Not everyone has the luxury to pay for expensive fitness programs or to buy exercise equipment. This is why some people take their weightloss journey into their own hands. They build their own workout regimen and commit on a diet plan. But did you know that your own home design can bolster your fitness journey?
With the help of health research and some interior design tricks, these are nine home design tips that guarantee to burn calories, prevent snacking, and boost metabolism:
1. Expose the healthier food options
Don’t hide the whole grains and legumes in your pantry or cupboard. Make sure that you always see it! Store them in identical glass jars and display on open shelves or cabinets. Keep the jars within your reach.
If you’re accustomed with the grab and go routine, avoid storing fresh fruits in high or elevated baskets. Put your fruits in a bowl or rack above the counters or in stylish low-hanging bins. Make sure that your fruit bowl sits near the entrance and exit to your kitchen.
To efficiently execute the previous home design tip, you need to take away all the junk food from plain sight. Store the processed food in hard to reach areas such as the topmost kitchen cabinet or the highest shelf in the pantry.
According to the book Slim by Design, station the pantry in a different room so you can inhibit unhealthy snacking. Keep all your canned goods in an extra storage in the basement or in the laundry room. If the junk food is in a place that doesn’t remind you of eating, you won’t indulge in it.
2. Alternate sitting and standing while working
Truth is, you’re always burning calories, whether you’re sitting, standing, exercising, or sleeping. According to this fitness calculator, you’ll burn 200-400 more calories if you stand while working. However, it’s not recommended to stand for a straight eight hours. What you can do is alternate sitting and standing during work hours. Use a height-adjustable desk which can support you in both positions.
3. Don’t put a TV in all rooms
You’ll burn more calories if you walk from one area to another in order to watch television. Put it in it’s rightful place which is the living room (not in the bedroom). Instead of just laying in the couch while watching TV, stretch or do crunches. Just leave a space in your home design that’s wide enough for you.
4. Varying flooring material in rooms
Hardwood floors can best support your body during a workout while carpet floors demand vacuuming. Both flooring materials promote and support movement.
5. Use colour psychology
You can cut your calorie intake by choosing the colours of your interiors. Avoid the colour red because it enhances your appetite. You can use blue, grey, brown, or purple in the living room and dining area because it suppress hunger. In the kitchen, it’s best to use yellow to boost metabolism, and orange or green to promote healthy eating.
6. Display a teapot on top of the table
When you display a teapot on top of the table, it is a reminder to drink tea everyday. Tea is a great substitute to instant coffee with an excessive amount of sugar. Similar to coffee, tea has caffeine can stimulate metabolism while invigorating senses.
7. Simplify the bedroom interiors
The best place to employ the minimalist approach to home design is in the bedroom. In a minimalist bedroom, you have fewer distractions—striking colours, fussy patterns, and unnecessary pieces of furniture and accessories—which helps you relax and sleep better.
8. If you’re a couple, spice up the bedroom
As we all know it, the bedroom is not just for sleeping. It’s also a place where couples can get intimate with each other. Feng shui suggests using red, beige, chocolate, and warm white to spice up the bedroom. Also, enhance the look of the room using dimmers. The dim lights reduce distraction, helping couples focus on each other.
9. Create a meditation corner
Finally, create a space where you can meditate or do yoga. It should be clutter-free, comfortable, bright, and inviting. Meditation gets rid of stress, one of the reasons for gaining weight. Yoga also teaches proper breathing which helps lower blood pressure.
At the end of the day, your home can help you workout and shed some unwanted pounds. The way you set up your TV, arrange your food in the kitchen, and your home office can help you remain fit. This is a proof that with proper design, eating and living healthy can be a mindless activity. Changing your home design to suit the lifestyle you want is more stress-free compared to hardcore and crash diets.
Author bio: Charlene Ara is a design writer for the Gold Coast architects of Superdraft Pty. Ltd. She writes about the benefits of proper design. Lately, she’s covering sustainable building techniques by the Brisbane architects of the same company.
