“Clear your space”, the Pilates instructor said as I laid down my exercise mat to begin my workout. “Clear your space so you can clear your mind” What she said made sense to me on many levels. Clearing your mind of any extra mental baggage before you begin your workout is always a good idea. It leaves you focused and open to work without limits. But what about your physical workout space? Having a clean, clutter-free workout area is easy to do if you think of necessity. Having the bare essentials is, well, essential when creating an inviting and efficient workout area. You don’t need much and it doesn’t have to take up large amounts of space. A piece of cardio equipment such as a treadmill or elliptical, a mat, and some free weights are bare bones necessities. Don’t want to spend a lot of money on a large piece of cardio equipment? A jump rope or step are inexpensive and take up little room. Add in a stability ball and maybe a mini trampoline for some fun. (more…)