New year is not the only time to make resolutions, you know. As we emerge blurry-eyed and fuzzy-headed from what little summer there was, many of us are arriving home to Dublin Airport determined to lose that Bali belly and Fiji fat. We’ve spent the summer at our luxury villas soaking up the sunshine (and the Aperol spritzes), lounging by the pool (our only exercise being an odd dip to cool down) and gorging on endless barbecues. Now it’s back to school, back to work and back to the gym – and we’ve only got a couple of months before the next cycle of over-indulgence begins.
With a veritable mountain to climb to get back to our pre-summer weight levels, many of us are planning to exercise at home, and looking at ways technology can help us speed up the fitness process. Many homeowners have converted spare bedrooms into home gyms, or a combination office and home gym, but we may not have space for an array of exercise machines, so we need compact, efficient fitness tech to help us reach our goals. That means smart rowing and cycling machines with bells, whistles and other features packed in, heart and blood pressure monitors that are not obtrusive, diet and fitness trackers that don’t go off down a side track, and sleep and relaxation tech that doesn’t keep us awake wondering if it will work properly.
We’ve pulled together some of the best health and fitness tech available in 2024 – all you have to do is supply the home gym space.
A row with a view
We’d all love a little of Paul O’Donovan’s gold-medal magic to rub off on us but, let’s face it, getting out on the water and training every day can be a big ask. Rowing – like all sports – takes a lot of dedication and if you want to reach Olympic levels then you’d better put the work in. Even champion rowers, when they’re not on the water, would be regularly on the erg (ergometer), honing their technique and measuring their speed so they can perform better in competition.
The NordicTrack RW900 Rower allows you to row anywhere in the world (virtually) while getting the benefit of a full-body, low-impact workout, with 28 resistance settings and machine learning tech to automatically adapt workouts to suit you. And forget those ancient ergs with tiny screens and primitive pixelated graphics. You can choose to row in some of the world’s most scenic lakes and rivers thanks to the immersive experience offered by the 22-inch HD screen with 30-watt sound array.
When you sign up to the iFit training programme you’ll have access to some of the world’s top fitness instructors, with workout programmes tailored to your personal needs. Of course you could pass on the monthly subscription of around €98 but iFit unlocks a whole world of training tools that can seriously enhance your home gym experience.
The RW900 comes with a 30-day iFit trial so you can check out all the features before you make the only decision.
- NordicTrack RW900 rower, €1,999, reduced from €2,299, mcsport.ie
Uphill struggle
Ask fitness enthusiasts what’s the best stationary exercise bike around and they’ll immediately answer the Peloton Bike Plus. Ask where you can get the Bike Plus in Ireland, however, and there seems to be no easy answer. Peloton has no Irish outlet as yet, but don’t panic – there’s lots of options to help you keep your fitness regime on track.
NordicTrack’s SS2i Studio Cycle could be a good alternative to the Bike Plus, particularly since it boasts automatic incline and resistance so you can replicate the experience of cycling up hills and down dales – all in your own home gym. The SS2i has the immersive 22-inch HD touchscreen and, thanks to iFit, access to some of the best training instructors in the world, motivating and guiding you through some stunning locations around the world. As they bring you through different terrains, you’ll feel the burn – as if you were really there.
The SS2i also adjusts to your real-world cycling style, with an easy handlebar adjustment system and two-sided SPD pedals to keep your feet secure whether you click in or strap in.
- NordicTrack SS2i Studio Cycle, €2,449 reduced from €2,999, mcsport.ie
Put a ring on it
We’ve become used to wearing smart watches to monitor our heartbeat and health regimes but more and more fitness enthusiasts are putting a ring on it – and the one they’re choosing is the Oura Gen3, a neat little piece of circular metal, about the size of a wedding ring, that will put all the health and fitness data you need right at your fingertips.
Whatever your body is trying to tell you, the Oura can interpret and use the info to build up a holistic picture of your health. It can provide accurate readings of more than 20 biometrics, including resting heart rate, temperature changes, sleep stages and even how much oxygen is in your blood.
The Oura is made from titanium, is durable and non-allergenic, and a full charge (between 20 and 80 minutes) will give you seven days of battery life. Choose from two styles, the sleek, circular Horizon or the classic Heritage with its plateau design. It’s water-resistant, with bluetooth connectivity, and comes with a charger and USB-C cable. Membership to Oura costs just €5.99 a month and gets you access to ever-evolving and improving health and wellness features that will have you hitting your health milestones with ease.
- Oura Ring Gen3, from €329, ouraring.com
Who’s the fittest of them all?
Mirror, mirror on the wall … wait a minute, who’s that super-fit athlete looking back at me? Surely that can’t be me.
Imagine having a magic mirror on your wall, and every time you looked into it you just looked better and better. Well, it’s not a tall tale – the Echelon Reflect is a fitness mirror that will motivate you to reach your training goals and will reflect your progress right back at you. It’s a touchscreen workout mirror that can hang discreetly on your wall, helping you every day with your workouts, keeping you on track for your fitness targets – and it makes a nice-looking piece of home decor too.
It’s like having a personal trainer on your wall that you can plug into any time, with more than 2,000 on-demand studio-quality fitness classes on offer in a range of fitness disciplines including yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, HIIT and core.
With the embedded HD touchscreen display you can access a range of data around your workouts, and sync it with such wellness apps as Strava, Apple Health and FitBit. You can choose from a range of full-body workouts at different levels, and the Reflect also has an interactive leaderboard so you can compete with family and friends and find out for sure who’s the fittest of them all. You need to sign up to monthly membership plan, but when you choose your plan you can get your first 30 days’ premier membership free.
- Echelon Reflect Touch 50″ smart fitness mirror, €1,599.95, reduced from €2,199.95, arnotts.ie
The old reliable, updated
Call us stick-in-the-muds, but some of us old fogeys still prefer to go the wrist route when it comes to tracking our fitness. Rings of power are all very well, but the Fitbit Charge 6 has a few tricks up its sleeve to make it an attractive option for anyone serious about monitoring their day-to-day activity.
The Charge 6 comes with added Google, allowing you to tap into such features as Google Maps when out hiking or cycling, or Google Wallet for easy payment with just a flick of the wrist. And with YouTube Music controls included, you can soundtrack your workout, exercise and relaxation routines.
When you link Charge to compatible exercise machines, you’ll be able to see your heart rate in real time, with more accurate tracking during vigorous cardio exercises, while the ECG app will alert you to any irregularities in your heart rhythm. The Charge 6 also has Sleep Score, so you can be sure that you’re notching up the right number of Zs every night.
Another feature tells you how you’re scoring on the stress front, and help you manage your stress levels. The Charge 6 can even help you with your mindfulness, with yoga and meditation sessions available for those with Premium membership (you get six months Premium membership free).
- Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker, €159.99, did.ie
Prices quoted may vary; prices correct at time of writing.
