I respond to scent so I’d put a diffuser in there with energetic oils like citrus. Nothing overwhelming—a diffuser is easy to control and I find them much cleaner than burning candles. just a light scent that you find invigorating.

That cat video is so cute. It's all fun and laughs until kitty decides to go with unsheathed claws and the grab move.

I have a room that isn't as nice as yours so won't bother to post a photo. I have a treadmill, fitness ball, yoga mat, t.v. that I never watch, hoola hoop, and a trampoline thingy. The only thing I use is the treadmill and only when the weather prevents me from walking outside. I use my wireless ear buds and watch Netflix on my laptop. Honestly, as important as pleasing space are to me, I don't think the nicest fitness room in the world would provide me with any more motivation; I just have to make myself get down there and do it. Unlike the treadmill, long daily hikes in our nearby park are a joy and I look forward to them when weather permits.

I'm also going to second the suggestion of Pilates. If you have a nearby Club Pilates or other Pilates studio, perhaps consider checking it out? I take two sessions a week for fun but challenging workouts and fill in the rest of the days with walking. Pilates offers so many benefits and will definitely alter your body. Although possible to do at home (I did mat Pilates videos for several years before discovering reformer Pilates), I know I work out harder with an instructor.

The other major change I've incorporated in the last 2+ years which has resulted in positive body changes is intermittent fasting. (I know this has been mentioned before so I'll leave it at that. ;) )

I hope you'll provide updates to the changes you make to your fitness room as well as your fitness journey!

This thread resonates with me so much! Wow, I keep nodding my head reading; I can relate to so much said here. Motivation issues, not wanting to join a gym because people and I can’t wear my pajamas there, age-related aches and pains, athletic all my life but getting into a rut lately, etc, etc. Oh, and especially preferring to get my exercise outside (we hike, kayak, climb, I used to do equine sports, etc) .... it’s so dang boring in my garage. :D But my goal is better cardio shape to do the outdoor activities we love, since we can’t do them every day.

The Beast is residing in the garage temporarily. Once a spare bedroom becomes available, it’ll be moved (I was reading how a garage is a terrible place for the equipment — dirt, humidity, etc can shorten the lifespan of the machine).

I used this IG filter to make him look more menacing. :D

He DOES look like a badazz, Jinx! Like he really knows how to work a girl over! ;)

He has been kicking my arse! Man, I didn’t realize how out of shape I’d gotten this winter until I got on The Beast!

"Hurt so good... come on BABY, make it hurt so good..."!

Well, my little workout room remains an obsession. I've scooted the clothes rack out and have gotten DH on board with installing large mirrors (important since he will be the one installing them). Found these pics in Lowes reviews posted by folks who've done exactly what we want. I figure three of the 36 x 60 mirrors centered on the weight bench (which arrives Friday) will do the job nicely.

Oh, and I really like that orange wall color in the first pic. Not sure I actually want to live with that, but I do find it energizing.

This is SW Osage Orange. I like it a lot, but it scares me.

My son got a large frameless mirror for his garage gym from a guy remodeling his bathroom. It was listed on Nextdoor for sale,but you might also find one on CL. I think he paid $20 for it.

He and his wife are avid weightlifters, but recently decided to add more cardio. They bought a used spin bike for $100 and subscribed to the Peleton streaming classes. They are enjoying it.

I am a person who needs to go to a class to exercise (other than walking, which I do a ton of with my dogs). For many years I worked out with a trainer, but once I reached a certain level of fitness I decided to just take a variety of classes. Currently take weekly kettlebell classes, jazzercise (for fun!) and recently started Pilates reformer classes. I like the variety.

It's a great idea to repurpose a frameless mirror! I've looked on Craigslist and have seen several.

I also just saw this, where someone's sprayed their weights and love the look. I don't have these types of weights, but might be a thought for anyone who does.

About that orange paint... I am ordinarily quite accent wall averse, but what about in the home gym, where a pop of color could be invigorating but an entire room could overwhelm? For consideration, the wall behind the treadmill where the mirrors will be installed. They won't take up the entire wall, so a jolt of color could still have an impact. I suppose, though, I'd need to ensure the color pop works with Accessible Beige.

I think an accent wall would be great for a home gym.

Love this too.

I am definitely a big fan of orange, and find it appears in a lot of my artwork.

Ok. DH and I discussed and I think we are about to paint a wall orange! Any specific color suggestions? Should I go lie down til the urge to paint passes?

Do it! I think it will look great!

Love the colour in your last picture! I think it would look fabulous on one wall.

You could do exercise-related posters as well in the exercise area. I like posters that offer different types of exercise to keep me interested.

