This High-Tech Workout Equipment Is Totally Worth The Investment

Time to Walk on Fitness+ is a series of 25- to 40-minute episodes featuring stories, photos, and music from your faves (like Mendes or Dolly Parton) that’ll help you power through your next walk, right from your Apple Watch. 

Pricing: Free with Apple Fitness+ ($9.99/month)

Pilates instructor and intuitive eating coach Helen Phelan offers more than 200 on-demand and live workouts centered on compassionate movement through pilates, cardio, and stretches. No “tough love” or body-shaming here—just self-love. 

Price: $29.99/month

Fitness blogger Remi Ishizuka and boyfriend Nate took their lockdown hobby—streaming workouts on the ‘gram—and ran with it. Every day, HōmeBodies offers a new heart-pumping, sweaty workout.

Price: $79/month

With a Peloton Digital membership, you can cycle, run, and stretch your way through the brand’s iconic lineup of instructors, each of whom bring their own dynamic personalities and fire playlists to each class. And now you can queue up multiple workouts with their Stacked Classes feature, or schedule a smaller class with your workout buddies via Peloton Sessions.

Price: $12.99/month

Social Club Play believes working out should be fun, and their rainbow-colored, high-energy, form-focused classes prove it. The platform’s sculpting, cardio, and combo classes—which require simple equipment you may already have at home—are best enjoyed with pandemic pod pals. 

Price: $19.99/month

Previously an invite-only studio frequented by the likes of Gwenyth Paltrow and Kelly Ripa, The Ness brings their beat-based trampoline class to your living room with their digital subscription—and it’s oh so chic. Thanks to the brand’s springless trampoline (available on JumpSport for $499), the workouts are all about sculpting while remaining low-impact. Each subscription includes an online consultation, so you can jump for (sweaty) joy in perfect form. 

Price: $39.99/month

Emily Schromm’s all-encompassing Platform Daily subscription is a triple threat: Move. Heal. Process. Membership gets you access to fitness challenges and live workouts like yoga and kickboxing, as well as wellness webinars and tools like journaling prompts. You’ll feel fitter mentally, emotionally and physically.

Price: $39/month

The Power Method app by one of WH’s favorite trainers, Kehinde Anjorin, CFSC, is finally here. Complete with nutrition guides, exercise demos, a Facebook community (hello, accountability partners!), and a series of dynamite four- to six-week programs to help you build strength, endurance, muscle, and cardiovascular health, it’ll help you absolutely crush your fitness goals.

Price: $1/first month, then $14.99/month

With the new Flex membership from Mindbody, you can live-stream fitness classes happening in studios across the country, including barre3, Class UFC Gym, and more. It’s *almost* like being back in the studio with your workout friends. Choose from membership options that include five, 10, or 20 live-stream classes a month. 

Price: $39/month and up

On Down Dog, your yoga flow is truly all yours. Rather than choosing from a catalog of classes, you select your own practice length, type (like yin or vinyasa), target areas (like core), music genre, and even the instructor’s voice for a truly new experience on the mat every time. Oh, and did we mention they’ve got HIIT, meditation, and barre, too?

Price: $7.99/month

WILD.AI turns your period into an advantage. Yes, really. The app uses your menstrual cycle to create an optimized training plan that works best for your body. As you track and train, WILD.AI drops knowledge about how your body acts throughout your cycle—and how best to fuel and care for it. 

Price: FREE

As much as an emotional workout as a physical one, The Class gives you the space to shake out any bad vibes trapped inside you, cry, and let out yells. But don’t let all the woo-woo fool you; Taryn Toomey’s high-intensity workouts are no joke. Live-stream the iconic mat-based, music-driven classes to experience the fitness lore for yourself. 

Price: $40/month

Remember nights spent dancing with the girls? Queue up one of 305’s explosive (and fun!) dance cardio classes and work those glutes and core along to your favorite jams, just like Saturday nights past. New equipment-free workouts drop every day.

Price: $28.99/month

Whether your home gym is stacked with equipment or not, the Nike Training Club (NTC) app offers multi-week programs for all levels that include workouts, nutrition tips, and wellness guidance to help you get those gains. And check out the new (Cycle)Sync program for expert tips on how to get the most out of training on your period. 

Price: FREE

“The Sweat app is the best thing I downloaded early in the pandemic. I did the BBG 1.0 program, which is three HIIT workouts a week (you’re supposed to incorporate walking/cardio on your own) and it is the most effective workout I’ve ever done. I saw real results: more defined arms, a tighter core, and lifted butt. I loved that it wasn’t an instructor telling me what to do in real-time, but rather a set of workouts I could finish at my own pace.”
—Kristina Rodulfo, WH beauty director

Price: $19.99/month

Combine personalized workout programs adapted to your fitness level, interests, and home gym set-up with an active community, and you get Ladder Teams. Even better, you get one-on-one coaching and can reach out to your trainer any time to change up your program, ask Q’s, or get a lil motivational one-liner.

