Sleek, Modern + Compact Treadmill | SpaceWalker Review

When Hubby and I moved from our suburban townhouse to our rural lakehouse we happily traded interior space for lake frontage, but losing a full height basement and third bedroom has proven to be a little more challenging than we thought.  We miss some things about our old house - including a spot to stash a treadmill, which we actually used quite often.  I had a friend who was a real fitness enthusiast and when we were too busy to connect in person we'd schedule "treadmill dates".



We would each put on our bluetooth earpieces and chat while we walked, neither of us minding that conversation was made more difficult by the whir and buzz of our treadmills.  Before Hubby and I moved to the lakehouse we sold the treadmill because we had no place to put it and we assumed we'd just naturally get fit by spending our time in the great outdoors.  We were right - in the warmer months.  We swim, stand up paddle board, bike, walk, canoe and sail (it's a surprising core workout).  In the winter though, we hunker down and eat indoor s'mores in front of the fireplace.  A wonderful way to embrace hygge, but terrible for our health!

Determined to get active during our hibernating months, Hubby and I started to shop for a small treadmill that we could fit into our office closet - formerly a nook with a filing cabinet and antique trunk:
  

We spent months emptying its contents until we had a beautiful blank slate that we plan to morph into a mini home gym with some additional DIY-ing (like adding some ventilation, an outlet, maybe a shelf for some weights and a small TV?).  But the first step was finding a durable treadmill that is compact enough to fit in there.  Many treadmills on the market need a massive walk-in closet to hide them or,  like our old one, they are too heavy and bulky for me to move on my own.

Eventually I found THE most perfect compact treadmill that's small, sturdy and capable, but it looks so stylish that it doesn't even need to be tucked away.  It's the Spacewalker by BodyCraft.  As my lovely Mom is demonstrating, it is so compact that not only can we store it in the closet, we can use it in there too!

I reached out to BodyCraft and they generously provided one for review (I was not otherwise compensated) - but I would purchase this treadmill in a heartbeat.  Most of the treadmill is a gorgeous creamy white but it does have a glossy colorful side, which comes in black or red.   Let's petition them to manufacture one in turquoise!

It is shipped fully assembled and although it weighs 90lbs, once it's out of the box it is surprisingly easy to move around.  Both my Mom and I can do it alone, thanks to a sleek design that's easy to hold on to - and a pair of sturdy wheels.

Once it's folded up, it's unbelievably compact - there are so many places I could tuck this in my home: beside the tallboy dresser in the bedroom, into our coat closet, or even behind the TV!

You can also flip it onto its side and tuck it behind a sofa or place it at the end of a bed as a bench.

Did I mention that this compact treadmill doubles as a small treadmill desk?  It's the perfect size to rest a laptop.  I have to admit that I will need some more practice to be able to walk and reply to an email, but it's perfect for watching YouTube tutorials or easier work tasks that don't require quite as much brainpower or coordination.

In terms of using it, I love how simple it is to operate.  This treadmill has everything I need: cupcake cup holder, built-in pulse sensors, quick access start/pause button, LED display, and a safety key that immediately turns off the machine.  Even though it's small, it's very sturdy, with a steel reinforced laminated melamine under the deck that can support someone up to 300lbs.  Although the deck is compact in size, even when I am walking at a good clip (you can do up to 4mph), it feels perfectly stable and I never feel like I'm going to run out of room.  I actually like how low it is to the ground because I used to feel a little dizzy on our old treadmill, which felt so high that I was convinced I'd get decapitated if I was running while the ceiling fan was on.  

You can read about all of the treadmill features on the BodyCraft website. 

 

BodyCraft is offering readers $200 off (using the code DANSLELAKEHOUSE) which brings the total to $799, plus free shipping in the US.

Hubby and I are thrilled with this treadmill because it can be a bit of a struggle to find that perfect balance between form and function in a small home.  I'd love a six bedroom home or epic finished basement where I could have a photography studio, a sewing room, a home gym, a proper guestroom, a room for the pups, a chest freezer...  But I don't.  I have a perfectly lovely two bedroom house with a weird little fish room, a bunkie I only use in the summer, and a basement that's five feet tall with no visible stairs leading to it (what a mystery).

