Exercise Gadgets of the Near Future

Nobody had heard of TRX five years ago and barre classes were only for people in pink tutus.  But a lot has changed in the last few years and those changes will just keep coming.  Last year’s kickboxing class becomes this year’s bootcamp.  So what’s on the horizon for gadgets and group exercise trends?

Shirts That Zap You for Bad Form

A company called Electric Foxy is developing a tank top that is laced through with wires.  The shirt will then cue you with a small buzz if, say, your shoulder is too high, reminding you to keep good form.  The shirt has been developed for Pilates specifically, but can be used for other activities as well.

A Heart Rate Monitor for Your Finger

Also from Electric Foxy is a prototype ring that measures heart rate.  No more clunky watch, no more uncomfortable chest band.  The idea is to stay stylish while you sweat your butt off.  I love the idea but I have concerns about the accuracy.

Feel the Music Through Your Bones

Headsets can be such a bother, plugging your ears with booming noise so you can’t hear traffic and your surroundings on your runs.  It’s not only dangerous, it’s uncomfortable; wires getting tangled and your ears hurting after a while from the buds.  Well the folks at Aftershokz (affiliate link) have come up with a whole new method: a wraparound pair that sits over the tops of your ears nice and snug and places a conduction device on the bones in front of your ears.  The music is transmitted through the bones in your head. Weird and cool, no?  You can still use your ears for hearing everything around you.  They’re only about $45 on Amazon too!

Workout Like a Surfer

Wanna workout like a surfer, but indoors in a group class setting?  The folks at SurfSET Fitness have developed a “surf board” that you can ride in your gym.  Using an unstable board and pulleys, you can recreate the surf experience anytime you want.  The piece even has an adjustment for paddleboarding.  Right now the owners of the company are pushing this as a group exercise class, but I’m sure if you wanted one badly enough, they’d sell you a single unit.  By the way, there’s a great blog review here from Carrots ‘N’ Cake.

Log Rolling Gone High Tech

The ViPR was developed by a former NHL strength and conditioning coach.  The long, heavy, padded tube has grips throughout, so you can haul it, toss it, shove it, etc.  The idea behind this is that to work with something about three feet long and weighted takes full body strength, not just one particular muscle group.  The ViPR comes in seven different weights ranging from 4 to 20 kilograms.

There you go, some brand new gadgets to play with now or that you’ll be able to play with soon.  Any of them can wake up your workout a bit and that’s always a good thing.  What gadget do you most want to try?  Have you heard of any other gadgets recently that aren’t on this list?

Cheers,

Lisa