come up with to meet your needs.

Then, get out and exercise and we’ll see you on the beach!