New year, new you, isn’t it?
You may have cast your mind to your resolutions and how you’re going to take on 2018, so at least you’ve got one thing out of the way, but there’s a whole lot more blood, sweat and tears on the horizon to ensure that you reach your goals.
What’s commonly overlooked, in fact, is making your workout easier with accessories. And with Christmas coming up, you can afford to gently nudge your friends and family in the right direction so that you have everything you need to optimise your workout and begin your transformation.
Below we’ve come up with the top accessories that every gym bunny should have:
Gym Bag
An obvious choice but equally as important as any other gym accessory. Don’t skimp on your bag, because it’s going to be housing everything else and the bag that you choose will really make a difference when it comes to finding everything.
The bag holds the key to kicking off your gym experience, guiding you on a positive path towards fitness glory.
Skipping Rope
They’ve been around so long because they’re effective. Sportsmen such as boxers use a skipping rope as an integral part of their workout and training and it is due to the intensity and the level of coordination and focus required to master the skill.
If you want to tone, stay fit and add another type of cardio into your workout then you should definitely consider getting a skipping rope.
Exercise Ball
Using an exercise ball is somewhat associated with lower intensity workouts but you’d be wrong to think that it’s only about that. They give you the potential to add another level of difficulty to your regime.
They can be used to strengthen and stretch your body, improve your core and your balance while varying up your training.
Water Bottle
Staying hydrated while training is important for you to be able to replenish lost nutrients and keep your level of intensity higher. There is nothing worse than wanting that sip of water so badly but then realising that you’ve forgotten your water bottle at home.
Keep it with you at all times, especially during cardio… you’ll thank us later.
Headband
Sweet, salty sweat in your eyes isn’t a good look. It burns and is uncomfortable but you’re inevitably going to sweat when your training at a high level of intensity. And that’s why you should get a headband, especially when you’re running or doing a high level cardio session.
The headband can also be used to cool you down, which means that it’s easier to focus during exercises.
Resistance Bands
There’s a lot of talk about adding differing levels of intensity to your training, especially if you don’t want to plateau and you want to continue to progress and engage your muscles in new ways – keeping your body guessing.
And one of the ways to do this is to use resistance bands, especially for bodyweight exercises. They give you a different means of approach your training and will soon become a crucial component in your workout.
An Ab Wheel
On the face of it, the ab wheel might only look like it is beneficial for your abs and your core, but that’s only one part of the picture. Because you engage so many more muscles coming back to your starting position, it is also great for your shoulders, triceps, hips, and lats.
Once you master the ab wheel you’ll find that your stability and all round strength will increase.
Sweatproof Headphones
Ever felt what it’s like to seriously be in the groove, either pounding the treadmill at full steam or crushing weights way beyond your capabilities, only for the world to slowly come rushing back on you, startling you back to all of your sense at once?
Yes, that’s because your headphones just slipped off and now everything is ruined. Getting a pair of sweatproof headphones means getting headphones that are built for the rough and tumble of gym, and all the other excretions that goes with it. And it’s been scientifically proven that music elevates your training and focus, so you should ensure that you’re hardwired to a higher level of performance.
Kettlebells
Pretty much any part of the body can work in tandem with kettlebells to ensure that you add more weight to your workout and are able to do active exercises will an added layer attached.
Especially when it comes to kettlebell swings, they work muscles in the hips, glutes, hamstrings, lats, abs, shoulders, pecs and grip. It’s a safe way to build muscle, tone, lose weight and perform athletic movements.
Foam Roller
So many times we tell people about recovery and so many times it is still overlooked. No wonder you find yourself falling off the pace once the endorphins of going to gym 3 days in a row settle down and the real pain begins.
A foam roller is the one accessory that you should regard as essential because it is easy to use and gives you a way to iron out all the kinks and pockets of stress that have developed following a workout. You need to take care of your muscles, and this is one of the best ways to do so.
Your Fitness Tracker
Fitness trackers are all the rage for a reason. Everyone knows about them by now, and that’s because they don’t seem like they’ll be going away anytime soon like a lot of the fads out there.
If anything, they’re becoming smarter and can do more than just track your steps, metabolic processes, heart rate, breathing and paly music. They’re a crucial companion for anyone who wants to ensure that they’re constantly progressing and staying on the right track.
DNAFit
The science of genetics is constantly expanding, and using personal data to improve our lives is now so accessible that there’s no telling what is going to be possible in the very near future.
DNAFit give you information based on your fitness and nutrition to assist you to improve your health and lifestyle. No matter what your goals are; losing weight, building muscle, or simply staying in shape, knowing how your body inherently responds to certain foods and training modalities is just the beginning of the journey we’ll be with you on every step of the way.
