You’re looking out at the meadow, and you’re sweating up a storm.
The birds are chirping, there are a few goats gavotting nearby, and sunlight and shadows play tag on the fieldstone walls.
The person in question might very well be a local farmer or gardener hard at work, laboring on a mild late-winter day for the growing season soon to start.
But in this case, the subject is a thirty-something entrepreneur and mom of two young daughters who is working out a storm early in the morning in her Lower Heidelberg Township home gym.
Amanda Henn and her husband Nick made the decision to reassign space in what had originally been destined to be a bar area. That change of heart was, in fact, a change for their heart health and their overall well-being: an in-home gym.
“We wanted the room to be used more than once a year when we had a big party,” says Amanda, an owner of The Mint Leaf boutique retail barn in Bern Township. “Now, we each use it at least once a day.”
Taking space
The gym constitutes half of the basement area in the spacious and airy residence the couple built in 2016 on the site of an old chicken farm. Nick’s dad, a homebuilder, acquired the property, subdivided it, and the couple purchased one of the lots.
The couple “share” the basement with the playroom of their daughters Aria, 6, and Atley, 3.
Like many of their generation, Amanda, 32, and Nick, 34, belonged to local gyms. But with marriage, parenthood and the demands of their businesses (Nick is the owner and vice president of Impact Engineering Group, Bern Township), scheduling time for the gym became a challenge for both.
Initially, a convenient solution was the purchase of a Peloton bike four years ago. The bike shared closet space in their bedroom. “I hated it at first but then, after having Atley, I pushed myself and got addicted to it,” Amanda says.
Still, despite the victory of shedding 30 post-delivery pounds, the joy of working out remained elusive.
But, with the decision to create their home gym, all that changed.
The Henns divided their basement space in two. Off the stairs to the left is the girls’ playroom complete with television, small trampoline, some small weights and their very own pint-sized Fisher-Price exercise bike, which can be outfitted with a tablet for games that encourage age-appropriate workouts. Amanda attached a sticker with the Peloton name to make the bike seem more like the adult version. A big soft pink Lovesac (bean-bag type chair) is just right for cuddling and napping when the girls get played out.
Glass doors on a metal barn door slider, which Nick acquired via Amazon, technically separate the spaces. But, in truth, they are rarely closed.
Greeting each day
The gym boasts a large window overlooking a meadow. Perched on the Peloton bike adjacent to it, Amanda can enjoy the first rays of sun and nature awakening.
Amanda wakens early each day – at 5:30am – to get her workout in while the rest of the family sleeps. In an hour, she trains on the bike, the treadmill and the newest addition to the home gym – a Tonal.
Clearly, the gym equipment is a significant monetary outlay for the family. A Peloton bike can be $1,500 or more with a $30 per month training fee. The cost of a Peloton treadmill can reach $4,000 with a $39 per month training fee. And the Tonal personal gym comes in at around $3,000 with a $50 to $60 monthly training fee.
“There’s no question that this is an investment,” says Amanda. “Peloton makes it affordable with a payment plan and zero percent interest for three years.
“But, more importantly, it’s my health that I’m investing in, helping to ensure that I’ll be here for them (her daughters and husband) for a long time. You can’t put a price on that. Your health should be your biggest investment.”
Though Amanda may be by herself while working out, she is not alone. Trainers and classes – live or on demand – are with her every step and move of the way. There are 14 live cycling classes daily and more than 10,000 on-demand instructor-led indoor cycling classes from which to choose. Yoga content has recently been added.
In many cases, her workout partners and trainers have become friends, connecting via a main Facebook page, Instagram or other social media platforms.
A virtual community
“Peloton has created a motivated community,” she says.
“The bike takes out your anger and frustration, and it can increase your happiness,” she says. “You walk away feeling like a different person. The instructors become like family; they are ‘in your house’ every day.”
Indeed, a large wooden frame behind her bike contains photos – sort of a base-ball card-like presentation – of many trainers, all of whom also model Peloton apparel. Amanda favors the apparel and sports it as well.
