Looking for Christmas gift ideas for fitness fanatics? We hunt out the best fitness gadgets for 2015.
1. Heart rate monitor watch with GPS
Care factor: We know they say not all who wander are lost, but disorientation can be distracting – not to mention undermining your run with the wrong surfaces and gradients. Find routes to suit your goals and get a clear real-time picture of what your body’s doing to inform goal setting and progress monitoring with Garmin’s Forerunner 15 ($249). It also calculates caloric expenditure, heart rate, distance and pace. The GPS feature lets you map your run and save, plan and share your routes and results via Garmin Connect.
Visit garmin.com
2. Polar Loop fitness band
Care factor: Measurable goals are a mainstay of getting and staying motivated and pushing for a PB. The Polar Loop ($159) looks minimalist but there’s an awful lot of nifty stuff inside – and that’s before you sync it with the phone app and Polar Flow online exercise diary. On its own it tracks steps and calorie expenditure but if you’re prepping for a fun run, we recommend pairing it with Polar’s H7 heart rate sensor ($99).
Visit polaraustralia.com.au
3. Sport headphones
Care factor: Pairing your workout with a motivational play list can help increase motivation and fend off fatigue during high intensity exercise according to research by sports psychologist Dr Costas Karageorghis.
Moreover, scientists singled out urban and rap music as perfect matches for running and jogging as the beat promotes momentum while the lyrics gee you up. Avert the performance-impeding effects of fally-outy headphones with specialised sport plugs like Yurbuds Inspire Pro For Women $89.99, yurbuds.com.au
4. Magazine subscription
Care factor: A magazine subscription can help you stay motivated throughout the year. Now you can enjoy Women’s Health & Fitness delivered direct to your door each month! You can also download it from iTunes, Google Play, Zinio and Amazon (for Kindle Fire).
5. Nike Women’s Zoom Fly
Care factor: The Nike women’s running shoes cushioned, flexible and allow for natural pronation, meaning your feet are allowed to roll inward (absorbing shock). A curved shape encourages foot motion. Neutral shoes have the softest midsole and least medial support.
Nike Women’s Zoom Fly $159.95, nike.com.au
6. Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle
Care factor: Combining the thermal properties of an insulated vacuum bottle with the lightweight, flexible features of a plastic bottle, the Polar Bottle is the ideal choice for active people in summer! Simply fill with liquid and ice and hit the trail.
7. Fitbit Zip!
Care factor: The Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker tracks your steps, distance and calories burned and automatically syncs your stats to your Fitbit account, either online or via selected smartphones. Need help staying motivated? Set goals, log your meals online with Fitbit to earn badges, graph your progress and compete with friends.
Buy online from Harvey Norman, $77
8. Wii Fit
Care factor: Discover fun, new ways to get up and get moving as the Wii Fit series comes to the Wii U home console. The game features favorite exercises from Wii Fit Plus as well as new exercises that incorporate the Wii U GamePad controller in select activities. The game also comes packaged with a small peripheral device called the Fit Meter, which is designed to track your daily activity.
Wii Fit, $99, from Kogan.
9. Kettlebells
Want to shed fat? Nothing beats a kettlebell workout! We love these pink weights from NC Fitness, $32.
