All the ergonomics in the world aren’t going to magically make a person athletic (trust us, we checked). If you want to lose weight and get fit, you’ll need to take it outdoors. We hate working out as much as anyone else, but with the right tech, tracking your progress can be a fun and addicting way to see all that you’ve accomplished. From the colorful charts to challenging our friends to races, these high-tech gadgets have the geeks in us addicted to fitness.
$199
Nike.com
This watch might be the coolest piece of gear on our whole list, but it’s also one of the most expensive. At a whopping 200 bucks, it’s absolutely designed for hardcore runners. What’s so special about it? It incorporates a high-sensitivity TomTom GPS that records the distance you’ve run and calculates how many calories you’ve burned while also logging the exact route you ran and noting whether you’ve run it before. For our complete review, head over to here.
$90
Nike.com
A shoe? In Mac|Life? Make no mistake—this is as advanced as anything on the list. The Nike Free Run+ 2 is a shoe designed to emulate running barefoot, which has practical benefits for your body and muscles. You can literally bend this shoe in half from heel to toe, which adds balance and strengthening to shorter workouts. But even more importantly, it has a slot in the sole for a Nike+ Sensor.
$30
Nike.com
If you’re a runner who listens to music on your daily jog, then the Nike + Sport Kit is an absolute must. It’s been one of Mac|Life’s favorite fitness gadgets since it was released in 2006, and we still use it on nearly every run. Nothing beats hearing your pace spoken over your music with the click of a button, and if you’re the easily motivated type, you’ll love holding down a button on your iPod to activate your “power” song. “Kidz Bop 13,” here we come!
$49.99 case; $29 headphones
H2Oaudio.com
Who said swimming has to be music-free? With the proper gear, you can bring your iPod with you in the pool. But you only have one chance at finding that gear, or you’re out an iPod. Lucky for you, we tested the H20 Audio Amphibx Go Lightweight waterproof case. While submerging our iPod was certifiably terrifying, the case kept our iPods dry as ever, and the Flex headphones blasted out crystal-clear slow jams in and out of the water.
$199
iBikeSports.com
There are plenty of reasons why a cyclist would want the iBike Dash. Mount it to your handlebars, and it’s like having a car’s dashboard on your bicycle. Speed and temperature display? Check. Routes on the fly? Check. Cumulative reading of basically any information you could hope for? Check. If you want to maximize your Dash, iBike sells loads of optional accessories too. Our favorite is the cadence sensor that lets you know how consistent your pedaling was.
$69.95
PolarUSA.com
For many athletes, heart rate monitors are an irreplaceable tool. Constantly monitoring your heartbeat allows you to make sure you’re always pushing just enough—too much, and you can get injured; not enough, and you won’t benefit as much from your workout. Unfortunately, they’re usually less than comfortable, but the Polar WearLink+ is both comfortable and practical. The soft textile fabric feels much better than others we’ve tested and it’s specifically designed to sync with your Nike+ goodies (like the GPS SportWatch).
