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If the last few years fell short of motivating you into six pack abs and easy breathing during the company 5K, then you might benefit from a couple fitness hack tools in 2018. They help remove the roadblocks between you and your goal and optimize the effort you’re already giving.
Some are no-brainers — cult-favorite socks, fantastic wireless headphones, and maybe even an app that can help you navigate the landscape of routines by generating one for you. If you hate working out in front of other people or want to focus on safe but effective routines that are travel-friendly, check out the cult-favorite TRX systems.
Some, however, lay just to the side of the beaten path. Instead of sit-ups, try an ab wheel. Instead of doing mountain climbers for 30 seconds before diagnosing the awkward motion as a hoax, grab $ 13 sliders to make your motions smoother, deeper, and more enjoyable so you have fewer excuses.
Below are 7 tools you might not think of buying but have the potential to make a big difference to your workout routine:
Battling ropes
Amazon
Steadily rising in popularity over the last few years, battling ropes might be something you’ve seen in your local gym or broadcasted as an intrinsic part of a celebrity workout regime.
The idea is that these thicker-than-average ropes are not only a fun new way to work in your cardio, but that the actions required to move them will more dynamically engage muscle groups all over the body. It’s a great way to work up a sweat at the same time you work out the entire body using one tool.
Get your own to and set up on a hook or anchor to a pole or tire for a great at-home workout.
Titan Poly Battle Rope, various sizes and widths, available on Amazon, $ 40.99 – $ 102.99
Exercise sliders
Amazon
Use the slick side for carpets and the foam side for hard surfaces to improve a nearly endless number of exercises. It’s a cheap way to make motions like mountain climbers, lunges, and reverse crunches more effective and enjoyable to do, so you have fewer reasons to put exercises off. For $ 13, it might wind up being one of the best buys you make to help you stay true to your resolution to work out more.
Double-Sided Elite Sportz Exercise Sliders, available on Amazon, $ 12.95
Leggings with built-in resistance bands
Physiclo
Physiclo‘s leggings with built-in resistance bands have to be among my favorite fitness hacks that I’ve found while on the job here.
They can be a challenge to get on and off and the fit might not be as flattering as your pair from Lululemon, but they’re an actually helpful innovation to fitness in a sea of gimmicks.
While working at an NYU rehabilitation center, co-founder Frank Yao and his fellow med students and physicians wanted to make it easier for patients to improve their fitness with limited time and fewer opportunities. “Resistance clothing” helped patients turn everyday activities into opportunities to improve physical fitness and tone muscle.
The same benefits apply to athletes and casual gym-goers. You can find a full review here, but if you’re looking for a way to optimize everyday errands to arduous gym sessions, you might want to look into checking out a pair of Physiclo’s resistance leggings yourself.
Women’s Pro Resistance Tights, available on Amazon and Physiclo, $ 125
Men’s Pro Resistance Tights, available on Amazon and Physiclo, $ 125
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