The posters I had in my old exercise room before I moved here was step-by-step weightlifting, barre exercises, Iyengar and hatha yoga and chi gong and Tai Chi . I also had one of a person using a hula hoop and a skipping rope. I used the skipping rope often but the hula hoop was beyond me :-).

I also made sure to have good music. Now I only have a garage to exercise in. Not quite as inspiring as your room.

Oh lord. I guess this is happening. DH has a great eye for color, and he made a beeline to this one. It's a dead on match to my Le Creuset, not that that's important.

I had to go cook after my last post ... we’ve eaten, cleaned-up, took a drive ... I come back here to read and Ida has:

1. Contemplated painting her home gym.

2. Decided on orange.

3. Found some inspiration pictures.

4. Contemplated some more.

5. GOT PAINT. I REPEAT GOT PAINT.

If I’d waited another hour or so, the room would be done! :D

I love it! It takes me weeks to months to make a paint color decision. Hurry up and paint! I’ll be back after dinner tonight. That room better be done. :D

LOL, challenge accepted!

Oh yeah!

I didn't get a chance to post ... looks like you don't need me. But I'll post an old pic anyway...the nordic trak is gone, a new treadmill is in, a weight bench is in with more free weights and the TV is on the wall opposite the treadmill. And since we did that, I of course joined a gym. But we still use this as an alternative to going to the gym.

Beautiful space, Annie! Love the wall color.

I sure hope I don't live to regret this. I don't know why I ever thought I enjoyed painting, because this is total ass. But so far I'm in love with the happy color!

I'm taking a cookie break now.

First coat done. Will finish tomorrow. Sorry, Jinx! #fail ;)

Looks great!

Thanks! We ended up with more of a true orange than the yellow orange I initially thought I wanted, but it seems to work well with the Accessible Beige walls. I do think more than one orange wall might be overkill, so will probably stop with this one. Besides... I'm pooped!

Not a fail! Wow! I agree with nini ... very impressive! I like the color a lot and the idea of such vibrancy in a workout room. I think it gives good energy. :)

Meanwhile, I’ve just been eating and lazing on the couch all day. :D

I love it!

Thanks to all for the encouragement. I really didn't think I'd be ready to commit to a rather bold change, but am already so glad I did! My wheels are still turning. This is fun!

When the mirrors go up you will have two orange walls -- and all it takes is paint on one wall. That's the magic power of mirrors.

Wowzers, Ida, that is gorgeous. Not a bad way to start the New Year.

Wow - you are a woman of action!!

Love the orange. You are going to have a great room to work out in.

That looks great! Agree that it is very energizing. I always start off the new year wanting to do a home project! This year only furniture changes for me...I hate painting too!

I would love to hear from people who find exercise truly enjoyable. This is not a snark! Maybe if I could understand it I could develop the same mindset.

Count me in as another who EASILY lets fitness slip away. At 62 YO I have accepted the truth which is that exercise is not and never will be an activity I seek out because I enjoy it intrinsically. I've managed to find one practice-Pilates-that engages me both physically and mentally. I try to do that consistently 3 times/week. However it's an expensive hobby, at least it is if done with instruction. I usually stick to group classes at my studio so with various volunteer and family commitments that come up I have gaps occasionally.

Since I retired I have tried to combine Pilates with more exercise by literally going from the class to my local wellness center that I joined. Conveniently the center is on my way home and that helps. So I do an hour of the stretching and conditioning at Pilates followed immediately by *theoretically* 30-45 minutes of weight machines and 20-30 minutes of cardio.

At least that's the goal. The reality is that I am a bit discouraged already. I started my routine about 4 months ago and even with regular weight training I haven't seen a lot of changes in my body. So it's been easy to drift. First the cardio slid off my schedule, because it's not really enjoyable. And I haven't been to the wellness center for a couple of weeks now at all. I rationalize that it's been the holidays, I'm busy etc. But in truth I am never too busy to read a book LOL.

I suppose for me the answer will be to try to re-up on my original goal which was to exercise formally 3 times a week. If I can climb back to that base level, maybe I will try to add an X times/week supplement like run-walking in the neighborhood, or doing planks and push ups at home.

@User have you noticed that your first 2 attempts at posting this thread have now appeared? You might want to delete them to prevent confusion.

I have tried to delete the other attempts twice now, but they just won't go away. I'll try again but don't have much faith in the process around here anymore.

Ok, I tried again and received a message in both threads confirming deletion, but I can still see the bloody things!

