Homeowners are pumped to create a space in which they stay in and work out. If you're warming up to having a workout space at home, you're not alone. Retail sales of exercise equipment in America topped $7 billion in 2018, according to the Sporting Goods Market report released by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

While those retail dollars are enough to get hearts racing, impulsively buying expensive equipment for a home gym doesn't guarantee fitness -- either physically or financially. Los Angeles-based certified instructor Cassey Ho is a fitness phenom with more than 4.6 million worldwide subscribers to her workouts posted on her YouTube channel, Blogilates.

Ho says the first step to creating a personalized workout space is to make a commitment to working out and making it a priority. "My philosophy toward fitness is that it shouldn't feel like a chore," she says. "Fitness is a part of life that should bring you joy."

Specializing in equipment-free Pilates interval training, Ho says a healthy workout environment first starts with the individual. Ho's fitness philosophy is to keep it simple in her home workout studio, which features a large-screen television in a spacious room decorated with live plants. "Creating an inviting, open place in which you have space to move around is important if you want to have a workout center inside your home," she says. "Plenty of floor space for a yoga mat and access to a screen with internet service is all you need to work out with me."

Being dedicated to an exercise plan means dedicating space in your home to exercise, whether you're converting a first-floor playroom or creating a space in the basement, says Bryan Sebring, owner of Sebring Design Build in Naperville, Illinois. For 20 years, Sebring has designed hundreds of home gyms for clients through his home construction and design business.

"When designing a space for a home gym, it should ideally be located away from areas where people sleep," Sebring says. "We will often add soundproofing to a home gym's walls, so those using the exercise equipment won't disrupt others in the home."

The workout space should be highly personal and created to accommodate specific exercise equipment or a fitness routine. "No two home gyms are exactly alike," Sebring says. "Before you move anything into the room, you need to create a floorplan to know exactly where each piece of equipment goes."

Motorized treadmills are the most popular piece of exercise equipment, with sales of $3.7 billion in 2018, according to Nick Rigitano, NSGA research and information manager. Retail sales in stationary exercise bicycles, yoga mats and free weights/weight sets also increased from the previous year.

Sebring says a workout space should feel open and bright, with natural light and high ceilings when possible. "The home gym should be a place that is inviting and a space that motivates you to spend time in it," he says. "When designing your home gym, you should not only look at what machines go on the floor, but take into account vertical measurements, to ensure there's enough head space for a taller person using the exercise equipment."

-- Design From Ground Up

The type of flooring sets the stage for a good workout. A home gym requires a durable surface that can withstand repetitive wear and tear from exercise equipment, but is forgiving enough to cushion a floor routine.

"You want a flooring that is hygienic and easy to clean," Sebring says. "A rubber flooring or mats can ensure the floor is also nonslip."

Luxury vinyl tiles are also an option, with a thick, textured wear-layer that simulates hand-scraped woods or a weathered stone floor. These tiles can be installed in below-grade spaces and can have the appearance of a hard floor, but are soft with a cushion underneath.

-- Support System

A home gym's lighting, air quality and climate control all play supporting roles in a successful workout. When planning the space, make sure there are targets for technology usage, including electrical outlets for exercise equipment, Wi-Fi-connected television/computer and sound system.

"Many people are doing workouts that involve being connected to the internet," Sebring says. "That means your home gym should be both high-tech and high-touch."

Large mirrors can ensure a person's form is correct and also create a feeling of light in the space. Windows provide the best form of illumination -- natural light -- and can also open to fresh air outside.

-- Equipped for Exercise

While the treadmill is the most popular piece of exercise equipment, other contenders include the stationary bike, elliptical cross-trainer and multipurpose equipment, which can include bands for resistance or weights for strength training.

Today's exercise equipment can be programmed to calculate pulse rates and the number of calories burned as you step, pedal or stride. Staying connected through the internet is essential as those working out live-stream classes and fitness routines.

Most exercise machines will allow you to modify the weights and difficulty, but choose equipment that isn't too complicated to alter. Before buying, make sure you understand the equipment's setup, guarantees and maintenance requirements.

-- A Healthy Lifestyle

Sebring says a home gym and spa-like bathroom go hand-in-glove and are often adjacent to each other. "After a good workout, you want to cool off and pamper yourself a bit," he says. "The person who invests in a home gym is often self-motivated and leads a busy lifestyle."

