As the saying goes, “new year, new me,” and if that sounds like you, you may be looking for some equipment to help start your journey on the right foot. From adding on to an established home gym to looking into picking up just one device to help support your wellness journey, we’ve found some solid options with the help of a few fitness experts. We asked them what the one piece of wellness equipment they swear by is and collected their favorites below.
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1. Massage guns
The Apple Watch SE 3.
As someone who enjoys running, I’ve always liked tracking my runs on an Apple Watch because it’s easy to read and seamlessly connects with my iPhone. Personal trainer, fitness coach and sports dietitian Umo Callins of Well Rooted Health and Nutrition, based in Oklahoma City, also swears by the Apple Watch.
“I like the different workout options it has to track, and I recommend fitness watches to my clients who don’t mind having something on their wrist and benefit from data,” says Callins, adding, “I find that my data-driven clients are more consistent with their lifestyle and physical activity when wearing fitness watches.”
The latest Apple Watch Series 11 has added an FDA-cleared hypertension alert feature, improved battery life and sleep tracking. Callins likes that the Apple Watch shows her activity trends on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Additionally, on days she isn’t as active, it nudges her to get moving. “I also like that it syncs to my Oura Ring, which helps with learning about how my body recovers from day to day, my sleep patterns and overall readiness, which is a major part of what dictates my workouts,” she adds.
3. Under-desk walking treadmill
The Whoop 5.0 band.
If you’re serious about your recovery and want to track that data, Ed Gemdjian, general manager and certified personal trainer at The Gym Venice, recommends the Whoop band. Gemdjian specializes in working with clients age 40 and older. He says, “It gives clear daily readiness for work and training by combining heart rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep quality.” This allows him to use the data provided by the device to match the training load to recovery for his clients. “This is especially valuable for our over-40 clients who thrive with smart progression and appropriate recovery,” he adds.
Gemdjian understands the importance of sleep and being well recovered, and the Whoop offers him better insight into his clients’ habits. “We review sleep metrics and provide sleep hygiene coaching to address common non-medical issues such as inconsistent bedtimes, caffeine timing and screen use before bed,” he says. The Whoop is a good screenless wearable option that provides the wellness data you need without getting in the way during sleep or when you’re in the gym.
