These days, most of us are running off in all directions, every day, all the time. Staying fit and healthy in this fast-paced world is a must if you want to have enough energy to get it all done. If this sounds like you, you are likely committed to a healthy, active lifestyle. If so, it stands to reason that the rest of your life should support that commitment.
Is Your Home Designed For Your Active Lifestyle? Or Is It Slowing You Down?
You may not have even considered it, but if your kitchen, your bathroom, and the rest of your house are designed with your needs in mind, your daily routine will flow effortlessly from one moment to the next.
Design Ideas For An Active Kitchen
If you’re living healthy and eating clean, chances are you are cooking more and consuming a lot of fresh foods. Let’s talk about ways your kitchen design can help.
Refrigerator Upgrade
A new refrigerator might be practical. Features like variable temperature zones and humidity control in your crisper drawers help keep food fresher longer. Many fridges also feature filtered water and ice to help you stay hydrated.
Non-Porous Countertops
Non-porous countertops are highly recommended for healthful living. Engineered materials like quartz give you an almost endless range of colors and finishes. Quartz is incredibly durable, low-maintenance (saves time), and it’s non-porous, so it will not absorb liquids or become a breeding ground for bacteria.
Kitchen Islands
A kitchen island is another way to optimize your time and space. A clean countertop without a sink or cooktop gives you a lot more functional space for food prep. If you already have an island, but you have extra space in the kitchen, you might consider adding a second island specifically for that purpose.
Two Oven, Six-Burner Cooktop
An active lifestyle often involves preparing meals in advance for the week. Having two ovens allows you to heat or cook multiple dishes, and a six-burner cooktop opens up even more possibilities.
Bathroom Design For An Active Lifestyle
Your bathroom can also be designed to optimize your busy life. For example, you want showers, floors, countertops, and tubs that are easy to clean and designed to help you keep moving and minimize your downtime.
Here are some shower ideas that are easy-care and help you rejuvenate after a long run or a vigorous workout.
- Walk-in shower
- Built-in shower bench
- Steam shower
- Rain showerheads
- Multi-jet showers
- Shower panels (as opposed to tile)
For sore, aching muscles, a big soaking tub that you can actually stretch out in is a must. Choose a therapy tub, like a Jacuzzi or a microbubble tub. Chromatherapy tubs are also quite popular these days, applying the science of color therapy to help you relax and recharge.
What About The Rest Of The House?
Aside from the kitchen and bathroom, here are some more great ideas to help you save time around the house:
Central Vac
Central vacs are amazingly convenient. They’re ready to go when you are, and you won’t have to haul equipment out of the closet and around the house.
Fitness Room
If you work from home—even if you don’t—the convenience of having a fully-equipped workout room in your home is a great idea. That way, you don’t have to waste time getting to and from the gym, you can shower in your own bathroom, and you can have the equipment you like best always at the ready.
A basement or garage is a great space to convert for your fitness needs. Some of the things you can think about for your fitness room:
- Good ventilation/air conditioning to stay cool
- A window to give you some scenery
- Floor-to-ceiling mirrors on one wall so you can check your form
- Large flat-screen TV to watch shows while you run, do follow-along workouts or have a Skype session with your trainer
- Carpet or rubberized tile on the floor for cushioning
- A barre for stretching
- Racks on the walls for your Bosu, free weights, and exercise balls
- A Peloton bicycle, treadmill, or Bowflex machine
Additionally, having a bathroom adjacent to your workout room lets you shower quickly and get ready for the next part of your day.
Think about adding a wet bar, a small fridge, and maybe a blender or a Nutri-Bullet. That way, you can always have cold water on hand, and it’ll be easy and fast to whip up your post-workout protein drink.
Are you looking for ways to enhance your active lifestyle? We’ve got plenty of ideas. Reach out today, and let’s talk about it!