Fitness Business

Subscribe to Cassey Ho's YouTube channel, Blogilates, or go to Blogilates.com.

Contact SebringDesignBuild.com or call 630-369-6829.

The great outdoors is the next frontier for cooking, which includes everything and the kitchen sink. More homeowners are building kitchens outside that have the amenities of the kitchen inside their house.

Outdoor cooking spaces are topping the list of kitchen trends for the second year in a row, according to 2019 Home Design Trends Survey results conducted by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

"People are tending more toward outdoor living," says Russ Faulk, chief designer and head of product at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. "Firing up a grill and cooking outside feeds a human primal urge." Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is a high-end outdoor kitchen designer and manufacturer based in Michigan.

Outdoor or alfresco kitchens have evolved into permanent structures built to emulate the indoor kitchen, Faulk says. "People are investing money into their house, and an outdoor kitchen can improve a home's value and make it more desirable," he says. "Also, with the trend toward emulating restaurant or artisan cooking, having an outdoor kitchen with a grill is like having dinner and a show from the comfort of your backyard."

According to 2019 research conducted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), a majority of outdoor kitchens:

-- Cost at least $13,000, with 25% of homeowners considering very high-end kitchens of $30,000 or more.

-- Have an average size footprint of 100 to 400 square feet, including a sitting area in the meal preparation space.

-- Are directly linked to the home, often sharing an exterior wall, which allows for an easy transition between indoor and outdoor kitchens.

"Cooking in the backyard has come a long way from the post grill on the patio," Faulk says. "Now, an outdoor kitchen has key components that include not only a grill, but also refrigerator, sink, cabinets, food-prep surface and task lighting."

While dreaming of an outdoor kitchen, it's important to create a complete patio picture, which entails laying a solid foundation. Before pouring concrete or laying flagstone flooring, make sure you're working with competent contractors who have experience installing patios. After an outdoor kitchen design is drawn, the site needs to be prepared so that the patio slopes away from the house and drains properly.

A patio should be built with outside-rated bricks, tiles and pavers because these materials have less than a 3% water absorption rate, which means they won't crumble during numerous freeze-thaw cycles in colder climates. In addition to using outside-rated materials, it's important to use waterproofing membranes, especially if materials are bonded to concrete. Fixed overhead structures or pergolas are also popular and give a sense of an outdoor room by creating atmosphere, privacy and protection from the outdoor elements.

Any appliances, countertops or cabinetry in an outdoor kitchen must also stand up to both steaming and/or freezing temperatures. "When designing an outdoor kitchen, the first things people consider are what kinds of grilling implements they want installed," Faulk says. "But just as important is having an adequate sink and countertop space to handle a hot and heavy rack of smoked ribs coming off the fire."

Faulk says a galley kitchen setup is the most efficient use of cooking space outdoors. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet fabricates cabinetry and appliances from stainless steel, which is a material that is smooth, durable and resistant to the elements; however, stainless steel scratches easily and conducts heat, which makes it impractical as a countertop. Custom-made cabinet countertop options can include outside-rated granite, soapstone or porcelain tiles.

While today's custom-made outdoor kitchen has cabinetry that can house a sink, refrigerator and countertop space, the outdoor kitchen can only get cooking when one brings the heat. "Before you invest in a certain type of grill, know whether you will use the outdoor kitchen for traditional grilling or smoking. Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet offers a hybrid grill that can use gas, charcoal and aromatic wood," Faulk says. "People can also invest in a pizza oven, an Argentinian-style 'gaucho' grill, or a Japanese-inspired Kamado grill."

Be certain that any appliance installed outdoors is manufactured to be used outside and marked with a UL (Underwriters Laboratory) seal approving it for outdoor use. "Standard indoor appliances are not rated for the kinds of conditions in outdoor kitchens," Faulk says. "Also, outdoor cooking appliances aren't to be used indoors either, since they become so hot and can pose a fire hazard."

For many who entertain, "eating out" simply means walking into their backyard outdoor kitchen. The secret to a successful cookout is to coordinate between the indoor and outdoor kitchen, doing most of the prep work inside and stocking the outdoor kitchen for entertaining, Faulk says. "An outdoor kitchen can feel more authentic and be a less pretentious way of hosting," he says. "Someone drops their plate or spills a drink in the outdoor kitchen? Clean-up is just a hose-down away."