Products like this help me feel so much more content with the space I have.  Who needs a massive home gym when I have a compact treadmill that looks sharp, functions beautifully, and helps me make the most of the space I have?   



Stay tuned for the rest of this closet turned home gym transformation...

A huge thanks to BodyCraft for sending me the compact SpaceWalker treadmill.

P.S. Thanks also to my beautiful Mom, for being my model.  Her striking leggings and teal (!) top are designed by a local designer who has her own factory in Katmandu, Nepal, with two retail locations (Elfarrow Apparel): one in my hometown and another on Salt Spring Island, BC.   

Closet Make-under PLUS Hiding a Treadmill

Remember when I gleefully revealed that I lost 10 lbs. in Hungary last August?  Some of the sneaky buggers found me.  They were especially adept at finding me over the holidays.

I FEEL the difference - my "comfy" pants now hurt me because they are so tight.

That's why recent blog photos of me have been kind of stealthily shot.  Exhibit A (a different version was used in this post & this post):

It might not seem like a huge change, but I feel it.  And someone else might feel it too if a button rockets from my too-tight pants and knocks out an eye.

Solution?  Like many others, I decided to get my fitness on.  I have a really bad track record when it comes to fitness plans, including unused gym memberships - plural, I didn't learn the first time - and dust-collecting fitness equipment.  But I love to walk so when Canadian Tire had a good quality, foldable treadmill on sale for $549.99 (more than 65% off) I decided to spring for it. 

But where to put this beastly treadmill? 

Not the main floor (too "in your face") and not the basement (too gloomy).  I chose the guest bedroom, a sunny and convenient space.  If I have to walk by this baby every day, I figure I'll be motivated to use it.  But I don't ordinarily spend a lot of time in there so it doesn't feel like it's totally cramping my style.  I'm actually excited to use this room which was exclusively set up for guests to sleep and read.  Now I get to actually make use of the space myself (and Hubby's been walking, too).

But where to put this beastly treadmill when we have guests?

The new treadmill folds up and just fits into the mini walk-in closet (the dimensions of the treadmill are: 44" x 35" x 61").  But we had to switch around the closet fittings first.  I lost some closet space so the weekend was spent condensing, sorting, tidying and saying good-bye to things we store but never need/want/look at (I posted some ads on kijiji over the weekend but also donated many items).  The closet needed a good tidy anyway:

So shameful.

After we emptied the contents into the room (which was exceptionally awkward because I hadn't unpacked yet), we moved the closet shelving from the side to the back:

(We plan to switch the closet back when we go to sell the house, so ignore the holes and lack of trim)

We added a shortened bar and shelf for the teeniest bit of hanging storage, moved the ironing board holster to a different wall and got our "go-bags" off the floor by hanging two very high, sturdy hooks.  Additional hooks tucked to the right of the shoe rack added purse storage.

With shelf (to left of shelving unit) added:

How I made the most of the space to accommodate the treadmill:

• I de-cluttered, selling and donating what we have moved from home to home only to store
• I sorted & condensed what I kept, labeling boxes and bins so I know what's where
• I made use of vertical space, prioritizing shelving over hanging space & adding lots of hooks
• I hung the ironing board & iron (something I did before, too)
• I made use of nooks I hadn't thought to use before (like to the right of the shoes - perfect for more purses!)

And now the treadmill can fit into the closet.  It's not something we could do every day (it's mildly dangerous) but here's Hubby valiantly putting the treadmill into the closet to demonstrate.  It needs to be tilted to rock onto it's wheels and then awkwardly rolled into place, with Hubby balancing the weight.  It's especially hard to set it down because it wants to just thunk down (on our DIY hardwood floors - yikes).  But, it's doable.  They sure do gloss over this bit in the video for this treadmill though.

Check out the magic show: 

Best part:

And no guest will know it's in there, unless they go snooping.

It sure is a beast, though.  It weighs 200 lbs. and I thought we were going to die bringing it up the stairs.  How many calories did I burn hauling it up the stairs with Hubby, I wonder?

Do you have any fitness plans for 2012?  What are your tricks for getting your fitness plan to fit your life and your home?

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