Since most of us can’t quite fit a true home gym into our apartments or homes, we asked a feng shui expert about how working out affects our space and some tips to make our exercising a seamless part of our daily behavior. “From a feng shui perspective, exercise is yang in nature,” she said, “which means it stimulates and activates not only our energy but the energy of the space where it happens.” This means you should plan your workout for a space where you’d like to center that energy. The one place you probably don’t want to work out? The bedroom. “Bedrooms—yin in nature—might not be as conducive for a home workout,” she explained. “The conflict of interest between yin and yang has potential to interfere with our resting, relaxing, and romancing.” It’s also important to stop the energy of a workout from polluting the space after you’ve finished. Make sure to cover up your workout equipment when you aren’t using it to limit the negative impact of the energy it brings to the space. “While this sounds and perhaps looks a little ‘woo,’” said Peters, “it will soften any disruptive energy being emitted so you can fully dip into surrendering the day.” Her other tip? Don’t let lapsed workout goals linger. “If you lapse in your workout routine, recommit to it or move the stuff out of your space,” she recommends. “Exercise equipment that sits unused becomes a metaphor for working hard and getting nowhere.” It’s important to remember that our bedrooms are an important part of our self-care routines—and having too much other clutter in the space can distract energy from what we need. “We get out of life what we tolerate,” explained Peters, “so, when we eliminate the pandemonium, the bed becomes the star attraction, inspiring self-care, boundaries, and well-being as our top priorities.” And taking care of ourselves echoes into our lives in more ways than just our sleep patterns: “If you want to be taken seriously in your relationships (personally and professionally), start showing up in the relationship you have with yourself!” Thinking about adding (or revamping) your home workout routine? There are plenty of quick no-equipment-required workouts that you can fit into even the busiest mornings.
