5 fitness-related gifts for at-home workouts
There’s almost never a good way to present a loved one with fitness equipment. Nothing says “Happy holidays” quite like suggesting that your special someone could lose some weight. Most years, you’d have better luck wrapping up a box filled with murder hornets.
As you’ve probably surmised, though, 2020 is no ordinary year. Many of us are still wary of returning to gyms and fitness centers — assuming they are even open where your recipient lives.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some fitness-related gifts designed for at-home use that you might get away with giving this year (but it’s still probably best to ask for permission first).
Take it to the mat
An Innovation Award honoree at CES 2020, YogiFi is an interactive yoga mat, powered by artificial intelligence, that uses embedded sensors to track progress and correct your posture as you practice along with the system’s step-by-step instructions. $399, yogifi.fit/shop
Looking good
Bala Bangles, those stylish wrist and ankle weights you’ve seen all over Instagram, work even when you aren’t working out. The one-pound weights add resistance whether you’re running laps or running errands. Bala Bangles are made from recycled stainless steel wrapped in silicone and come in colors and patterns that will accessorize most any outfit.
$49 for a set of two, shopbala.com
Something old, something new
Jumping rope is an effective, time-tested workout, but it’s a little on the dull side. And counting your reps? Yuck.
SmartRope puts a new spin on exercise as 23 LEDs, embedded in the rope, display your jump count in mid-air. Future software upgrades will allow more data, including calories burned, to seemingly hover in space. Pair it with the Smart Gym app to provide additional relevant fitness data. $79.95, store.tangramfactory.com
Under pressure
Unlock more than 100 isometric workouts, personalized to your strength level and abilities, with the Activ5. Through its accompanying mobile app, the little gizmo tracks the varying poses, positions and pressure you apply to it to target different muscle groups in five-minute bursts. You can even use Activ5 to play games to take your mind off the fact that you’re exercising. $109.90, activbody.com
Feeling the Burn
When you can’t go to the gym, Daily Burn brings the gym to you. The streaming service offers more than 2,000 curated videos and audio-based classes across a range of disciplines, including total-body workouts, strength training, kickboxing, barre and meditation. All of them can be accessed via iOS, Android, AppleTV, Roku, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire. $19.95 a month, dailyburn.com
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.