Fitness has been a wildly varied industry recently, and we can reasonably expect the change to continue and evolve. How it works for us as individuals will probably change often and unexpectedly in some cases.
In recent years, I was in the best shape of my life. I went to the gym at least 6 days a week. Weight lifting, swimming laps, yoga and core work were staples of my routines. I also went on group cycling rides 1-2 times a week, and ran several times a week as well. At the end of 2016 I was in good enough shape to complete an Ironman Triathlon. That’s 140.6 miles of combined swimming, biking, and running in one day. I felt great, although sometimes some “sports injuries” did make my days a little challenging. Nevertheless, I was in great shape and knew it.
After Ironman, I slowed down. A lot. Ok, full stop. I had “overcommitted” and the burnout was palpable. The thought of putting together a gym bag or protein shake just pissed me off at this point. I had done what I set out to do, accomplished the goal, climbed the moutain, it was now time for a darn break.
That lasted 4 years. Oh, I’ve gotten on the bike a couple times here and there and aimlessly thrown some weights around. Even went to the pool daily for a couple months to swim laps again, trying to get myself back in shape. But these were all short lived ventures, and I have since struggled with motivation.
It turns out that my motivation and commitment had a few other factors. It was a social thing. I would see friends at the gym, we would all say “looking good bro!” and try to squeeze that extra plate or rep in with our friends there. Or cycling with the group of like minded people and chatting somewhere along the 30 mile ride. It was also the routine. I had a “system” for all of these activities that somehow seemed effortless to maintain the gear and prep. But once that system stopped, it’s difficult indeed to reinvent and institute into daily living.
Now it’s harder than ever for me. I needed that social element to drive me into those environments. But there is no gym open to go to, no group rides, no pools to go swim laps in. So now whatever I want to do, I have to do solo, without that societal “push” that I got out of being in those groups. If it wasn’t hard to get myself re motivated before, it sure is now. And I get that I may be the minority in this. A lot of people have thrived with the extra time at home, they grab some weights and just do it. I need a little more structure and guidance, as well as some social elements. So here are a few options that I have found that provide some of each.
Mirror
I don’t have this device, but it sure looks cool. I like that it has a wide variety of workouts programmed into, that include weight training, yoga, HIIT, cardio and more. It’s nice that it shows the proper form in the screen. The system has routines that are personalized and developed from certified trainers, and they provide both motivation and feedback. You get good statistic and progress tracking, and can adjust the routines based on preferences. The statistic tracking helps measure progress toward goals, and seeing that progress meter is definitely motivational. You can also adjust the music playlist to genres you enjoy.
The mirror is also unobtrusive in your home, taking up very little space and not looking like a gym device in your living room. They run $1,495 but do have financing options as well. This does not include the service subscription of $39 per month that gets you access to the routines. The Mirror has a lot of great reviews and sales have definitely been on the rise during 2020. There is also a Mirror Digital app so travelers can access their workouts on tablets or smartphones while away from their home station.
Echelon
Echelon has some terrific products. With Connect Bikes, Smart Rower and Reflect Mirrors, there is no lack of options. Some of their programs have Live Connect sessions with the Echelon Community, so you get that extra competitive push.
Their Reflect Mirror has cardio, strength, pilates, boxing and yoga routines. Starting at a little over $1,000, the system is priced competitively and Echelon also has financing options available on their site.
The Smart Rower offers a total body workout. Many of us have heard about how rowing is one of the most comprehensive workouts out there next to swimming. Their Smart Rower program offers daily live classes and on-demand instruction. Their digital screen also shows scenic rides that are synced to your progress of some neat waterways around the world. The Smart Rower also starts at a little over $1,000 and Echelon has links to financial solutions as well.
The Echelon Connect bike is a direct competitor to what we have seen a lot of in the last few years. Spin class style bikes with screens that connect to live and recorded session, and also offering that competitive element. One nice thing is that Echelon offers 5 different levels of bike that can accommodate different budgets. Their EX1 series starts at $839.98 and again they do have financing options in place.
Peloton
Their is no doubt arguing the influence that Peloton has made on the at-home fitness world in recent years. I first heard of Peloton with their spinning / cycling program. Since then, Peloton has also expanded and now offers a Treadmill and an App program that cover a wide variety of workouts.
You have most likely heard of the Peloton Bike. Designed like a high quality spin studio bike, you definitely get a quality product. One of the biggest draws to the this is not just the quality of the bike, but the engagement of the classes. On Demand session are ready when you are, and there are numerous programs that target different goals such as endurance, power, low impact and high energy.
Peloton Tread is the treadmill system, but it actually is much more than that. First of all, the treadmill itself is well designed. It features a low-impact and shock absorbing slat belt, taking some of that join pain backwards. Also is their Free-To-Fly adjustable know that lets you change speed and incline without breaking your stride. The Tread also has a screen large enough so that you can do your weight or cardio routines within its view and get the benefits of those aspects of the app as well.
The App comes with the All Access Membership associated with the Bike or Tread Owner. So either product gets you access to all of their classes, and there are thousands of them. These classes include strength, yoga, running, cycling, stretching, bootcamps and even meditation. If you aren’t sure about the Peloton equipment, you can get the Peloton Digital membership at $12.99 per month which gives you access to all of those session. And the Digital Membership can be streamed on Apple TV, FireTV, AirPlay, and more. Furthermore, your metrics get saved, and you can also monitor them from your Apple Watch while on the go.
Find what works for you
There are literally thousands of options out there for fitness. In addition to these products, there are lots of mobiles apps with suggested workouts, tracking, and more. And YouTube has tons of yoga classes and motivational videos out there that are easily enough searched. The options above are meant to address the physical fitness, social elements, and having a price invested often gives me motivation to go and “get my moneys worth”. Many of these systems and their digital apps have 30 day free trials. Try them out and see what you think before making a purchase! If you find one that gets you excited to move and you believe you can sustain it, then invest the money and start chasing your goals. At least, that’s my plan.