Tech to Keep You Trim: Products to Enhance Health
When it comes to keeping fit, there’s a plethora of technology on the market to aid just about any exercise programme. From calorie counters to muscle-working tights, and a whole host of machines that claim to get you fit quick with minimal exercise or effort. But which do you choose, and which will you actually use? Belle About Town tried out a host of workout wear and gadgets, and these are the items we think you really can’t do without…
Tanita innerScan Dual – Forget your regular bathroom scales, there’s so much more info and data that can be collected by weighing scanners these days, and the Tanita is the ultimate. It scans and analyses 26 different bodily attributes from weight, body fact and muscle mass to metabolic age, body water and BMI. Surprisingly easy to use, we tried out the Tanita for a month and have to admit it’s addictive. The thing is, once you know what your BMI, or other ratings, are, you try to better them. You can see results instantly but be warned – this can be bad news as well as good. So the effects of an over-indulgent weekend will be revealed as soon as you step on the scales on a Monday morning. For that reason, we recommend using like any other gauges and only checking once a week to get a more balanced view of how you are progressing. RRP £395.
FitBit – Everybody knows what a FitBit is by now. From challenges with friends to daily goals, the wearable sports tracker is an unignorable accessory that buzzes you into action every time you try to sit down. If fireworks and cheers are what it takes to get you moving, the FitBit is for you. It tracks your exercise, and through the app can map runs, count calories and monitor sleep, so you’ve got a personal trainer at hand at all times in the form of a wrist watch. Prices start around £55.
Power Plate – The Power Plate brand is the market leader when it comes to vibrating exercise stations. The great thing about Power Plate is that it’s not just a piece of equipment that speeds up muscle toning and fat reduction, it’s actually all you need to create your own home gym. When you buy the product you can also get a plan tailored to your needs, with access to online tutorials and even additional equipment, such as therabands and yoga balls, thrown in. The Healthy Mums programme, designed by post-natal recovery specialist Jenny Burrell, is a 12-week programme designed to tone mums from the inside out. Power plate is £1350 outright but monthly pay plans and buy now pay later options are available too.
ON Cloudswift Running Shoes – Swiss brand On’s new performance running shoes feature the brand’s trademark Helion™ superfoam. The Helion™ foam combines properties other foams can’t, delivering durability and rebound at a previously impossible level. The unique new On Helion™ foam is formed of a special structure fusing stable, hard elements and softer, elastic segments. This enables greater durability without adding weight and more rebound without sacrificing cushioning. Its enduring energy-return properties offer protection from the road and performance for the run.
The all-new Cloudswift is made for urban runners. Newly shaped Cloud elements on the sole collapse diagonally to increase horizontal cushioning, durable rubber reinforcements provide enhanced traction, and you can feel it. In the forefoot, Cloud elements connect at the central channel for a more directional push-off without energy loss. Belle tried them for two weeks and found them light and comfortable, perfect for short to mid-length runs on the street.
Fabletics Sports Bra – Any high impact exercise is impossible without a decent sports bra which is why we’ve tried and tested more than a dozen brands before finally settling upon the Ella High Impact bra from Kate Hudson’s fitness line Fabletics. It’s a struggle to get on but there’s a reason for that – this bra keeps everything in place and allows for extreme impact exercise without pain or discomfort around the boobs. Breathable fabric and moisture-wicking tech mean no sweaty dampness, and it looks pretty good too. Available online at Fabletics.co.uk from £18.
Love Leggings Empower Running Pants – The Love Leggings range uses targeted designs to enhance fitness programmes. Focus is designed for yoga, and Energise are perfect for gym training with their incredibly lightweight fabric, offering full support and compression. Empower are designed for running and fit like a second skin. They feature a small pocket for a key, although they’re not large enough to securely hold a phone so you’ll need an extra belt or armband if you don’t have a running watch to wear. Along with the other collections, this range is quick drying and has sweat-wicking technology to be naturally breathable.
For more gym-based Belles looking to strengthen and tone, we recommend the SIXPAD training tights. Designed to tone and develop muscle, the flexibility of the fabric used for the SIXPAD Training Suit applies moderate resistance to everyday movements, the simple bending and straightening of the leg encountering resistance that effectively trains the muscles. The muscle activity level of the hamstring muscles is increased by about 1.3 times when compared to not wearing the tights. Getting them on in the first place can be a mission as they wrap so snugly around the muscles – it’s a workout in itself! Priced at £135 from SIXPAD.
So to sum up, there’s no such thing as a miracle when it comes to getting in shape, but there’s some really technology that can enhance performance and speed up your journey to fitness. What are your essential accessories when it comes to working out? Comment below or join the conversation on Facebook here.
