My Favorite Health and Fitness Gadgets, Apps and Apparel | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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I love reading about the latest and greatest in health and fitness gadgets almost as much as I love changing up my workout. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and who know what fabulous benefits may result. I also love my tried-and-true products, which I faithfully stand by, no matter what new, fancy alternatives arrive and try to lure me away.

So today you get a mix of both! The first four items I use daily, if not 2-3 times daily. I even travel with them; that’s how devoted and dependent upon them I am. And the last two are new gadgets hitting the health and wellness market. I find the concept of both to be extremely interesting and I’m quite curious to see what happens once they hit the general public.

NutriBullet: If ever there was a perfect, healthy, absolutely indispensable kitchen item, this is it. I know many people swear by the Vitamix, and I have no doubt it’s amazing, but it’s also out of my price range. The NutriBullet, on the other hand, is affordable, effective and quickly whips up a delectable variety fruits, veggies, healthy fats and herbs into smoothies that are eaten as breakfast, lunch and snacks in my household.

Garmin FR60 Sports Watch & Heart Rate Monitor: Whether it’s running, spinning or circuit training, I don’t work out without this apparatus tied around my wrist and strapped to my chest. (Tragically, I also used to wear this to yoga until I realized how ridiculous and counter-intuitive it was to everything that yoga stands for. After that, I mentally reprimanded myself and promptly stopped.) Everywhere else exercise related, though? Fair game. I LOVE being able to track my mileage, heart rate and calories burned. Garmin FR60 helps challenge me from one workout to the next, plus I love to log the intensity and variety of my sweat sessions.

Saucony ProGrid Stability Running Shoes: There are a BOATLOAD of athletic shoes on the market, and when it comes to running shoes, everyone’s body, comforts and supportive needs are different. Having tried multiple brands and styles, I am true devotee of Saucony ProGrid Stability shoes. I’ve been a runner for over 14 years, almost completely without injury, due to this amazing shoe. Anytime I’ve experimented with other brands, I immediately feel the difference throughout my body, and the only time I suffered leg trauma that forced me to spend a few months on the elliptical instead of my beloved running track was when I made the grave mistake of trying another brand for too long. I fully understand that running shoes are 100% unique to the runner, though, so be sure to experiment with what feels right for you and if any of you are in the market for some new shoes, perhaps you’ll want to try these out.

Lose It: Having used this app for years, both personally and with clients, I can attest to its convenience and practical usefulness. One thing I always stress is the importance of QUALITY over calorie counting when it comes to healthy eating, yet even with that in mind, Lose It! helps track what you’re eating throughout the day, what physical activity you’ve engaged in, what your daily carb/fat/protein breakdown is. This helps you understand how those three areas are contributing to the success or stagnation of your overall health and fitness goals.

HAPIfork: This ‘smart fork’ monitors how fast you eat. When you take too many bites too quickly, it vibrates and lights up, letting you know that you’re rushing through you food and reminding you to eat slower and more mindfully. If this sounds appealing or necessary to you, you can also sync your HAPIfork with your computer and track your fast-or-slow eating habits.

*I don’t own one of these forks, nor do I plan to, but I find this new gadget fascinating. Savoring your food and chewing mindfully is certainly an important aspect of healthy eating, and I’m curious to see how many people will invest $99. In the meantime, I suggest pretending to eat with a HAPIfork and chewing your food thoroughly and slowly in-between engaging dinner conversation.

TellSpec: This medical AND nutritional item is designed to serve a dual purposes. One, the TellSpec can detect allergens in food simply by waving the product over food. This can be especially helpful for those with severe food allergies when dining at restaurants or parties. Second, the apparatus is able to relay nutrient content, calories and ingredients in both food and beverages, which may be helpful for those looking to track anything and everything that passes their lips. Scheduled to hit the market later this year for $320, this new gadget requires serious dedication and dough. If anyone invests, I’d love to hear what you think.

Obviously there is a vast array of products, apps and gadgets not mentioned here, so if you have favorite you’d like to share with the group, please do. The top four listed above are simply the ones I’ve gotten the most value and consistent use from over the years, but when it comes to clean eating and healthy lifestyle, it’s all about what works for YOU.

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