Don't knock wood as a kitchen accoutrement that mixes form and function. When it comes to entertaining both indoors and out, wood boards are no longer on the chopping block.

While a wood surface initially might fall flat in terms of water and stain resistance, it's a product that stands the test of time, says Steve Pless, national sales manager for John Boos and Co., a fabricator of wood countertops and boards since 1887, based in Effingham, Illinois.

"Due to a minimalist trend that highlights stainless steel and dark polished surfaces, wood brings instant warmth to an overall kitchen design," he says. "While wood has never completely fallen out of favor, our company has been experiencing solid and steady growth that's doubled in the last six years."

While hard-rock maple is the most-used wood to fabricate countertops and cutting boards made by John Boos and Co., other woods, including oak, poplar, walnut and cherry, each have their own unique grains and characteristics that are one of a kind. Nicks and scratches are part of a wood surface's patina, says Pless, and natural countertops and cutting boards require ongoing maintenance. Application of food-safe mineral oil provides a nontoxic coating to protect a natural finish.

"A wood countertop can also be factory-treated with a smooth semigloss finish, and can be easily cleaned with mild soap and warm water, which doesn't require regular re-oiling," Pless says. "I don't advise cutting directly on a countertop, no matter what surface it is -- that's what a natural wood cutting board is for -- but you need to embrace the fact that a wood surface is going to take on a character of its own."

Part of a countertop's character comes from one of three ways the wood is fabricated:

-- Edge-grain-style: Cut lumber planks are laid on edge and joined together. They can be cut to make countertops up to 4 inches thick.

-- Plank-style: Wood planks are joined together to form the width of the countertop. Each board can run the entire length of the countertop and shows off the heart of the grain.

-- End-grain-style: Many short (usually 4-inch thick) pieces of wood are stacked side-by-side and joined with cut ends facing up. This produces an extremely tough surface that resembles a checkerboard, and gives a traditional "butcher block" appearance.

John Boos and Co. hard-rock maple countertops start at $75 per linear foot, according to Pless, and are popular on kitchen islands that don't house a sink.

"The experienced weekend do-it-yourselfer can install these countertops over existing cabinetry and easily change the look of the kitchen," he says. "The important thing is to allow for expansion and contraction of wood, since it is a dynamic material and responsive to weather."

Water-repellant finishes and barriers can make wet kitchen applications possible, and while wooden countertops are durable, they are not moisture-resistant and may warp over time if exposed to water on an ongoing basis. No matter the type of wood or finish, allowing liquid to pool on the surface can cause watermarks and expansion that can lead to glue joint failure and warping.

"Wooden countertops are easily cleaned by simply wiping the surface with a slightly damp cloth using anti-bacterial dish soap or a small amount of bleach or vinegar in the water," Pless says. "Follow that up by thoroughly drying the wooden countertop after washing it."

Pless says it is a good habit to use separate cutting boards for different types of food preparation. "For example, use one cutting board for raw meats and fish, and another for cooked or raw foods, such as vegetables and bread," he says. "Of course, clean the cutting board thoroughly after each usage, according to manufacturer's guidelines, and that will help protect against cross-contamination."

For Katy Milton, a designer located in the San Francisco Bay area, wood is good when it comes to entertaining on the go. A custom-made 4-foot-long plank of natural poplar wood is the basis for a cheese board that feeds her guests who are anything but bored.

"Wood is organic and has its own story, and just invites people in," Milton says. "This is the way I love to entertain: There's just something about the informality and beauty of a beautiful wooden board laden with food."

Milton "boards outside the box" of her home, and it is anything but cheesy. She packs her wooden board with an assortment of meats, cheeses, crackers, olives, fruit and nuts, then artfully displays the food for an impromptu picnic or gathering.

"When everyone is done eating, I just wash the natural board and treat it with a food-grade mineral oil," she says. "There's no pretention when you're entertaining using a wooden cutting board. Wood is approachable, and people just innately gather around it."

Wood is Good

Follow Katy Milton and her wooden cheese board adventures on Instagram at katy.milton.

Select RESIDENTIAL options at JohnBoos.com to find an authorized dealer for cutting boards and countertops near you.