Bummer! I can still see them too.

runninginplace, I have found that thinking about exercise as a health habit rather than looking for body changes is helpful to me. I found enjoyment with weights when I worked with a trainer...there is a lot you can do that is fun and interesting outside of those boring machines! The results I am looking for are more about building muscle to avoid the inevitable loss as we age and maintaining the strength to do the other things I enjoy (gardening in particular).Maintaining good balance (physically) is also a priority as I age. I do have a pretty easy time putting on muscle so I do see the changes but they are mostly hidden under my sagging skin (insert crying emoji). Sometimes I don't feel like going to the gym (the kettlebell class is 25 minutes away), but I put it in my weekly schedule and almost always stick to it. Having the expensive training sessions a few times per week for a few years sort of set the habit. No way I was missing those. Now, it has become something I enjoy and I always leave feeling strong, healthy and empowered.

I schedule exercise classes into my weekly calendar and that has worked for me too. I can’t just get up in the morning and think it’s going to happen. Make an appointment with yourself!

I've been reminded of what a wretched workout painting is! My GOSH, I had completely forgotten how exhausting it is, and now that I'm a little older than the last time I painted, I realize how it produces aches that leave a person unable to even fall asleep. I have just finished the second, and hopefully last, coat and I have pains on my pains. For me, though, "no pain no gain" has always held true. I've never seen any noticeable fitness improvements unless I pushed myself beyond comfort. I fear that the results I long for will be even harder to achieve now that I'm older. But I don't think I want to paint anything else for a while. It's just TOO rough.

Jmck, wise words, I realize that at my age I have to be realistic that I'll never be a hard body no matter how much or how intensely I work out ;). I also like the suggestion to schedule it. I'll try for a weekly plan since things do vary and I can't always do my preferred M-W-F morning workouts.

I worked with a trainer for almost a year before I retired and it was extremely helpful. My university had a program in which you could hire grad PT students to do private sessions at our wellness center. I lucked out since the young man I worked with was just great in tailoring workouts to my goals of being stronger and with better balance. His PT skills were a very helpful extra layer of skill. I just have to continue to keep going and keep varying the workouts.

Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback!

I like the orange! I was doing some consulting with a small gym that had orange wall accents, and it looked really nice.

I've gone to both Spin and Zumba this week plus used the TM. Not much progress on our room.

I used to LOVE to paint, and I've done almost all the rooms in our house, including the ceilings and trim. But now I don't have as good of balance, and I don't want to be up on a ladder when no one is home with me.

Saw a woman on the Today show who is a successful YouTuber for yoga, Yoga with Adrienne. I may just give her a try.

Running, our senior undergraduates do a program like that, where they have to work with a faculty/staff client for the whole semester and do assessments, goal setting, and a plan with them.

I've heard good things about Yoga with Adrienne, too. I do HIIT workouts because they give me the best bang for my buck (time). I use kettlebells but want to explore more mat pilates, too. My favorite kettlebell youtuber also has pilates workouts I plan to try.

I have 2 friends who walk at a fast pace (4.0 or higher by my calculation), and this evening I walked with one for an hour. It gets me outside, even in inclement weather, and that's really key for me. Although I did eat this afternoon, I usually exercise on an empty stomach (I'm an intermittent faster). I'm one who does not naturally enjoy exercise, but I've never finished a workout and thought, "I wish I hadn't done that." I keep that in mind.

IdaClaire, I love the orange! Nice choice.

Same thing for Spin. It is a good way to get the intensity in. I've been doing it since 1996 or 1997 and I swear it has kept my heart healthy. I have rarely had any downtime other than when I am sick, or when I had to miss three weeks (!) following my gallbladder surgery a couple of years ago, though, LOL I went for one last workout the day before my surgery. I am horrible at running but I've always been a good cyclist.

Zumba is more moderate (though depends on instructor)

Feathers, who is the kettlebell YouTuber?

Gsciencechick, it's the BodyFit by Amy series. This one is my go-to. Less than 30 minutes and it's efficient. The only modification is I do not do the kettlebell swings, as they tend to hurt my back. For those segments, I do a modified clean and press with both hands that a weight trainer showed me a while back, along with a quick high-intensity on my spin cycle. I love spinning, too, but hated fighting for a bike in my local classes, so I bought a spin cycle for home. I prefer it over running, and it's great for my legs and bum.

I'm considering registering for a 5k run/walk that is for women only and benefits a local domestic violence shelter. It's been ages since I've done such a thing, but I think the camaraderie of a huge group of women would be quite motivating. But mostly, I just adore the race name:

@User, are you familiar with the “Couch to 5k“ app? I’ve heard good things about it.

I am, bbstx! I've heard good things too and just watched a running video this evening that referred to it. I will check it out. Thanks!

bbstx - just wanted to say thanks again for reminding of the C25K app. I used it for the first time this morning, and really liked it. While I've already been doing walk/run intervals for a while now, there was something "no brainer" about the app telling me when to walk and when to run. Particularly at 5:30 a.m. when I was pretty much still mentally asleep, it was a great way to get going.

Great! DD is a runner. She used it to get back on course after a spell of no running.