Price: $59/month

“I love Training with T’s daily challenges that each target a specific part of your bod, like your core or glutes. I feel like I’m on a guided path toward getting stronger, and it keeps me way more motivated than going it alone. Plus, the app has introduced me to a ton of new workout moves I would’ve never tried if left to my own devices.”
—Lindsay Geller, WH life & love editor 

Price: $19.99/month

If you looked at fitness through pastel-colored sunnies, you’d see obé. Pick classes (which clock in at a lunch break-friendly 30 minutes) as you please—or take on a training program like Endorphins (30 days of mood boosting, ’80s inspired dance cardio and aerobics) or Harder AF (four weeks building strength, power, and endurance). All of obé’s curated collections of cardio and strength classes range from seven to 30 days and keep you moving and grooving towards results. 

Price: $27/month

“I love how easy the Brrrn app is to navigate. You can choose workouts according to how much time you have, and you’re not limited to workouts that use the slide [Brrrn’s signature board perf for lateral movements]. There’s breathwork, yoga, and bodyweight exercises, too. Once you’re in a workout, you can also change the music genre and adjust the volume without interfering with the trainer’s instructions.”
—Jasmine Gomez, WH assistant editor

Price: $9.99/month

“Samantha Jade’s calming energy is something I look forward to—and I always feel visibly relaxed and have a more positive outlook after her classes. Her platform offers a pilates-yoga hybrid that’s great for toning those often-forgotten teeny-tiny muscles. She also focuses on safety and form, which I really appreciate.”
—Madeline Howard, WH editorial assistant 

Price: $29.99/month

Slip the Wondercise Tracker Band on your wrist (or use an Apple Watch or Garmin device), and you can track every move you make during strength training, HIIT, tai-chi, and yoga classes. Tap into the app for training data like heart rate, sleep, steps, and more to log your progress and see where you may be able to level up your game.

Price: $4.99/month

Team Body Project is a one-stop shop for comprehensive workout programs that are designed to be sustainable (they progress quickly enough for you to see results but not so quickly that you burn out) and fun for anyone new to the whole working out thing. Stream from over 400 classes—from boxing to resistance training—and get ready to fall in love with moving your body. 

Price: $20/month

Nike trainer and fitness instructor Ash Wilking, CPT, brings all the good vibes you need to power through her sweat-dripping cardio, strength, and kickboxing sessions. Her abs workouts are chock-full of creative moves that’ll sculpt your core from all angles. 

Price: $12.99/month

Samsung Health makes it as easy to jumpstart a healthy habit as it is to browse Netflix. The platform links up to Samsung Smart TVs and broadcasts real-time workout stats like activity time and calories burned while you stream sessions from popular brands like obé and Calm. No TV? No prob. You can track everything under the sun with the app: workouts, sleep, meals, fitness goals, and more.

Price: FREE

Being a performance athlete isn’t just about getting swole—it’s about strengthening your mind, too. Under Armour Performance Academy delivers audio and visual mental exercises for your daily mindfulness practice—and pros like Michael Phelps swear by it.

Price: FREE

OpenFit has an on-demand workout for everybody—seriously. Check out the platform’s new 4 Weeks of Focus program to virtually sweat it out with Shay Mitchell as she tackles 30-minute full-body workouts five days a week for a month. Consider that reset button pressed.

Price: $10/month

Calling all moms and moms-to-be! If you’re already a fan of fitfluencer Emily Skye, you’ll love the latest workout programs on her app Emily Skye Fit. FIT Pregnancy breaks down specialized exercise plans for each trimester, while her FIT Post-Pregnancy program is designed to help you rebuild strength.

Price: $19.99/month

For the past year, Good Day has brought what used to be their in-studio classes into your home—digitally, of course. You’ll experience new prop-free classes each week across the studio’s signature categories, like Good Athlete, Good Flow, Good Recovery. The workouts are challenging and are rooted in physical therapy to help you feel calm, strong, and connected.

Price: $20/week

Ready to one-two punch away the day’s frustrations? Rumble TV offers everything there is to love about the electric, boxing-inspired workouts Rumble made famous—rounds of intense, full-body cardio and strength drills—from the comfort of your home.

