Winter can put a freeze on your normal health and fitness regimen. After shoveling snow, negotiating black ice and going a few rounds with Old Man Winter, a brandy and cider next to a roaring fire sounds better than a high-intensity interval session.
Alas, when that sedentary lifestyle lasts until spring, you’re left with a permanent winter coat. Tsk, tsk, good sirs. Hibernation is for bears, blubber is for whales and man has evolved beyond winter weight.
So we’ve gathered some simple exercise equipment and high-tech monitoring devices that’ll help you not just survive the elements, but come out of them hardier than ever.
1. Smart Rope / Tangram Factory / $79
The simplest fitness device gets an LED upgrade. Your jump count is displayed in front of your eyes with each revolution, so you can focus on correct form instead of counting. This is the best thing to happen to skipping rope since Rocky.
2. Michael Kors Access Crosby Activity Tracker / Michael Kors / $95
A rubber bracelet will never be an acceptable accessory in a suit. But cocktail party or not, those steps must be counted. This activity tracker’s stylish combination of steel and silicone shows fitness doesn’t have to be informal. Plus, the Apple HealthKit and Google Fit compatibility means you can upgrade without upsetting your routine.
3. Elite Pro Fight Glove / Everlast /$150
Too many men go their whole lives without learning to throw a real punch. While mixed martial arts is having a moment in the sports spotlight, boxing will never go out of style. Neither will these gloves. If carrying them around makes you feel like Ali, just think about how you’ll feel once you learn how to use them.
4. Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle / Thermos / $54
Looking out on the falling snow from frost-coated windows, it’s tempting to drink hot coffee all day and sit by the fire sipping whiskey all night. But your body needs water in the winter more than ever. Instead of gulping down a few glasses before bed, let your water bottle remind you throughout the day.
5. YOGO Ultra 2.0 / YOGO / $88
Let’s be honest: one of yoga’s biggest deterrents is the fact that you have to wield a slippery scrap of rubber that invariably comes in a color reserved for flowers around town with you. Not this one. It’s got a more rugged vibe and folds up to the size of a newspaper. Commute with confidence.
6. C-Series Classic Blender / Vitamix / $249
Throw in greens, citrus and protein for a daily smoothie that’ll help you kickstart your day sans caffeine. Throw in broth, hearty vegetables and seafood to make a chowder better than any you’ll find in any can. Throw in hot soap and water to easily clean it. Throw out that blender you inherited from your in-laws.
7. PORTABLE KETTLEBELL™ Lite / Portable Kettlebell / $40
Our gyms spoil us. When the snow buries us in at home or holidays send us to unfamiliar territory, our workout routine devolves into half-hearted crunches and limp push-ups (if that). So fill up these portable kettlebells with whatever you’ve got around, shovel your way out of the snowpocalypse, then follow that cardio with some goblet squats.
8. Body Cardio Scale / Withings / $180
In the age of fitness goals that extend beyond losing a couple notches on the ol’ belt, your dad’s scale becomes obsolete. Starting with weight and adding fat, muscle, water and bone mass measurement, this device gives you a comprehensive picture of your health. The clincher is the readings of your pulse wave velocity (i.e. artery health), a necessity in months that lend themselves to artery clogging.
9. The Dude Diet Cookbook / by Serena Wolf / $15
Author and chef Serena Wolf put this together to save her boyfriend from death. Both the early physical death forecasted from his red meat and white bread diet, and also the spiritual death he believed would follow a change in his eating habits. Now you can make “Taco Bell” tacos and jalapeño poppers without feeling guilty, and with ingredients a normal person has in his kitchen.
10. Tespo System Vitamin Dispenser / Tespo / $129
You carefully consider the pros and cons of organic, farm-raised and non-GMO meats, so why do you still blindly buy vitamins? Pills have additives, drinks have preservatives, and if you’re still eating gummies — we need to talk. Take a shot every morning, know what’s going in your body and brave the elements.
