The pandemic has restrained most of us to our homes, and not that we needed any more excuses to bunk the gym, but now we have a legitimate one – there’s literally a virus on the loose! But ignoring our health and fitness is something we simply cannot afford to do anymore. If there’s one thing that COVID-19 has instilled into us, it’s that health really is wealth. And, as much as I love procrastinating, and putting off any form of exercise for as long as I can, I cannot deny the fact that health must be considered a top priority for us all. Or I did, until Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is that day of the year, when we cast aside all dietary regulations, and completely binge out! And we’re here to help you do some damage control. This collection of exercise equipment will not only motivate you to burn all that post-Thanksgiving weight but will also ensure you stick to your daily exercise routine in the future. From a space-saving exercise bike that doubles up as a piece of furniture to an interactive yoga mat that turns stretching into a game – these innovative exercise equipment will prevent you from skipping leg day!
1. IKEA DAJLIEN collection
IKEA’s latest fitness collection merges form and function, combining soft green, yellow, and white tones that seamlessly blend with modern home interiors. The collection features thoughtfully designed pieces like ring-shaped dumbbells, sleek exercise mats, and minimalist step-up boards, all of which can be easily stored for a clutter-free space. The standout piece is a versatile wooden bench, which doubles as a stylish coffee table with hidden storage. Complementing this are well-designed items like an air purifier, ponchos, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and elegant recovery tools, all embodying IKEA’s signature approach to marrying aesthetic simplicity with everyday practicality.
2.“The-O” exercise bike
Meet “The-O” exercise bike designed to be minimalistic, sans all the fancy features you’ll never end up using in your daily fitness routine. The fitness accessory is designed keeping in mind the quirks of owning one. First up is the space requirement and the non-flexibility of usage. Then there is the complexity of use which mars the whole purpose of a simple fitness regime. The-O has none of them, and it doubles as a functional piece of furniture when your fitness is kept on hold for some days or even weeks. Use it as a seat for your casual work regime or turn it into a bar chair for parties – the options are endless. You can even turn it into a base for keeping indoor plants.
3. Solelp
Solelp, a yoga mat-like device is designed primarily to make stretching exercises a game you’d want to play over and over again. Designed for the home gyms, this stretching device – that folds away when not in use – unlike the ordinary stretching mats, Solelp comes with a smart mat, camera-laden bar, interactive handles, and a mobile app giving the user a connected environment to perform and enjoy stretching for a better body posture and health. The bar on the head of the mat integrates a LiDAR camera sensor to accurately scan the user’s body posture and provide real-time feedback.
4. The Micro #1
The Micro #1 weighs only 50 pounds, and makes it possible to work out anywhere anytime! Its compact little form makes it super portable, and easy to carry. It even has wheels alongside its bottom, making it truly movable from one location to another. You can do a high-intensity, low-impact, core, strength, and endurance workout with the Micro #1. It features a sleek and minimal design, hence rating high on aesthetics as well!
5. The TechnoGym Bench
The TechnoGym Bench is your perfect alibi towards the goal of a healthy lifestyle without any unnecessary frills. This sleek and versatile bench holds all your workout tools and doubles as a workout leverage point for many different exercises. Thus, satisfying your need for a complete workout from the confines of your home if you are skeptical about heading to the gym amidst the ongoing pandemic. The functional training kit includes a myriad of over 200 body workouts. There are tools such as elastic bands, hexagon dumbbells, weighted knuckles, and a training mat – in a compact footprint to cater to all your workout needs.
6. AIIR
Developed from a collaboration between personal trainers and product designers, AIIR was designed to reduce joint stress and promote healthy posture. Contained within an 8.5″ x 6″ travel case, AIIR Flow is the smaller of the two workout kits and comes with two durable, carbon-steel push-up bars so you can get an arm and chest workout anywhere. The push-up bars come with spring-loaded, folding supports that dislodge from and fold inside both ends of each handle for ultimate portability. The push-up bars pack down to the size of a water bottle and can support up to 300lbs when in use. Each handle was designed to be ergonomic and promote healthy posture through a slightly inclined and elevated build.
7. Tempo Move
The Tempo Move combines a piece of furniture, and workout equipment, all in one! It features a storage cabinet, as well as smart workout equipment, and can create an at-home gym for you! You can connect the weights to your TV or your iPhone (XR-13 Pro), and attend a personal training session in the comfort of your own home. There are almost thousands of classes available for you to experience! It also provides real-time guidance on your form, rep targets, and transitions to different levels.
8. The Pilot Bicycle
The final design of the Pilot Bicycle is centered on a lightweight 7005 series aluminum frame and striking hubless wheel characteristics. To finalize the hubless wheel design that is functional to the last detail, Franz took help from his mechanical engineering colleagues. In the end, the off-center axle design had the additional gear to spin the wheels at a proper rate with pedaling motion. This is assisted by the onboard motor for that extra boost on inclines when the throttle is pressed. The Pilot bicycle finally came to life after countless edits and alterations to the design. The next step was to finalize the colors, materials, and finishes.
9. The ‘boîtier for bike’
The boîtier for bike doesn’t actually come with its own stationary bike, but rather, is designed to be compatible with your existing stationary bike. Designed to fit Pelotons as well as bikes from other brands (there’s a list on their website), the boîtier comes with a load-bearing slide-out drawer made from steel that actually lets you mount the bike on it. The drawer’s built to withstand up to 180 kilograms, so you can actually work out right on the boîtier, and slide the bike in once you’re done. It’s weirdly convenient, and your guests won’t even know that you’ve got a makeshift gym in your living room.
10. The WHOOP 4.0 band sports
Designed to meld the worlds of fashion and fitness, the WHOOP 4.0 band sports a minimalist, sans-screen design that echoes the fashion sensibilities of the Livestrong band. With a design that highlights the fitness tracker’s woven fabric band, the WHOOP 4.0 does two jobs remarkably well – it expertly tracks your fitness stats, and looks good while doing it. Having garnered the support of world-class sportspeople like LeBron James among other Olympic athletes, WHOOP has revolutionized human fitness and performance through its combination of tracking physiological data and providing real-time effective coaching to help reduce injury and boost performance. Currently, in its 4th edition, the band, created by design studio Aruliden for WHOOP, sports a smaller, smarter, more streamlined design that features the tracking device itself, along with an interchangeable fabric band that lets you simply and easily swap bands to suit your fashion needs or match your outfit.
