Finding the motivation to exercise this past year鈥攚hen gyms were closed, childcare was spotty, and most of us were trying to accomplish the bare minimum without collapsing in a pile of existential dread鈥攚as听a challenge. I love my daily dose of endorphins, but as the听father of a toddler, I am also just as likely to fall face-first into a nap when I have a free moment听or to choose听playground time over a circuit workout. I savor those moments听with my daughter and appreciate听my rest days, but I find that it鈥檚 all too easy to let one day become two, then three, and pretty soon I鈥檓 off my regime and feeling lethargic.
To minimize excuses that might get in the way of sweating, I place as few barriers between myself and exercise as possible. If I鈥檓 going for a big run on Saturday, I pack my vest the night before. I keep my mountain and gravel bikes ready to ride, with repair kits attached to each. And just on the other side of my home desk is a multipurpose space my family uses听as a sunroom, kid play area, and听workout zone. Beneath the wooden blocks, yoga mat, counting books, pillows, and cat hair, the floor is lined with (roughly $1 per square foot), which keep听the room听ready for whatever our听bodies need at any time of the day.
The mats鈥攜ou鈥檒l probably recognize them from your high school gym or a yoga studio鈥攃ome in 24-by-24-inch听squares with puzzle-like edges that fit together, so you can fill floor spaces in your home as needed, and we like the听straight edge on the pieces, because听the border looks neat. Our room听is four feet by eight feet, which is a great size for spreading out a yoga mat and having extra space off the sides for floppy knees or elbows. We inherited our mats from my in-laws, who, much to this gear editor鈥檚 chagrin, were using them as camping pads before they made a much needed upgrade to cots. They鈥檙e a mix of blue, red, yellow, and green, which our 21-month-old daughter loves. But if I had bought them, I would have stuck to a more refined palette of black.
The 0.4-inch-thick foam is high density, but not so much that it hurts your feet when standing for long periods of time, or your joints when you鈥檙e听in kneeling poses. Our daughter has her 听in there, as well as various books and toys. The padding ensures that when she takes a spill鈥攚hich is often鈥攖he damage听is minimal.
When our daughter鈥檚听not using it as a playroom, my wife and I听use the area to tend to our bodies. This is where we do circuit workouts, yoga flows, and foam-rolling sessions. If I鈥檓 feeling stiff during the workday, I step in and perform听a few quick dynamic stretches. We have dumbbells, , , , and kettlebells on a high shelf that our daughter can鈥檛 reach听but are still accessible to us.
Thanks to these mats, our whole family uses this area daily鈥攊ncluding the cat, who loves lying听on the pad, baking in the sun, and coughing up the occasional hairball (the mats easily wipe clean with disinfectant). Having a safe, comfortable space that鈥檚 ready for us at any time, save moving a few toys, means we utilize it that much more. And for two busy parents and one busier toddler, that鈥檚 been crucial to staying healthy and in听shape.