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These top-rated water bottles, activity trackers, headphones, and more will add extra oomph to your workout.
However you choose to get moving, there are loads of fitness accessories at your disposal to help make your workout more effective—and fun. Getting active is important: even ten minutes of exercise each day can help you live longer. A crucial part of the equation is the right fitness gear and tools, whether that’s workout clothes, adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, or something else that matters to you.
Choosing the best fitness accessories for you can maximize your training sessions and ensure a successful workout. “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” says Tiffany Hamlin, National Director of Group Fitness for World Gym. The first step to planning a successful workout is to make sure that you have everything you need to maximize your workout time and feel confident as you exercise. For instance, a jump rope can give you a great cardio workout in less time, while a fanny pack can help you move freely while walking or running. Hamlin also advises getting a proper warm up and dressing for success in order to prepare for a fun, effective work out—and there are great fitness accessories that make those activities simpler too.
The right workout accessories can also keep you motivated about reaching your fitness goals. A heart rate monitor, for instance, can help you track and target your workouts, so you can see your progress in real time, and a motivational water bottle can give you the push you need. But those aren’t the only fitness accessory that can help you feel your best. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with everything you might need to make your fitness routine something you’ll look forward to, every time.
Using expert advice and user reviews, we’ve selected the best accessories on the market to provide a more comfortable workout and intensify your routine. Ready to start take the next step on your fitness journey?
This slim and comfortable fanny pack is a great way to store small essentials while you work out. Whether you’re hiking, running, or even running errands, this fanny pack offers storage for keys, cash, and credit cards. It even has a small hole for wired headphones and is crafted from water-resistant material to withstand the sweatiest of workouts.
Trying to up your water intake? Try a motivational water bottle. This water bottle by Elvira comes in a variety of fun color combinations and has time markers with motivational words like “keep chugging!” and “don’t give up!” to help you stay hydrated throughout the day. It also has a leak proof flip-top and is BPA free.
This guide features over 50 essential stretches as well as stretching routines with step-by-step descriptions and images to help you meet various fitness goals. There are so many advantages to stretching, including “increasing blood flow, flexibility, and range of motion, warming up muscles and joints before activity, and decreasing the risk of injury,” says Hamlin.
Using a Fitbit is a great way to monitor your fitness goals. The Fitbit Charge 5 comes in three color options and is equipped with the latest technology features, like the Daily Readiness Score, which determines whether you should focus on exercise or recovery. You can also reliably track your pace, distance, calories burned, and more.
This weighted jump rope system offers a simple way to elevate your fitness routine. This durable jump rope features slim, comfortable handles and a “fast clip connection system” that allows you to easily switch between light and heavy weighted ropes. This weighted jump rope set also gives you access to an interactive app full of different workouts and even a community of fellow jumpers to help motivate and inspire.
Sore muscles? Try a foam roller! “Before a workout, foam rolling can warm the muscles up, increase range of motion, and increase circulation,” Hamlin explains. “After a workout, foam rolling can alleviate muscle soreness, aid in muscle repair and recovery, and eliminate lactic acid build up in the muscles.” This foam roller from TriggerPoint is a great option due to its grid-like pattern designed to feel like a sports massage.
A heated foam roller is a great way to step up your foam rolling routine. According to Hamlin, enhancing your foam rolling experience with vibration maximizes benefits by allowing the roller to get even deeper into the muscle fascia.
A great pair of shoes is essential for any workout (or just for looking cute while running errands). Try Katie Holmes’ favorite pair from Sorel that are stylish and functional, with a cushioned sole and ankle collar for maximum support and comfort, and a blend of leather and mesh for a lightweight, breathable, and fashionable fit.
Voodoo floss, or tissue floss, is a great tool that utilizes compression therapy to aid in muscle recovery—wrapping the band around a problem area will block blood flow, and removal then encourages circulation, providing the area with oxygen to help heal your muscles. This durable band helps improve range of motion, reduce pain and inflammation, and speed up recovery.
Bala bangles are a fun, effective, and stylish way to enhance and intensify workouts and other daily activities. These wearable wrist and ankle weights are fully adjustable and come in various colors as well as one and two pound options.