Price: $29/month

Want to move that booty in Carnival-inspired dance and sculpt classes set to Caribbean soca music? Created by former WH Next Fitness Star Selena Watkins, Socanomics is the go-to for an empowering dance therapy sesh. There’s more to it than dance, though. With loads of live and on-demand classes to choose from, you can balance your chakras in an invigorating vinyasa flow, too.  

Price: $50/month for on-demand classes, $75/month for live and on-demand classes

Melissa Wood Health brings a mindful approach to movement. Her method uses controlled, low-impact yoga and pilates-style movements to sculpt your bod. Membership to her platform includes two new workouts a week, plus access to the full workout library, which also includes pre- and postnatal courses and meditations. 

Price: $9.99/month

Who better to learn pullups from than an America Ninja Warrior? Pullup expert and trainer Angela Gargano, CPT, offers core, full-body, and (duh) pullup workout programs on her platform. Her 30-day Pull Up Revolution program features functional movements, drills, and other important advice that’ll help you build the strength, grip, and form you need to finally nail that pullup.

Price: $150 for Pull Up Revolution program

At $5 a day, Future is an accessible way to get one-on-one virtual personal training from quality instructors. First, the app matches you with a coach based on your fitness goals and the teaching style you vibe with. Then, you’ll work together on weekly training plans designed around you and your space, track goals, and more. Plus, you can text or video message your coach anytime!

Price: $149/month

Celeb trainer Amanda Kloots adds new easy-to-follow dance cardio and toning classes that radiate with positivity to her fitness app each week. Don’t miss her jump rope videos or two-minute interval workouts for a fast-but-deadly burn. 

Price: $19.99/month

Take your next virtual workout to the beach with your favorite workout duo, Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott of Tone It Up. Whether you opt for a 10-minute kettlebell sequence or chef it up with their simple healthy recipes, the app will get you up and moving (and get your inner Cali girl glowing).

Price: $14.99/month

DanceBody Live streams daily from their New York studios and offers a library of dance cardio workouts to choose from when you just gotta bust a move on your living room floor. If you’re not quite sold on the whole dance workout thing, don’t worry; you can try before you buy with a selection of free workouts.

Price: $34.99/month

Yoga teacher and body positivity advocate Jessamyn Stanley’s The Underbelly is the inclusive, self-affirming, beginner-friendly yoga platform we all need. Opt for foundational tracks, flows for motivation or loneliness, how-tos breaking down basic postures, and other content to cultivate true self-love and mindfulness. 

Price: $9.99/month

bande makes sweating more social, bringing high-end, live boutique fitness classes to your home that are loaded with interactive features. Members are encouraged to turn their video on during the livestream classes for real-time adjustments, and they can also chat with each other and instructors in the platform, mimicking the energy and community aspect of in-person group fitness classes

Price: $30/month starter plan (4 livestream classes/month), $180/month for unlimited classes

On Le Sweat TV, you’ll find a slew of strength and conditioning-based workouts taught by powerhouse trainer Charlee Atkins, CPT. Her app makes it easy to find routines focused on specific body parts or types of equipment. And while there are plenty of great classes that use dumbbells, kettlebells, and yoga blocks, Charlee offers a ton of bodyweight options, too.

Price: $16.99/month

This famously-quiet bike trainer is compatible with most sets of wheels and is pre-assembled so that you can just open the box, hook up the back end of your bike, and put the pedal to the metal.

Price: $849.99

To satisfy your travel bug, the Hydrow rowing machine transport you to picturesque waterways around the world—and the feel of this machine makes it feel like you’re actually rowing through the Scottish Highlands one morning and then New Hampshire’s scenic Lake Winnipesaukee the next. Plus, that immersive 22-inch HD screen also gives you access to over 2,000 live and on-demand workouts.

Price: $2,245, plus $38/month membership to access classes

Carbon, the latest complete home training system, takes your performance seriously. Complete with Bluetooth-enabled Smart Weights that track your reps and a fitness mirror that streams workouts and monitors your movement, there’s no half-assing happening here. Not only does the mirror’s AI and motion-tracking technology keep tabs on your form and progress, but it also recommends workouts accordingly. Hello, future.

Price: Carbon Trainer (mirror) starts at $2,295, Smart Weights start at $979, plus $39/month membership to access tracking features and on-demand classes

With the NordicTrack Vault, there’s little reason to ever step into a gym again. You can pretty much stash all the equipment you’d ever need inside (think dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more). The front of this space-saving gear storage system functions as your very own workout mirror, which streams workouts that’ll put all your cool new equipment to work.

