The best in-home workout equipment if you aren’t ready to brave the gym
Adding smart tech to those pieces of equipment completes the loop, making your exercise equipment able to adapt to your progress, track your performance, and give you feedback in real-time. Whether you just want to lift weights, work out your frustrations on the bag, or cycle as your life depended on it, we’ve got you covered with the best in in-home fitness tech.
Prefer to work your abs while sitting watching TV? The PowerDot is a tiny, portable, battery-powered muscle stimulator that can reduce your recovery times, increase your performance, and relieve pain. The app shows you exactly where to stick the pads, the cables are magnetically attached to those, and you’re away vibrating like you’re doing mad reps.
It’s easy to use, has loads of preset programs for everything from injury prevention to performance and training, and proven TENS tech for pain relief. I’ve got a set that I use whenever my sciatic nerve acts up, and my recovery times have never been shorter.
The $1,495 Mirror is like a high-tech version of the mirror in Snow White. It subtly hangs on the wall when you don’t want to exercise, transforming into a smart display when you do. Firing up a workout shows the instructor in real-size, but you can also see your reflection so you can correct your movements accordingly. It also tracks your metrics, so you’ll be the fairest of them all in no time.
This is a perfect option if you want your gym equipment to erm, not look like gym equipment. Bonus points for not taking up any floor space, except for when you’re exercising in front of it.
Want to work out your frustrations, and get fit at the same time? Maybe FightCamp is the answer to your flabby arms. They send you a free-standing punching bag (but not the sand or water you need to fill it), four foam mats, and punch tracking doohickeys that you slip into your gloves as you pound the bag. You’ll need an iOS device to watch the $39 a month classes though, as there’s no Android app. It does take up quite some space, so make sure your room is big enough to accommodate it.
