There are two groups of people when it comes to exercise. For group 1, a workout involving technology means stretching out the arm all the way to retrieve the remote that smoothly operates the flat-screen HD TV and then slowly reclining all the way back into the couch. For group 2, whom group 1 hates and admires simultaneously, it means hitting the gym or heading outdoors to actually exercise. For these individuals that’s not enough. They want to embrace technology and take their workouts to the next level. They want feedback in real-time to challenge themselves even further and enhance the overall efficacy of their workout. The demand for fitness gadgets and gizmos is thriving, so, clearly, people are leaving their couches. Here are some uber-cool workout gadgets for… well, the uber-cool of course.
Nokia Body Cardio
Before heading off to the gym, tennis court, bike trail, or whatever sport takes your fancy, you’re probably likely to weigh yourself. Then you’ll rush home after doing said sport and weigh yourself again to see if your efforts show immediate results (there must be some rewards to running on a treadmill for an hour staring at a brick wall or straining your neck up to watch a TV dangling from a ceiling). But we’re no longer talking about weighing yourself on the good old bathroom scale.
No, today everything is connected and very, very smart — your TV, your phone, and, now, your scale. Nokia’s Body Cardio smart Wi-Fi scale doesn’t just measure your weight but takes into account your body composition in its entirety – weight, water retention, muscle mass, BMI, and heart rate. It can then use this data to help you set programs and targeted goals through the Health Mate app. Now, you don’t just head off to work out and hope for the best but go with a proper plan of action.
Fitbit Versa™
Everyone has been talking about fitness trackers for a while now. It’s just that every time the playing field seems to level out another device pops up with more and more in the offering. The Fitbit Versa™ health and fitness smartwatch doesn’t only count your steps but features personalized on-screen workouts (yes, you do have to watch your wrist), 15+ exercise modes, female health-tracking, 24/7 heart rate tracking, phone-free music, apps, coaching, sleep tracking, and more. Best yet it has over 4 days of battery life so you won’t have to wait for your watch to charge as you stand jogging on the spot.
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Virtual reality gym
It was only a matter of time before virtual reality morphed from iPhone games, skydiving, and movies, into the world of exercise. In 2016, Ryan DeLuca — who at 21 created Bodybuilding.com (now one of the net’s most-trafficked fitness and health websites) — founded Black Box VR. This device offers the first-ever experience of a virtual reality gym. According to the website, you’ll enter a boutique Black Box VR gym and engross yourself in an entirely new way to get healthy and fit. So much so, you’ll never again want to step into an old-fashioned gym. Soon you’ll be wearing a sleek VR headset, doing a full 30min body workout in augmented reality, and competing against other “players.” The company says it will be opening its flagship Black Box gyms in Manhattan and Beverly Hills and then expand from there.
Tangram Factory Smart Rope PURE Jump Rope
If you can say these three times fast you get a medal from Apple. Seriously though, this gadget is pretty impressive. Apple has taken the good old skipping rope (which is still a killer exercise routine and not just for Rocky) and given it a severe upgrade. It looks like a standard weighted rope, but actually boasts magnetic sensors that count your jumps with precision, and when combined with the Smart Gym app on your Apple Watch, iPhone, or iPad, it helps monitor how many calories you’ve burned and your workout times. The app also offers recommendations for other training options you can do between jumping to keep things exciting. If competition drives you, use the app to unlock rewards or challenge your friends.
Bose SoundSport Free wireless headphones
What list of workout enhancing gadgets would be complete without the newest and coolest headphones? Today hearing great music whilst exercising is not enough. Headphones need to be wireless – remember the days when we’d get entangled with our earbuds and earphones whilst doing squat thrusts? Not cool and not efficient. With Bose’ headphones don’t think a weighty headset either – these are buds that fit snugly into your ears. They also come with an easy-to-sync app that will have you slinging out your exercise go-to tunes and moving about more easily than ever before (or jumping with your Tangram Factory Smart Rope PURE Jump Rope). Better yet, you don’t have to change songs using your phone: you can do it on the actual earpiece, which, of course, comes with a nifty little portable charging dock.
Food for thought!
There is so much incredible workout tech out there that adding zeal to your daily exercise routine has never been more exciting. More exciting than stretching for the remote you ask?