Price: From $1,999, plus $15/month iFit membership 

Training while traveling? Take ARENA with you. You can adjust the resistance on this smart platform’s cable to anything up to 200 pounds from an app on your phone, so you can churn out everything from biceps curls to deadlifts with the exact resistance you need. The setup comes with a few different attachments, like a straight handlebar and an ankle strap so you can mix-and-match all sorts of exercises. 

Price: $1,999

DDR upgrade, anyone? This interactive platform turns your boxing chops into a fiery game. The key? Timing your punches and jabs to the beat of the music. Sharpening your punching force and accuracy has never been so fun. 

Price: From $1,495, plus $29/month membership to access workouts and playlists 

Treadmills have traditionally taken up major real estate in your home, but—get this—you can fold the Treadly 2 and *stash it under your bed*. Really. The super minimalist tread features Bluetooth speakers, a handrail with speed controls, and a complementary app-slash-fitness-community where you can join live member-led workouts and and chat with other users.

Price: From $849

The Technogym MyRun makes it possible to become a better runner without leaving the comfort and privacy of your home. Its wide, adaptive running surface absorbs impact better than most belts, making it easier on your joints. Sync it to the Technogym Live app and place your phone tablet on the tread to access workouts with trainers, music, heart-rate tracking, and more. 

Price: $2,980 

Drink. More. Water. We get it, it’s a common refrain—slow your eye roll! Thankfully, the HidrateSpark smart water bottle will help you finally reach your daily H2O goals. On the Hidrate app, you can create a daily water goal based on factors like age, elevation, and exercise, and select how often you want reminders. Not only does the insulated stainless steel bottle keep liquids cold for up to 24 hours, but it also blinks when it’s time to drink up.

Price: From $59.99

“From real-time weather map overlays warning you that a storm is heading your way to alerts that notify you if you’re veering off-trail—and downloadable trail deets for navigating service-free areas—the upgrades you get with AllTrails’ PRO version go a long way in making you feel safe and savvy during your outdoor adventures.”
—Lauren Del Turco, Women’s Health fitness & wellness editor 

Price: $2.50/month

Whether you’re backpacking in another country, don’t have access to clean water, or just want to be extra careful, the Crazy Cap purifies H2O in it and cleans itself all at once. The cap releases UV rays every four hours, killing off bacteria, mildew, and other yucky stuff. Another perk? A reusable bottle like this helps you cut down on plastic waste—always a win. 

Price: $69.95

These auto-tinting goggles take you from shadowy patches into full-on sunshine without a single squint. They use solar power to quickly and seamlessly adjust their lens so that, instead of waiting for your eyes to adjust to the mountain’s changing conditions, you can focus on the task at hand: tackling the slopes. 

Price: $450

With the OtterBox AirPods Pro Lumen Series Case, gone are the days of losing your earbuds in the bottom of a backpack and wondering how rough-and-tough the little beans actually are. This case has a grippy edge and can clip onto a carabiner so you’ll always have your AirPods handy (and protected!) when you’re out and about.

Price: $34.95

The Polar Grit X Watch is like traveling with a park ranger and trainer all in one. The multi-sport watch is lightweight but tough enough to weather extreme temperatures and humidity and comes equipped GPS and real-time route guidance. Plus, its cool FuelWise feature pings you with handy reminders to help you maintain energy and hydration levels during your treks and long training sessions.

Price: $429.95

These fast, lightweight sneakers have a grippy foam outsole for a speedy, comfortable ride without the extra weight of the rubber used in most shoes. Connect them to the MapMyRun app for real-time feedback on performance metrics like cadence so you can nail your technique and fly through those miles even quicker.  

Price: $160

Garmin is king when it comes to bike computers, and the Edge 130 Plus not only keeps you on the right track, but also keeps you safe. Navigation lets you know when to turn, and performance insights gauge your effort while you’re pedaling up those tough hills. If the device detects an accident, it sends your location to emergency contacts, and friends can also follow along on your course via LiveTrack.

Price: $199.99

Transport yourself to a faraway land (virtually, of course!), with the Oculus Quest 2. The VR games are just plain fun, and you probs won’t notice you worked up a sweat until the goggles come off. Opt for Supernatural for hundreds of full-body workouts heavy on the squats, lunges, and arm movements ($19/month), or FitXR, a boxing and dance fitness game ($9.99/month) 

Price: $299, games sold separately

The latest buds from Bose are kind of a big deal. Instead of going in your ears like typical earbuds, they rest on top of the natural curve of your ear, so you can hear your music while still keeping tabs on the outside world, which is, uh, kind of important. They’re also sweat- and weather-resistant to take on even the toughest workouts. 

