Looking to get back into exercise? Find your motivation with our pick of the best fitness products…
A harsh fact of life: training mojo is a fickle beast.
Good habits – and fitness gains – can fade fast and it’s easy for serious CBA to set in. Before you know it, you’re in a lull and finding your way back into the groove feels like an impossible task. But it’s not.
If you’re reading this in the middle of a long lay-off, you’re in the right place. You just need a little extra help.
We’ve tried and tested some of the latest fitness tech that will fire up you motivation and help you get back into exercise.
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Men’s Fitness Best Buy:
Prevayl
BUY IT NOW:
From £220 / prevayl.com
Features: 5
Motivation: 4
OVERALL: 4.5
Category: Workout kit | Features: Built-in heart rate monitors; real-time workout insights; ability to set long-term targets
Two things can kill good training intentions in a 170bpm heartbeat: being unsure of how to train to unlock real improvements and working out at the wrong intensity. Combined, these can make every session feel like a rudderless sufferfest.
That’s where Prevayl’s smart apparel comes in, hoping to help you get back into exercise, train smart, stay hungry, motivated and making progress.
This smart workout system has a series of baselayer – or at least well-fitting – performance-style training tops.
Each top has a slot for a tiny, swappable sensor-packed pod that connects to built-in electrodes (a bit like an integrated chest strap).
It then uses heart rate to track your workouts and to power clever features like a Daily Body Check test that uses Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to assess your ‘readiness’ to train, offering up daily training guidance that’s great if you’re planning a sensible comeback.
The sensor tracks 1,000 data points per second – that’s ‘four times more ECG data than any other wearable’, according to Prevayl, with good accuracy by tracking close to the heart.
The baselayers are relatively comfortable, though you might have to go a size down to ensure a reliable connection, and it still feels a little like you’re wearing a chest strap.
The real-time workout insights are solid, with heart training zones and real time load, helping you hit the intensity sweet spot for your goals.
Speaking of goals, you can also set long-term targets for time spent at specific heart rate intensities, which is excellent if your training requires disciplined adherence to balanced training zones.
Men’s Fitness Recommended:
WithU
BUY IT NOW:
£9.99 per month; £79.99 per year / withutraining.com
Features: 4.5
Motivation: 4.5
OVERALL: 4.5
Category: Fitness app | Features: Over 1,000 strength, running, HIIT, weights, and mobility workouts; training plans for running times and distances; easy-to-follow audio and helpful animations
Co-developed by Olympic 400m runner Tim Benjamin, WithU is an audio-based fitness platform with over 1,000 strength, running, HIIT, weights, and mobility workouts.
Each session lasts around 30 minutes, and every class we took featured an engaging and motivating instructor – perfect to help you get back into exercise.
Obviously you can’t listen to your favourite playlist or podcast, but that’s arguably a good thing for those of us who slip into the same old routines, especially when running.
The six-week sub-30, 25 and 20-minute 5k training plans in particular will force you to run faster, while the interval training sessions should reinvigorate anyone guilty of just doing the same run each week.
We also enjoyed not having to find somewhere to prop our phone up to get the most from the HIIT and strength classes, as the audio is impressively easy to follow.
Thankfully though, if you’ve no idea what a ‘Plank Butt Kick’ is – or any of the other exercises – you can check your screen for simple animations.
Apple Watch Series 7
BUY IT NOW:
From £369 / apple.com/uk
Features: 5
Motivation: 4.5
OVERALL: 4.5
Category: Fitness watch | Features: Heart-rate monitoring; blood oxygen & ECG apps; multiple data screens; ability to customise workouts; ‘Race Your Route’ mode to help you beat your PBs; large & crack-resistant screen; swimproof; fall detection and emergency SOS
It’s been too long in coming, but with the watchOS 9 update, runners are in for a treat. Heart rate training is finally available, as is a new power metric.
The digital crown will scroll you through multiple enhanced data screens, and you’ll finally be able to customise your workouts with intervals, HR, pace, cadence and power.
There’s even a Race Your Route mode, designed to help you smash your PB on a favourite route – look out parkrun.