The Tonal community is smaller, she says, and can be savored in real time via chats with trainers on Instagram.
The Tonal, which is mounted on a barnwood frame designed by Amanda and crafted by Nick, offers a variety of workouts including strength training, weights, resistance training, a bootcamp experience, Pilates, cardio and pre- and post-natal exercises, Amanda says. A bench, part of the equipment, has become a favorite place for the family’s two faithful cats, Piper and Isa, to keep watch on their humans’ performances.
Tonal also tracks workouts; Amanda notes in 65 workouts, she lifted a total of 329,000 pounds.
Trainers at the ready
“There’s always an instructor to make sure you’re doing things properly,” she says. “The community both Peloton and Tonal created might be mostly virtual, but it’s beyond that. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have about it when I meet people. If they have a shirt on with Peloton or Tonal, most times it’s a conversation starter, and that community is brought out from behind the screens. The passion and hard work of the creators of both spread, bringing people together and creating joy! I could talk about them both all day because of how much it has mentally and physically helped me.”
While Amanda works out in the very early morning, Nick likes to leave work in time for a run in the rolling countryside near their home. A serious runner, he did the 2020 pandemic-impacted New York City Marathon virtually on the Peloton treadmill, a birthday gift from Amanda.
Following a bit of an injury, Nick is again building his strength both outdoors and on the treadmill and is planning to participate in a half marathon this month.
“I absolutely love having a home gym, especially one that I helped design and build,” he says. “When going to a gym in the past, there were always too many excuses or reasons to not go that got in the way. However, when it is in your basement and you know that you can knock out a quick 30-minute workout without needing to spend more time to get all your things ready or to have to drive to the gym, it really makes for a more enjoyable and efficient workout. This really came to light for me last winter when I was training for the NYC half marathon. With all the snow that just wouldn’t melt, road and trail running were extremely difficult. That’s where having the home gym with my Peloton Tread really paid off as I was able to train daily and ultimately hit my goal pace and new personal record on my half marathon.”
Exercising taste
The Henns’ home gym sports design elements that motivate both for movement and meditation.
The fieldstone base under the window and along the exterior wall pays homage to the old farmhouse that once stood on the same site. The light gray walls afford a sense of calm.
A number of large crystals – from rock quartz to a large dog-toothed amethyst geode to jade to Caribbean calcite – are placed on the wide windowsill. Interspersed is a large section of petrified wood acquired by Nick as well as an assortment of plants nurtured by Amanda.
“I’m obsessed with plants, especially the orchids and succulents,” she says.
A variety of signs, many sourced from a Mint Leaf vendor, with interesting verbiage are placed throughout the gym, some on the walls, some on a set of inset shelves. Among the sayings: “Oh, My Quad,” “Turn Your Pain into Power,” “Inhale/Exhale,” “Your Only Limit is Your Mind,” and “This Isn’t a Dress Rehearsal” serve to effectively push Amanda and Nick.
On the hardwood floors are two yoga mats now used with frequency. A small stand contains a variety of the couple’s sneakers. Above that is a calendar to keep everyone organized.
The proximity of the gym to the girls’ playroom is not only practical; Amanda believes it is also inspirational.
“They’re both starting to pick up on the health aspect (of working out),” she says. “It’s important to model that behavior. We’re a pretty active family.”
Amanda echoes Nick’s thoughts regarding an in-home gym versus a gym membership.
“To me, it’s easier to walk down the steps and just start working out,” she says. “I don’t have to drive, find a parking space and fight over gym equipment. In the long run, our monthly (training) costs average a bit over $100 for both of us – competitive with gym costs.”
Adhering to a schedule and, whenever possible, having a dedicated space like the Henns do are critical components for success. Amanda notes that even on days when she might not want to work out, she feels immeasurably better after she does.
“This is one of my favorite places to be; this is my zone,” she says. “I just want to add for advice and something I live by…if you don’t show up for yourself and give yourself 100 percent, you can’t give your loved ones 100 percent because it all starts with how you treat yourself. You need to be at your best to give your best. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s actually quite the opposite and needed to thrive.”
