The new year is a good time for doing two things: setting intentions for the new year and shopping. Right now sales are aplenty and if you’re looking for a way to treat your loved ones (or yourself for that matter), how about helping them towards a healthier, more well-balanced life? Sure, the saying is correct that money can’t outright buy you health… but it can certainly help snag a few items that will keep you on a path to longevity.
Below, we have a list of great gear for anyone looking to level up their everyday wellness — both mental and physical. As always, everything you see featured has been road-tested by the crew here at Uproxx and given our stamp of approval. Enjoy!
SMRTFT NÜOBELL ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS | 50 LBS
Price: $595
The Company Line:
The SMRTFT adjustable dumbbells are the most innovative offerings of their kind on the market. They feature the convenience of all-in-one adjustable pieces that can range between 5-50 pounds depending on the setting. They have superior durability thanks to their machined steel-weight plates. Complete with a knurled handle and pancake-style disks, they feel like a heavy-duty barbell that you would find at most commercial weightlifting gyms.
Why You Need It:
Dumbbells of an adjustable nature became quite the commodity over the last few years as everyone started to build their home gyms. Not only are they space savers for people who don’t want to make room for a whole dumbbell rack, but they are also cost-efficient, given the fewer materials needed. These are great options, well-made, and sleek-looking for those who want a sharper aesthetic in the workspace.
Since you may be stuck in the house due to the frigid temperatures, this brings the gym to you.
GARMIN HRM-DUAL HEART RATE MONITOR
Price: $70
The Company Line:
This premium heart rate strap transmits real-time heart rate data over ANT+ connectivity and Bluetooth technology, giving you more options to train indoors, outdoors, or even online. With it, you’ll be able to consistently receive accurate heart rate on your Garmin device, in online training apps such as Strava, or even the compatible fitness equipment in your favorite class at the gym. So however you like to train, you’ll get the accurate, real-time heart rate you need to take your performance to the next level.
Why You Need It:
Back in the day, G.I. Joe said, “Knowing is half the battle.” That could also apply to personal health information, which for many years was available only to doctors and their offices. Now, in this ever-growing world of fitness tech, that information has become democratized. One of the most helpful pieces of data is your heart rate when performing different activities. Garmin has become an industry leader in these kinds of products, and this piece is a comfortable option for anyone.
SKLZ GRIP STRENGTH TRAINER
Price: $15
The Company Line:
SKLZ Grip Strength Trainer is adjustable from 20 pounds to 90 pounds of resistance, helping to increase finger, hand, wrist, and forearm strength. The tool also makes a great tool for rehabilitation, circulation, and stress relief. The curved design and anti-slip handle provide a secure grip, making it comfortable during workouts. The compact size and shape make it easy to take and use anywhere at home or on the road.
Why You Need It:
The majority of upper body training all begins with the hands, and the ability to hold weight. Grip strength is seriously undertrained in most workouts, and few know how to train it in an effective manner. For anyone trying to do their first pull-up or perhaps hoping to audition for American Ninja Warrior, here is one way to start the journey. Not only that, but it’s easy to keep at the desk or have in the travel bag so you can get strong while you kill time. It’s also a great way to deal with tension or stress during a busy work day.
NORMATEC 3 LEGS
Price: $699
The Company Line:
Putting on Normatec is like sitting down for the best leg massage of your life. Developed by doctors, they are proven to help with lymphatic drainage and decrease the pain or soreness from a long day in the gym or outside of it. Normatec’s compression therapy increases circulation and helps you maintain your full range of motion, leaving your fresh and limber. The Normatec 3 is the latest evolution of their iconic series, which has become well-known amongst experts and professional athletes.
Why You Need It:
Getting regular massages is out of the realm of possibility for many of us, because of the time and money required. The beauty of these boots is that after a long day you can strap them on for a full hour of recovery while you watch your favorite show or eat dinner, without any further effort on your part. Few realize how much punishment their legs can go through throughout the day, and relief from these boots will become a welcome ritual.
EQUINOX+ SOULCYCLE AT-HOME BIKE
Price: $1500
The Company Line:
Designed for tap-backs, push-ups, sprints, and climbs, our bike delivers the ultimate SoulCycle ride (and looks damn good doing it). The SoulCycle at-home bike is powered by Equinox+, which requires a 12-month membership to access all on-demand SoulCycle classes on your bike. Get ready to stream classes from other brands in addition to SoulCycle, including Equinox, Pure Yoga, Precision Run, Rumble, TB12 and HeadStrong—wherever, whenever.
Why You Need It:
No question one of the best looking pieces of gear on the market, this bike looks good at home in the garage or in the living room. For those who aren’t able to make it to a fitness facility, this piece of equipment does a great job at trying to replicate the energy of a live class with excellent programming and speakers designed specifically to bring the hype or instruction. Signing up to Equinox+ for the bike has the added benefit of additional non-bike workouts if you want to mix up the training between rides.
SYMBODI VERTIBALL
Price: $50
The Company Line:
The future of massage is wall-mounted. Meet the Vertiball from Symbodi. In a world of high-priced recovery devices that scream innovation, this is a simple, practical, useful device for the rest of us with a reasonable price point. The item is extremely portable and mounts to any available smooth surface. Tense muscles are unpredictable, so you should be able to alleviate the pain anytime and anywhere. Simply lean on Vertiball or Vertiroller with your body weight to easily relieve muscle knots and tension. You control how much pressure to apply.
