There is nothing like a fresh new year to give you the motivation to achieve your fitness goals. Whether you have the goal of running a marathon, gaining core strength, or toning up every muscle in your body, the path to success begins with the right exercise equipment and fitness accessories for your activity of choice.
For the Runner
When you’re a runner, the open road is your gym, and running is a great way to meet your fitness goals in the new year. In warmer weather, all you need is a pair of runners and there’s no end to the pathways and trails you can log kilometers on. But this is Canada, and without a home gym to keep you on track, it’s all too easy to give up on your fitness goals when bad weather hits.
Bring home an elliptical
If you’re a runner and you want to make sure you can always fit in your cardio, an elliptical machine will be your go-to every day.
The latest models of elliptical machines are equipped with Bluetooth, have integrated tablet shelves, and in some models, a full-colour Smart HD touchscreen display to track your speed, time, distance, calories. To avoid boredom while working out, you can load your favourite websites to keep you motivated. There’s even built-in workout apps and training programs so you don’t have to wonder what you’ll do for a workout. For example, the Nordic Track elliptical shown here includes the ability to use iFit training programs designed by experts for virtual training.
Add some music to your run
Besides having gym equipment in your home, there’s one must-have any runner will say is vital for every work out. A pair of in-ear headphones are the number one way runners stay motivated, and by constantly changing up your playlist, you’ll always have reason to go that extra mile.
When you want a pair of in-ear headphones that will keep the pace with you, there’s a lot of great choices. In-ear headphones fit comfortably in your ears so you won’t have to worry about them popping in and out when you’re just hitting your stride, and they stream crystal-clear music via Bluetooth or let you take calls. Even better, some models of in-ear headphones offer in-ear heart rate monitors that work with the apps to monitor your heart beat during a workout.
For the lifter
Although cardio is great as a tool to stay healthy and for weight loss, you can’t beat strength training for an overall improvement to your physique. It’s not hard to work out with weights either, especially if you bring home exercise equipment and set up a small home gym.
Lift in your own home gym
You can choose an all-in-one home gym made up of a vertical bench press, a lat pull down, and a roller cushion for leg curls. Some models offer 210 lbs of resistance so you can work your way up to a meeting your fitness goals with a full body workout, and you’ll be able to perform 50 strength exercises.
Add a dose of musical motivation
You can increase your motivation while you’re lifting weights by choosing a playlist that motivates you, and it really helps to listen in with a set of headphones that block out everything but your workout. Choose a pair of wireless, noise-canceling headphones for a great workout companion. They free your arms for lifting and have six hours of battery life so they’re ready to work out when you are.
For the Yogi
When you do yoga every day you tone your body and strengthen your core, but you can also reap the mental benefits of stretching and focusing on your breathing. If you’re anxious or unsettled, yoga can really lower your stress levels and give you that time to center yourself. It’s an easy exercise to get started with too, because all you need is some basic exercise equipment.
Get set up with a yoga kit
Choose a yoga set that has everything you need to comfortably do yoga. You’ll find sets with comfortable, latex-free yoga mats, 2 blocks, and a strap. The foam blocks will give you support as you venture past downward dog, and the strap helps you take your stretching to the next level.
The key to a peaceful mind? Sleep
When you do yoga you know that it helps you ‘turn off’ your mind while working out, but did you know having a sleep machine can help you achieve that same feeling before nod off at night?
There are a lot of different smart home sleep system you can choose. Some are plug and play sleep machines that stream nature sounds or white noise beside your bed, while others you can control via an app and turn them off, on, or have it on schedule.
For the boxer
If you’re a boxer and you’re interested in improving your technique or you’d like to practice in your home gym, all you need is a simple set of boxing equipment.
To give you an all over body workout, you can use your boxing gloves along with a heavy bag or speed bag. You can also skip the extra bags and just use your circuit training videos as your guide to an intense boxing workout.
For the techie
Meeting your fitness goals is easier than ever, and it’s all thanks to the latest fitness tech. If you’re a techie and you’re interested in adding a few great devices to boost your workouts, look no further than fitness trackers and smart watches.
A reliable fitness tracker will keep you on pace during your runs, but they can also do much more. You get real-time tracking of running, cycling, hiking, and exercise like yoga, plus many models have heart rate monitors to keep you in the zone. There’s also GPS, an altimeter, and real-time coaching and calorie tracking.
A wireless speaker will be your workout buddy
When you want to work out but you don’t want to wear headphones, a wireless speaker could be your favourite device. You can share your playlist in a big, loud way, and because they are compact you can throw it in your bag and take your speaker everywhere.
You won’t even have to pause your workout to take calls because many models will have built-in microphone to let you access Siri or the Google Assistant via the speaker.
Smart scales offer more than just a number
No one really likes to weigh in, but when you have a smart scale you might actually look forward to it. That’s because smart scales take into consideration more than just the number on the scale. They can analyze your weight, body fat, and even water percentage so you know what you are or are not losing.
All of this data is uploaded to an app on your phone so you can track your weight loss.
No matter what your fitness goals this year, Best Buy has you covered with exercise equipment for your home gym. Take a look at everything available on Best Buy right now, and you can hit the gym in a whole new way.
