If your home is not healthy, you aren’t healthy. After all, even if you work full time, you spend the majority of your time at home. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to enhance your property inside and out to give you more opportunities to engage in a healthy lifestyle. Here are four of these.

Build a home gym.

Building a home gym does not necessarily mean converting your garage into a full-fledged fitness studio. But having a place to work out at home is a huge benefit to your health, particularly if you have young children or live in an area prone to inclement weather.

To set up an in-home workout area, first identify where, exactly, this will be. Ideally, all your equipment will be together, which will help keep you motivated between the different parts of your workout since you won’t have to go from room to room to get there. Pay attention to what you need to exercise your entire body. A full-body workout involves, according to HomeAdvisor, weight training, cardiovascular exercises, core muscle strengthening, and flexibility.

If you’re on a budget, you can start small. A few free weights for strength, a yoga mat for stretching, and a jump rope for cardiovascular can tide you over until you can add larger pieces. When you have more money set aside, look for multi-functional equipment, such as an elliptical that can be used for slow or fast-paced exercises.

Eliminate carpet.

Allergies do not come just from things swirling around the outside air. Pollen, dust, animal dander, and other nasal irritants are inside of your home all the time. And if you have carpet, they are there to stay.

Fortunately, although carpet is typically considered the cheapest floor covering, hardwood, tile, and laminate are also affordable options if you don’t mind waiting for good deals. Plus, each of these is easier to maintain than carpet, and many laminate flooring styles look just as good in a kitchen or bathroom as they do a family room or dining area.

Something to consider, however, is that the prep work for removing carpet may cause a temporary uptick in allergy and sinus irritation. BobVilla.com explains that carpet removal – should you choose to do this on your own – may involve tons of scraping. This is because the carpet pad underneath will either be glued or stapled into the subfloor. If you go this route and DIY carpet removal, do make sure to use a respirator mask and open the windows and doors before thoroughly vacuuming and dusting your entire home.

Create a serenity/reading room.

A serenity room can be anywhere in your home where you can go for quiet time. And one of the best reasons to have a place like this is so that you can have some time to yourself to curl up with a good book. Reading not only takes you to new worlds, but Blinkist Magazine also asserts that it stimulates the brain and may even keep cognitive decline – specifically Alzheimer’s disease – at bay.

Your room does not have to be anything lavish or cost a ton of money to outfit. Ideally, you can use a spare bedroom or home office with a window for access to natural light. Try to use a room on the highest floor of your home so that you are not distracted by foot traffic above. A good reading chair and a cozy blanket are all you need to get comfy in your literary endeavors.

Spruce up your landscape.

Spending time outdoors is crucial to your health, and some types of landscapes are even good for the environment. Like a serenity room for the outside, your landscape should make you feel calm and meditative. You can use a combination of hardscape features, such as brick pavers and statuettes, to create a truly customized garden.

Something else to consider is that you can incorporate edibles into your design to have summertime access to fresh fruits and vegetables. If you live in an area prone to drought, most herbs, sunflowers, and watermelons can tolerate a few days without water while adding to the ambiance of your landscape.

This is only a partial list of ways to improve your home for your health. But they are great ideas that can kickstart a healthy overhaul if you’re looking to improve your wellness without making major lifestyle changes.

Additional Resources

• Tips For Improving The Air Quality At Home by Xavier De Buck
• Should I Have My Indoor Air Tested? by Paul Sian