Why You Need It:
People in the health and wellness world are familiar with the practice of using lacrosse balls to massage specific areas of tension in your muscles. The team at Symbodi has leveled up that practice by creating a unique instrument that allows the user to target spots that are troubling them with their own body weight. The ability to mount it and access your back or any other area that is usually out of reach is a game changer. There are a number of world-class athletes who use the piece to both activate and soothe muscle groups.
BLUEPRINT BY ROSS EDGLEY
Price: $20
The Company Line:
Ross Edgley has spent decades perfecting the principles and practice of extreme fitness to achieve the impossible. Following a career-threatening injury in 2018, Ross was forced to reassess his training and take the next steps in a lifelong journey of redefining what the human body is capable of. In Blueprint, Ross shares the cutting-edge training program that empowered him to rebuild his body from surgery and a doctor’s gloomy prognosis in just 365 days to complete a world record swim. The book applies the exact same principles that enabled Ross to complete extreme feats such as the World’s Longest Sea Swim, World’s Longest Rope Climb, World’s Heaviest Triathlon, and World’s Strongest Marathon.
Featuring almost 30 tailored workouts for different phases of training, packed with digestible sports science to help you optimize your workouts, and interspersed with Ross’ own daring adventures across the world, Blueprint is the ultimate guide to optimizing your time and training to make the impossible possible.
Why You Need It:
Far too much time and energy are already spent online. Those looking for the latest and greatest insights could spend days on the Internet without finding the information that this book possesses. Not only that, but it is a great way to exercise your mind and put less strain on your eyes from the screen. For a coach, there isn’t much better out there than Ross Edgley, who has accomplished nearly-impossible physical feats over and over again.
CENTURY MARTIAL ARTS BOB
Price: $370
The Company Line:
BOB, aka the Body Opponent Bag, was the first-ever mannequin training bag for martial arts. So, what is it that makes a Body Opponent bag so special? BOB gives you a realistic human torso shape for a striking surface. Since you are training to fight against a human (presumably) this shape allows you to train with a higher level of accuracy than a regular heavy bag or punching bag.
Can you imagine always having a training partner readily available? Someone who won’t flinch away from the toughest punches and kicks? That’s what it’s like to have BOB in your home or gym.
Why You Need It:
Thanks to fight promoters like UFC, One Championship, DAZN, and others, combat sports have become one of the more popular watches in the world. Because of that interest, more people are training mixed martial arts and boxing than ever. BOB is one of the most iconic pieces of gym equipment ever, and one of the reasons is how practical it is. Less permanent than hanging a heavy bag, the BOB can be easily wheeled around anywhere from storage to the garage. On top of being a great piece to workout with, it is priceless for anyone training boxing, muay thai, taekwondo, or any other fighting style.
TRX HOME2 SYSTEM
Price: $173
The Company Line:
The ultimate all-in-one fitness solution for everyone, The Home2 Suspension Trainer is a full gym experience powered by your body weight, from all levels and goals. The unique design is able to recreate every move that you would hope to perform in a gym or studio and powers them through your own body weight.
Adaptable for all fitness levels, the Suspension Trainer meets you where you are, just change the angle to change your resistance level.
The Company Line:
Founded by a former Navy SEAL, the TRX system is as advertised: one of the most complete bodyweight training options available. Great to use at home, or anywhere in the world that travel takes you, it packs easily into the mesh bag it is packaged with. The kinds of movements required to pull off exercises with this equipment force you to focus on control and mobility. These are crucial factors in staying limber for longer and becoming stronger at a greater range of motion.
CORE BY HYPERICE
Price: $160
The Company Line:
Core is for anyone who could use some support in developing a consistent meditation habit. The package includes a trainer and 12 months of content including breath training and soundscapes, updated daily. The Core instrument pulses alongside your meditation sessions, with vibrations guiding you through your breath, or serving as a gentle reminder to help focus your attention. During each meditation, the Core’s ECG biosensors measure your heart and nervous system.
Why You Need It:
Beginning the practice of regular meditation does not come easy to many in this age of attention deficit. Learning how to quiet your mind or focus on one singular thing for any amount of time can seem virtually impossible. That’s why this device can be helpful for those looking to start their journey to some sort of inner peace. For some, there are great instructors around who can help kick off that routine, but for everyone else this piece can help drive concentration to the task at hand, using vibration and sound.
5.11 TACTEC TRAINER WEIGHTED VEST
Price: $90
The Company Line:
Unleash your inner savage with the TacTec Trainer Weight Vest that we designed specifically for training. Constructed from tough 600D polyester, our TacTec Trainer Weight Vest holds 5.11 and Rogue weight plates and the 5.11 TacTec Weight Plate Sandbag. Adjustable yoke shoulder straps with breathable mesh padding and breathable mesh body pads help you push your limits and keep you cool. The adjustable stretch cummerbund keeps the weight vest secure, while the pockets allow you to stash and access accessories. Internal retention straps hold the weight plates securely in place.
Why You Need It:
This piece of gear is perfect for anyone looking to take their bodyweight training to the next level. The real deal, the unit is useable as a modular combat vest for law enforcement and first responders in the field of duty, in addition to the fitness applications highlighted here. The pouches accommodate two plates, with the ability to add up to 40 pounds of additional weight. The fit is superior to other vests on the market in terms of comfortability and the oversized airflow panels make it very breathable, which is a saving grace during sweaty sessions outdoors.
