1. Storm cotton hoodie
£55, underarmour.com
The Storm from Under Armour positively repels water, instantly fending off the worst of the rain to keep you dry. Under Amours fitness technology keeps you at an optimum training temperature, thus maximising performance whilst warding off injuries.
A must have for outdoor trainers.
2. PoolMate watch
£69.99, swimovate.com
The PoolMate is the Garmin Forerunner for swimmers. At last a fitness technology that is truly designed around the needs of competitive swimmers at a price that any weekend warrior can afford. PoolMate measures your strokes and laps, kicking out loads of great data including an accurate lap count, average strokes per lap and calories.
A must have for anybody who takes their time in the pool seriously
3. Scosche Rhythm pulse monitor
£99.95, apple.com/uk
Not a big fan of standard heart rate monitor straps – the kind that make you look bulky and give you a chest rash? The Scosche Rhythm pule monitor works off your forearm, totally eliminating the need for chest straps.
A must have for anybody who has ever cursed their heart rate strap
4. K-Swiss Blade Max Express
£89.99, kswiss.co.uk
Rubber soled running shoes are increasingly becoming the fitness technology of the last few decades as they get superseded by blades. Blades bend with your foot, providing better comfort, lower injury risk and better performance
A must have for anybody who takes their running seriously
5. HoMedics iheal
£44.99, boots.com
The Iheal brings sports science to the average gym rate, helping you to recover from soft tissue injuries or general workout strains up to 30% quicker.
A must have for anybody who hits the gym 5+ times per week
6. Fitbit One
£79.99, fitbit.com
Still the best all round fitness tracker and a price which is hard to beat. Activity trackers are all the rage, with big brands like Nike getting involved. This nifty piece of fitness tech tracks your daily activity, including your steps taken and your calories burned. It then measures the quality of your sleep, giving you an all-round picture of your health and fitness
A must have for anybody who likes tracking their fitness
7. Salter body analyser bathroom scales
£36, johnlewis.com
Any serious gym goer knows that tracking your weight only tells you half the story. Standard body scales just tell you your weight, with no differentiation between lean body mass and body fat. These super affordable Salter body fat scales delve deeper, giving you body fat measurements as well as weight. Considering the general accuracy levels of such devices, these beat the pricier Tanita models which deliver little additional features or accuracy at 2x the price
A must have for anybody interested in improving body composition
8. Talking strength ball
A different take on muscle building, this talking ball directs you through your workouts to help deliver muscle tone
A must for anybody looking to add a little tone
9. Bowers & Wilkins C5 headphones
£149.95, amazon.co.uk
These headphones eliminate background noise whilst having a secure enough fit to carry you through your toughest workouts
A must for anybody who uses music to drive their performance
10. A heart rate watch
It’s almost impossible to boil this down to a single make or model because they all cater for so many different sports, goals and budgets. Traditionally a market dominated by Polar and Garmin, we are now seeing new entrants like TomTom. New manufactures are bringing new ideas and new fitness technology to the table, so there’s never been a better year to bite the bullet and grab yourself a sports watch
A must for anybody who goes to the gym with a goal in mind!