If you work out intensely, you might experience some aches and pains in your feet. Compression socks offer a solution for this kind of soreness by providing constant pressure to the affected areas, improving blood circulation. These knee high, moisture-wicking socks by Physix Gear have compression and support conveniently located at the heels and calves to avoid toe squeezing, and are designed with the same high-quality lycra fabric also used in Spanx.
Want to include your furry friend in your fitness journey? Monitor your dog’s activity levels with this location and activity tracker that suits any dog collar. This small, lightweight, and waterproof device keeps track of your dog’s active time, rest time, and allows you to set fitness goals. You can even set a “virtual fence” or safe space for your dog, and get notified when your dog enters and exits the area.
The Prevention Circul+ smart ring is a small, wearable health metric measuring device; it’s a pulse oximeter that provides continuous monitoring for accurately measuring heart rate, blood oxygen, finger temperature, and heart rate. It also records a single lead ECG and blood pressure.
There’s nothing like your favorite tunes to help you through a tough workout, but tangly wires can tend to get in the way of many movements. These wireless headphones by Anker with noise reduction technology deliver clear sound. As an added bonus, these headphones are waterproof, so you can enjoy your favorite music in rainy or sweaty workout sessions.
A yoga mat is a versatile and useful fitness accessory that has purposes far beyond a yoga class. This non-slip yoga mat is great for any floor exercise, like crunches, planks, and mountain climbers and it’ll keep you comfortable by providing an extra thick, six millimeter layer of protection between you and the ground. Plus, the double sided non-slip texture will keep your hands and feet in place.
Bring on the sun, sweat, and heat with this sunscreen from Supergoop! Sunscreen is a necessary item for outdoor workout sessions, especially in the spring and summer months. This lightweight sunscreen from Supergoop! is a great option for those who like to stay active because it offers a “sting-free” formula that is water and sweat resistant for up to eighty minutes.
Sometimes the best accessory is community. Try out the interactive, engaging, and motivational app by Charge Running. Charge Running offers live and on-demand workout classes guided by knowledgeable coaches, fitness statistic tracking, an interactive community group chat, and more!
Resistance bands are a popular fitness tool for enhancing your workout, building muscle, and improving endurance. This five pack from Fit Simplify is a great option because each of the bands offers varying levels of resistance, allowing you to fully customize your workout routine by increasing or decreasing the level of difficulty of different moves.
A gym bag is a must for anyone with a fitness routine. This spacious bag has comfortable handles and multiple pockets for storing shoes, towels, exercise bands, and more. It is also ventilated to cut down on odors, even if your items get sweaty.
A massage gun is a great tool for aiding in muscle recovery, or just for a bit of relaxation. TheraGun offers deep muscle treatment with various attachments to successfully treat every area of the body. Five speeds, a comfortable handle, and a quiet motor all make this massage gun a great choice.
Exercise headbands are a simple way to keep you comfortable while breaking a sweat. These non-slip, stylish headbands come in a pack of six with multiple color combination options. These headbands are comfortable and stretchy, while offering a fashionable way to keep hair and sweat out of your face.
This daily health and fitness journal offers a fun and easy way to track your nutrition and exercise. This planner and journal by Legend provides six months of goal-setting and monitoring tools with sections including sleep and activity logs, a daily menu, a goals page, and a weight and measurements tracker.
An exercise ball is a great addition to many workouts. These balls are helpful for improving balance, stability, and mobility, and are also an easy way to add variation to existing exercises. This exercise ball by Dynapro features a heavy duty, “anti burst” material that can withstand up to 2,200 lbs.
These adjustable dumbbells by NordicTrack are perfect for home gyms. They feature weights in various increments for a fully customizable experience, and are compact in size and easily adjustable. These dumbbells also come with fitted storage trays to keep your workout area neat and organized.
Exercise dice offer an enjoyable way to spice up your workout. These six sided dice have exercises on one cube and the amount of repetitions on the other cube. Try these out to keep your workouts fresh and fun.