January 2021 - Rooms2U

Home Gym vs Garden Gym

Posted on 28th January 202128th January 2021

Featured Image is an adapted Edge Garden Room by Green Retreats

This last year has been surreal; routines have been disrupted as we have all been asked to stay home. The nation’s mental and physical health has been affected by this insular, indoors life. With many businesses asked to close, including gyms and leisure centres, fitness has taken a back seat for many.

January is typically a really busy month for gym registrations. People look to tackle their new year’s resolutions and lose that weight and get fit. After almost a year in on and off lockdowns, many of us have the added incentive to eliminate our furlough bellies.

Sadly, gyms are still closed, and there’s no news yet on when they can look to reopen. A home gym could be the perfect solution if you have space, or why not even a garden gym? Creating a personal gym can help you stay fit without excuses; your own personalised, tailored workout experienced from home. We take a look at five benefits of setting up a home gym below.

Tailored to you

When creating a home gym, you can tailor the equipment to suit your workout routine. So whether you love cardio, or prefer HIIT, it’s equipped and set up to cater for you.

Open 24/7

Your home gym is available to you 24/7, so if you fancy working out at 5 am or 11 pm there are no restrictions. There’s also no travel time, which means its the most convenient gym around.

No waiting for equipment

Sometimes gyms can be busy places, meaning you have to wait to use a particular piece of equipment or area. When you work out from your home gym, this won’t be the case. Even if you share it with other family members, you can arrange convenient workout times for all.

Improve your mental and physical health

Working out has many benefits, both physically and mentally. The benefits to mental health associated with exercise have long been known. They include better memory, better sleep, stress reduction and the release of endorphins which make you feel good.

No need to be self-conscious.

You can show up to your home gym wearing whatever you like; there’s no need to feel self-conscious and anxious that other people are watching you. You can bend and squat without the worry your leggings are see-through, lift weights without worrying about the faces you’re pulling and hop straight into your shower after.

Of course, home gyms require space; the amount of space will depend upon your set-up. For those looking to purchase bulky gym equipment such as treadmills, exercise bikes, cross trainers etc., space is probably the biggest concern. So, what’s better than a home gym…? A garden gym, of course.

What are the benefits of a garden gym?

Garden Gyms have all the benefits of a home gym and more! A dedicated space where equipment won’t get in the way, trip you over or need setting up and putting away. Garden gyms can be installed in a range of sizes to suit your own workout needs.

Whether you’re looking for a yoga studio, a fully equipped cardio room, a gym built for weights and strength training or even somewhere to run a personal trainer business from, there’s a garden room to fit the bill.

Fancy finding out more about garden gyms? We have some suggestions for you to take a look at below.

The Haynards from The HQC Range by Outdoor Modular Spaces

The HQC Range is a Premium range of garden buildings. Designed with an Anthracite Grey Cladding, Aluminium profiling, and a superior finish. Designed with the professional in mind, they’re finished with plastered ceilings and walls, recessed electrical switches, a tinted window, premium flooring and a choice of lighting. Outdoor Modular Spaces is now FDA approved and therefore can offer payment plans to customers.

Bespoke Composite Garden Room by Composite Garden Buildings

Composite Garden Buildings can create your garden room your way. With a bespoke design to suit almost any requirement, including gyms. Why not tailor your size, design, doors, windows and finishing options to create your perfect garden building. Finished in composite wood you can even choose from a range of exterior colour options.

Marlborough 28mm Log Cabin – 9 Sizing Options by 1 Click Log cabins

The Marlborough log cabin comes in 9 sizing options, meaning you can create the space you need for your own workout routine. It’s possibly the most secure garden shed on the market! Ideal if you need extra room quick, the Marlborough log cabin also makes a superb exterior workplace, extra tall sidewalls are standard in an array of sizes to suit.

As with anything, do your research first and ensure the building is fit for the purposes you will be using it for. Some workout equipment can be heavy, and floors may need to be reinforced. Always speak to the sellers first and let them know what you intend to use it for.

Home Office Vs. Garden Office – Which Should You Choose?

Posted on 10th January 202123rd January 2021

Featured Image Tranquil by Garden Room Cabins

Over the past year, more people than ever before have been working from home. What began as a necessity due to the pandemic has now become a convenient and cost-effective choice for many individuals and businesses. As many people have learned the hard way, productivity depends on having a suitable home working environment. This post compares the more traditional home office to the contemporary garden office to see which comes out tops.

The case for a dedicated space

For those who have partners, children or housemates at home, it goes without saying that a dedicated workspace is essential to avoid frustrating distractions.

If you live alone, you may think you don’t need a dedicated workspace as you don’t have other people making noise and interrupting you. Whilst this does make for fewer distractions, working from your living environment often proves unproductive due to the temptation of your home comforts. This is the space you’re used to relaxing in; your TV, fridge and sofa can all provide temptation to slack off.

A dedicated workspace can be set up to help you to focus. It also provides the boundaries between work and relaxation time that often get blurred for homeworkers.

