If your exercise routine and gear is not showing results, it's time you to get rid of the old and bring in the new! Chris Freytag, contributing fitness editor with Prevention magazine, shares how to spruce up our fitness workout.
Polar F2 Series Heart Monitor
Good heart monitor that includes a watch and recording monitor feature that helps provide basic feedback during your exercise routine. Stopwatch. Easy to use. Manual target zone (beats per minute). Visual and audible alarms in target zones. Records exercise duration, average heart rate of total exercise, maximum heart rate, exercise date. $69.95, polar-usa.us
Polar F11 Series Heart Monitor
A heart rate monitor that creates a workout program to tell you how much, how hard and how long to exercise to reach your goals. It determines your fitness level during a warm-up session and creates your personalized “OwnZone.” From basic (lower intensity, good for weight loss) to more advanced for improving cardiovascular aerobic fitness. Light corresponds to 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, moderate: 70-80%, hard: 80-90%. Enables you to set weekly or monthly goals based on caloric expenditure. Keeps exercise diary and more. $159.95
Spri Weighted Vest
One size comfortably fits the shoulders and waist of most adults. Adjustable weight resistance from 1–20 pounds. Adhesive, reflective safety strips included. Sweat-resistant lining. It’s washable, made of nylon. $59.99, 8 lbs. vest; $14.99, 4-pound weight increments that can be purchased separately up to 20 lbs.; spriproducts.com
New Balance 8505 (featuring NB Zip)
Pick your shoes based on workout. These use foamless technology with shock-absorbing struts/springs (works like a spring — energy in, energy out). The struts and springs are arranged in zones, so shoes are sport-specific. $85; newbalance.com, 1-800-253-SHOE (7463)
New Balance Helio
Made of “biocool” fabric to keep you super cool on the hottest days. Fabric uses “dry ice” yarns that work to wick away moisture (i.e. in drying process the yarns actually lower your body temperature). Uses “body mapping” — different weaves of mesh throughout the shirt correspond to where you sweat more (i.e. more open-weave in belly, upper back). Shortsleeve Helio, $50; sleeveless Helio, $45; newbalance.com, 1-800-253-SHOE (7463)
For more information, visit prevention.com/chris.