The Most Fun Gear That Will Make Your Boring Workouts Way More Motivating
Updated: Feb. 12, 2018
Let’s face it: You’d rather watch The Emoji Movie than do burpees. But fitness tools can be the nudge you need to make your workout more motivating and more fun.
Music as a motivator
As much as I enjoy taking in the serenity of just the sound of nature as I stand-up paddleboard and kayak, when out in a group, adding some Rihanna and Taylor Swift to the paddling excursion makes it a party on the water.
JBL Pulse 3 Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, $269.99 at bestbuy.ca.
Scent of a woman
Your ho-hum rising and winding down regimen gets a much needed refresh with this diffuser, which features a time and two tanks. An energizing blend featuring lemon, for example, will help you feel happy as you do your morning stretches, while a grounding scent such a lavender will help you meditate before bedtime.
Saje Aromatime Ultrasonic Diffuser, $189.95 at saje.com.
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Back to basics
You love your beauty routine more than sweating through your working routine. Making those burpees a little more bearable is having a good reason to add this adorable and made-for-an-active-girl-on-the-go kit to your gym essentials.
Consonant Gym & Travel Deluxe Set, $149 at consonantskincare.com.
Getting juiced
We all have days when all we can think about as we exercise is what we are going to eat and drink after the workout. Quenching your thirst with a vitamin-rich juice will help you refuel immediately. Plus, we like the Fibreboost feature of this juicer, which allows you to choose the texture of your juice. Getting enough fibre in your diet is key when it comes to reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Philips Avance Collection Micro Juicer, $402.15 at amazon.ca.
Putting Oh back in H2O
Hydrating your body well seem like a chore. But with a filter that lasts up to six months (most are good for about two), you can sip on and keep calm. The one above specifically reduces mercury, asbestos, cadmium and other contaminants. Some peeps say that the water even tastes better too.
Brita Longlast Filter, $24.97 at walmart.ca.
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That dangling carrot
Treat-motivated ladies, your workouts and healthy choices can pay off in more ways than improving your wellbeing. Virtually dangle treats like free movies and travel in front of yourself with this app, which helps you earn points to your fave loyalty programs (such as Scene and Aeroplan Miles) as you live your best healthy life.
Carrot Rewards, free download at Google Play and Apps Store.
You’re it!
Do it for the ’gram. For once, your Instagram obsession can make you healthier. Snow tagging, which you can do in places like La Mauricie National Park, will get you hiking and snowshoeing with a compass and a map in hand. Follow the map’s directions as you snowshoe (which burns about 400 calories an hour), and your trek will result in an epic Insta-worthy drawing in the snow.
Snow tagging, free registration at pc.gc.ca.
Here are 13 more ways to stay active during Canadian winters.
Words of motivation
Take your training to the next level with an AI personal trainer. Vi is more than just headphones. It tracks your heart rate, there’s an app to track your fitness progress, and it provides real-time coaching as you exercise (letting you know to pick up the intensity to get into the fat-burning zone or to take a moment for meditation, for example).
Vi, $249.99 at sportchek.ca.
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Recovery is our favourite part of working out
Just as important as doing a mix of cardio and strength training when it comes to a well balanced fitness regimen is getting enough sleep. The foam in this mattress is designed to minimize motion transfer, meaning you’ll be less likely to be woken up by your partner getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Uninterrupted sleep for the win!
Endy Mattress in Queen, $850 at endy.com.
These high-tech PJs just might get rid of your post-workout pain.
This is an earful
When training for a triathlon, I realized how boring it can be to have nothing but the pool bottom to look at lap after lap. Listening to a great playlist while swimming back and forth is a good way to stave off boredom, and research has found that listening to music while swimming can make you faster.
Waterfi Waterproof MP3 Player Swim Kit, $79 at waterfi.com.
If you don’t listen to music when you workout, then you are missing out on these 10 things.
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