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Home office

A home office is a room in the main house that is dedicated to work or study. People often choose to use their smallest bedroom as an office. Some people use their dining room whilst others are fortunate enough to have a large property with plenty of space to choose from. Building an extension or loft conversion is an option for those lacking space, although this may prove costly, stressful and disruptive. Home offices are a popular choice for those who are employed and work flexibly, both in the office and at home. Part-time freelancers often choose to use existing space because the investment of an extension or garden room is not warranted.

Pros:

Using existing space is the cheapest option
You’re incredibly close to family members if they need you
An extension/loft conversion will add value to your property

Cons:

You’re extremely close to family members if they’re disruptive or noisy
Building an extension could involve planning permission
Building works for an extension/loft conversion can be lengthy, disruptive, and costly
It doesn’t have its entrance, so clients and visitors have to come through the main house

Garden office

eDen Hub Curve

A garden office is a self-contained workspace in your garden. There are many different sizes, styles, and providers to choose from, which means there is an ideal option for everyone. You can even get tiny office pods, (like the one pictured above) for those with smaller gardens, so you don’t lose too much of your outdoor space. A garden office is not only a wonderful home working space, but also adds an attractive feature to your property. Garden offices are a popular choice for people who run their own business as it provides a dedicated, professional space to work, hold meetings, and collaborate with others. They are also popular amongst those working in professions requiring a studio-type of environment, such as fitness instructors and artists, as well as people who work regularly with clients such as hairdressers, beauty therapists, counsellors, and consultants.

Pros:

Because it’s self-contained, disruptions from family members are minimised
You’re close enough to family members if they need you
Separates work and home life
No planning permission required
Vast choice of sizes and styles means you can create the ideal workspace
Views of the outdoors
Cost-effective options that can be much cheaper than an extension/loft conversion
Adds value to your property
Provides a professional space to hold meetings/work with clients
Options available that are larger than a box room or extension

Cons:

It’s more expensive than using existing space
Takes up space in your garden
Requires heating, insulation, and electrical hook up (although this is often included)

Conclusion

Whether a home office or garden room will suit you best will depend on your individual circumstances, including your income and living situation, as well as what you do for a living and when and how you want to work from home.

When weighing the pros and cons, the contemporary garden room comes out tops. If you dip your toes in and out of home working, a home office may be enough to meet your needs. If you’re serious about homeworking for the long-term or building a small business, this is the option to go for because it will provide a dedicated, quiet and professional space that is designed to meet your exact needs.

How to Maintain Good Mental Health While Working From Home

Posted on 6th January 202123rd January 2021

With another national lockdown just announced, many of us are back to remote working, that’s if we ever left it to start with. Working from home has become the new ‘norm’. While wfh has many upsides, it does take its toll on our mental health, we are social creatures after all.

Taking care of your mental health is important, especially during the uncertain and worrying times we are living in right now. We’ve put together some tips to help you take care of your mind while working from home.

Maintain a routine

It can be all too easy to slip into a lackadaisical pattern but it won’t help your mood. The majority of us require structure and routine to keep us going. Rolling out of bed to a desk in your pj’s may seem tempting, but it won’t set the right tone.

In order to keep on track and productive you should establish good working routines and habits. You may wish to work in your pj’s, but make sure you get up, follow a good morning routine such as breakfast, coffee, shower, check emails, etc.

Create a routine that works for you, some need to get up and dressed for the day, others can manage in their loungewear, no one’s judging. When it comes to the routine, however, stick to it.

Create a home office

Of course, we don’t all have the means to convert a room into an office or erect a garden room office overnight, but a dedicated working space is vital. It’s all about that crucial work-life balance. You need to be able to have that divide between work and relaxation space. Working from bed won’t keep you productive.

Maintaining a good posture is important, when you slump over, you don’t breathe properly, and in turn, will feel more tired. This will impact productivity and mood. A good ergonomic chair to work from is a worthy investment.

Create your space at a desk or table in a quiet and relatively distraction-free area. Keep it clean and clutter-free. Perhaps add a plant or two for some colour.

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Remove distractions

When working from home, away from the gaze of colleagues you may easily slip into bad habits such as playing games on your phone, browsing websites, or watching TV. All of this will disrupt your routine and leave you rushing to finish tasks when you realise you’re behind.

Keeping to set working times, maintains discipline, and keeps you on track, focused, and above all maintains a healthy mindset.

Stay in touch

Stay in touch with colleagues and friends when you are not working. This past year has been lonely and isolating for many. Make sure you stay in touch through social media, messages, calls, and best of all video calls to maintain some form of socialisation.

Exercise

Sitting still for long periods of the day and not leaving the house is not great for either physical or mental health. Try to go for a daily walk, build it into your routine daily to get some fresh air, and get the blood flowing.

Alternatively, you may prefer to follow a workout video, or maybe you have some fitness equipment, and a well-established workout routine already. Yoga is a great way to unwind and improve mental health also. There are some great yoga videos on YouTube.

Take time for you

Remember to take some time for yourself, don’t work all hours to pass the days away. You need to take time for self-care. This can be in the form of meditation, pampering yourself while you can’t visit salons, barbers, etc, take baths, listen to your favourite music, read, learn new skills.

This time there is hope on the horizon in the form of vaccines, which will hopefully help end this pandemic. We will get through this together.