Make your cellar a hotspot

MUNICH: Taking plenty of exercise is a great way of reducing stress, staying trim and warding off back, heart and circulatory problems. But some people are discouraged from paying regular visits to their gym by factors such as travel distance, inconvenient opening hours or they just feel uncomfortable exercising in public. Depending on how much space is available in your spare room, a home gym including a sauna might be the answer.

"A prerequisite for having a sauna is a high-voltage electricity supply," says Professor Reiner Pohl of the Bavarian-based trade body Pro Keller, which seeks to promote homeowners' use of their cellars.

It's also a good idea to have a place to relax and cool down in a comfortable atmosphere. That makes having a sauna more fun and will encourage you to use it frequently. Another factor to consider is easy access to the outdoors and fresh air.