Peloton Guide
BUY IT NOW:
£275 + £12.99 monthly subscription / onepeloton.co.uk
Features: 4
Motivation: 4
OVERALL: 4
Category: Interactive fitness monitor | Features: Smart camera to track your activity and hold you accountable; monitors use of each muscle group; browse workout classes by muscle group; personalised class recommendations
Doubling down on the success of its strength, yoga and pilates classes, Peloton Guide is an ingenious voice-activated smart camera that turns your TV into an interactive fitness monitor.
The camera uses AI tech to track your activity, so there’s no skipping of reps, or unearned breaks allowed. It also tracks how hard you’ve worked each muscle group over time, so you can tell just how much you’ve neglected your legs.
Whoop Wear
BUY IT NOW:
£24-£142 / whoop.com/en-gb
Features: 4
Motivation: 3
OVERALL: 4
Category: Workout kit | Features: 24/7 tracking & training insights; compression tops, leggings, shorts and underwear available | Materials: Poly Lycra and Pima Cotton
The Whoop 4.0 sensor is exceptional, offering 24-7 tracking and invaluable insights into your training and recovery plans, but with the launch of Whoop Body sensor-ready apparel, it just got better.
Each item – choose from compression tops, leggings, shorts and various undies, made from Poly Lycra and Pima Cotton – features a pod for the sensor, which holds it securely to your skin, helping to capture your data while freeing up your wrists.
MyZone MZ-Switch
BUY IT NOW:
£139 / myzone.org
Features: 3
Motivation: 4
OVERALL: 4
Category: Fitness tracker | Features: Bluetooth & ANT+ compatible; can be worn on the chest, wrist or arm; gamifies workouts by awarding points; live workouts stats and heart-rate monitoring
Chest strap monitors are easily the most accurate option, but some people just don’t get on with them.
Thankfully the Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible MyZone MZ-Switch sensor can be worn on the chest, wrist or arm, and still offers reliable data capture wherever the activity.
It’s an impressive solution, and combined with MyZone’s Effort Points system, gamifies your workout efforts, which those of you with a strong competitive streak will love.
Under Armour Flow Velociti Wind 2
BUY IT NOW:
£140 / underarmour.co.uk
Features: 3
Motivation: 3
OVERALL: 3
Category: Shoes | Features: Lightweight with maximum breathability; traditional lace-up to keep the midfoot locked in and secure; responsive one-piece midsole with long-lasting cushioning; durable outsole; sync with the MapMyRun app to track and analyse your runs
UA’s lightest ever running shoe is a great do-it-all daily trainer, and like the first generation, features an embedded Bluetooth chip that tracks your pace, cadence, stride length and distance.
It all syncs seamlessly with MapMyRun and offers real-time and post-run tips to help you on some of those core running form metrics, which can really help if you’re new to fitness data and want to make sense of those stats.
Oura Ring 3
BUY IT NOW:
£299 + £5.99 monthly subscription / ouraring.com
Features: 4
Motivation: 3
OVERALL: 3.5
Category: Fitness tracker | Features: Small and discrete fitness tracking; monitor your heart-rate, SpO2 blood oxygen levels, sleep, temperature and more
The most discrete of fitness trackers, Oura Ring’s latest release is finally capable of tracking your HR as you run, cycle or walk, as well as monitoring your SpO2 blood oxygen levels.
Add in excellent sleep tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, accelerometers, gyroscopes and seven temperature sensors, and you’ve got a powerful tool that can keep a watchful eye on how exercise can impact on your stress levels and body.
Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro
BUY IT NOW:
£379 / hyperice.com
Features: 3
Motivation: 3
OVERALL: 3
Category: Massage gun | Features: Lightweight & versatile; near-silent operation; up to 3 hours of percussive massage; five variable speeds; digital dial and app control
OK, so this is a big investment for anyone taking tentative steps back into regular training, but don’t underestimate the motivational value of simply having muscles that aren’t sore.
The Hypervolt 2 Pro delivers up to three hours of soothing percussive massage to loosen your tight bits and offers five variable speeds, plus a digital dial and app control that makes it easy to move up through the gears.