Price: $199.95

The Nintendo Switch game RingFit Adventure is basically a new and improved version of your beloved ol’ Wii Fit. Strap on a leg band to track your movements, and grab hold of the Ring-Con—an exercise ring that controls in-game movements—to help you defeat enemies (including a bonkers evil dragon) by jumping, jogging, squatting, and more. It’s mostly ridiculous fun, but you’ll start heating up quick.

Price: $79.99 (Nintendo Switch not included)

The holy grail of wearable tech, the Apple Watch SE is like a health coach that also lets you text your mom back mid-workout. The SE has all the features you expect—daily activity trackers, fall detection, heart rate monitoring—but at a lower price point than the glitzy Series 6, especially if you can do without an Always-On Retina display and super advanced specs like measuring blood oxygen levels.

Price: From $279

If you want to track your health stats and look good doing it, the Garmin Lily delivers on both style and function. The watch face lights up when you flick your wrist so you can see heath stats (literally everything from respiration tracking to hydration tracking and oxygen levels) and then disappears when you get back at it. 

Price: $249.99

The Hypervolt GO is the quietest, most portable massage gun you’ve ever seen. Weighing less than two pounds and featuring a smart angled handle, it won’t weigh down your gym bag and is easy to hit those hard-to-reach spots with. 

Price: $199

If most earbuds fall right out or never feel quite snug enough, Ultimate Ears’ UE Fits buds are the solution you’ve been waiting for. Just pop them in and fire up the accompanying app and these high-tech buds literally mold themselves to your ears. Seriously, you’ll have a perfect fit in 60 seconds.

Price: $249

With four attachments that make hitting every cranky spot easy and five customizable speed options, the Theragun Prime pretty much guarantees you get exactly the massage you need to ease tension anywhere on your bod. 

Price: $299

Compatible with iFit-enabled treadmills and Bluetooth heart rate monitors, ActivePulse automatically adjusts the speed on your tread based on your heart rate to help keep you in the proper zone for your particular workout. And you can adjust your resting heart rate, max speed, and target heart rate zones for the ultimate run training optimization.

Price: FREE with iFit-enabled treadmill, like Nordictrack (starting at $1,099) and ProForm (starting at $699)

This little device’s biosensors gauge your body’s response to your meditation so it can then use vibrations, music, and soft light to help you relax and press pause on any distracting thoughts. 

Price: From $149

This gadget works to relieve pain, aid in injury rehab, and release those sweet, sweet endorphins. Just use the accompanying app to properly attach it to your desired muscle, and then deliver the electric stimulation it needs to perform or bounce back. 

Price: From $199

The Coros Apex is a mega power player in the multisport watch game. Boasting a bananas battery life (we’re talking 100 hours to 30 days depending on your settings), the Apex also has a range of training and navigation features, including an algorithm that learns your running stride to provide accurate data and tracking in moments when you lose your GPS signal.

Price: $299.99

Meet the sleekest and most beautiful fitness tracker on the market. This minimalist ring—seriously, you’ll forget it’s even a tracker—monitors health metrics from the arteries in your finger. It gives you three scores: readiness (tracks daily habits and measures recovery), sleep (analyzes sleep quality), and activity (tracks movement and inactivity) so you can learn exactly what your body needs to thrive.

Price: $299

This med ball works double duty, acting as a virtual trainer and an essential piece of at-home fitness equipment. Choose from six or 10-pound options, and connect the medicine ball to your phone, tablet, or smart TV to stream strength and cardio workouts.

Price: $99

Meet the running buddy you never knew you needed. The Maskfone protects you with PM2.5 filters and features a built-in microphone and earphones so that you can easily listen to music and then call your bestie without any hassle on your next run.

Price: $49.99

If you’re looking for the crispest, most detailed and distortion-free sound, the Sennheiser IE 300 Headphones can’t be beat. It’s almost hard to believe that music can sound that good in earbuds that small, but you’ll feel like you’re in the studio with your favorite artists, not sweating on the tread.

Price: $299.95

AmazFit’s GTS 2E smartwatch offers all the fitness tracking abilities you expect from a wearable (blood-oxygen saturation! Heart-rate monitoring! Stress monitoring!)—without the gigantic price tag. With a battery life of 24 days, 90 different activity modes, and a sleek edge-to-edge watch face, what more could you want? 

Price: $139.99

Heart rate monitors aren’t always easy on the eyes, but you’ll barely notice this one. Slip this Polar monitor on your arm, connect it to your other smart devices, and you’ll log all the data. Bonus: Its swimming mode also tracks your pace and distance, in addition to your heart rate.

Price: $89.95