Everyone who knows me will tell you that I love my gadgets, and the same rings true when it comes to the fitness category.
The fitness world is always coming out with exciting new technology to help you step your game up and hit your goals, and while there are so many out there on the market, where do you start? I asked my trainer Zach to pull together some of his favorite tech and gadgets in the workout category… take it away, Zach.
As a Personal Trainer, I’m always looking for new ways to give my clients an edge. There’s a lot of great fitness gear out there (and some that’s not so great.) So I wanted to help you narrow down what’s worth investing in. These are all items that anyone (at any fitness level) can benefit from, and a few that are just too good not to include.
Whoop strap
The Whoop might just be the most advanced, well rounded fitness tracker out there. A favorite amongst professional athletes and cross fitters, the whoop tracks more than just your workouts. It uses both your heart rate and HRV (heart rate variability) to give you an inside look at your health and fitness. It gives you a strain score of up to 21 for both your workouts and your day as a whole. It also tracks your sleep and will tell you how long you spend in each sleep cycle. Taking all of that into account, it will also give you a recovery score. As a trainer this kind of data is so helpful for knowing when myself or a client needs to take it easy and when we can really push it!
Hypervolt massager
As we’ve mentioned before, recovery is an important part of your fitness routine. Foam rolling and stretching are great, but it’s hard to beat a good massage. The Hypervolt allows you to massage those sore muscles yourself whenever and wherever is convenient. The different attachments help you pinpoint your problem areas and relieve tension better than any foam roller could. There have been a lot of different handheld massage devices to come out in the last few years, but the Hypervolt is my favorite. It’s ergonomic, easy to use, and it’s the quietest one I’ve seen so far.
Tangram smart rope
Jumping rope is one of my favorite cardio workouts for when I’m at home or traveling and don’t have access to a gym. The Tangram Smart Rope will take your workout and step it up a notch. It connects to your phone via bluetooth to track your workout. The coolest part is the LED lights embedded in the jump rope that display your workout data as you jump. Your rep count and time intervals will display right in front of you, allowing you to keep your rhythm while checking your stats.
Ozmo Smart Bottle
We all know hydration is important, but do you actually know how much water you’re getting every day? The Ozmo Smart Bottle will keep track throughout the day and upload that info to an app to give you a real-time look at your hydration habits. They also make a travel coffee mug that will keep your coffee warm as well as track how much you’re drinking (although you may not want to know).
Skulpt scanner
As a trainer I hear a lot of people talk about losing weight, but the weight on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. Knowing your body fat percentage and muscle quality will give you a much more complete picture of your health. The Skulpt scanner will not only tell you what your body fat percentage is, but where you’re holding onto fat. That way you know exactly what to focus on in your next workout!
the mirror home gym
This one is a BIG splurge, but it was too cool not to include in this list. When turned off, it looks just like a mirror mounted on your wall. Once turned on, you can live stream classes from the comfort of your own home. They have everything from HIIT to boxing to yoga. The instructor will be displayed one the screen, but you’ll also be able to see your own reflection to make sure you’re following along and keeping good form. You can even sync up an Apple watch or heart rate monitor (included with the Mirror) and see real time stats on the screen as you’re working out. For anyone who loves classes but has a busy schedule and struggles to make time, the Mirror might be your solution!