The Absolute Best Workout Gear and Subscriptions of 2023

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Being physically fit—on any level, big or small—is incredible. Investing in your own health is the one thing every doctor will recommend to every single patient. But going to the gym to actually get fit? Kinda sucks.

If you're in any sort of metropolitan area, a gym at peak hours is insanity. Working out keeps anxiety levels down, but having people in-line breathing down your neck while you use the treadmill just spikes it right back up. Fighting past people taking pictures of themselves in the mirror, talking to a dude in toe shoes about proper squat form, or sitting down in a fully packed sauna? No thanks.

And before anyone comes for me, I love the camaraderie of a gym. There is no other space or hobby that's as uplifting as the gym. That said, nothing makes getting in shape easier than having a full-service workout at home, and these days that is easier than ever. A couple gadgets, free weights, and a good attitude will have you well on your way to a six-pack. Here are some of the best products, services, and subscriptions I've found for getting (and staying) healthy at home, covering different interests, spatial needs, and price points.

Best Fitness Gadgets and Tech Gear

The Guide

The new Peloton Guide helps, well, guide you through at home strength training by just setting the cam right on top of your TV. Peloton is offering several packages, ranging from just the camera for those who already have their weight set up, to a large 800 dollar pack with everything you'll need. One thing is for certain, Peloton continues to drive home workout innovation.

Bike+

The Guide is cool and all, but people still come to Peloton for spin workouts. And the original Peloton was great, but it was admittedly just another stationary bike. The Bike+, however, is so much more. With a pivoting screen and a plethora of classes, workouts, and circuits, this is Peloton's one-stop full-body machine. We haven't found much on the market to compete with it.

Workout Mirror

The price tag is high, but if your goal is to learn strength training, and you don't want to go to the gym and pay for a trainer, this is the next best thing. The Tonal can give you everything a full-service gym gives, and it's great for form coaching without being too hand-holding.

Move

Now this is how you design free weights. Tempo blasted on to the scene with a dual weight storage system and mirror. They reduced that system to a more adorable and more flexible workout cabinet. The Tempo Move stores bars, free weights, and more in a smart cabined that hooks up to a monitor or TV so, you guessed it, can do guided workouts. This is complete with camera systems and health tracking. Plus the weights are made out of one of the most non-threatening rubbery matte materials, helping mitigate damage when we're klutzs or when we whip the weights at the ground because we forget we're not in public.

The Rower

I can safely say this is the prettiest machine on this list. I love rowing, I don't know if it's because I can do it sitting down, or that it feels like a little amusement park ride, but I love it. Take that, combine it with beautiful design, an ergonomic storage system, and a gameified work out, and I'm sold. The regatta can easily store hassle free vertically on a wall, meaning you only give up that precious square footage when your off hours. While the rowing idea is the same, the techonology and workout design adds some clever twists that make the workouts addicting.

Strong Series Rower

We've talked about this rower before, but the short of it is: It's the best home rower out there. It's got good instruction, pre loaded workouts, and stuff to try and make rowing fun. It's everything you'd get from a gym rower, but it's at home.

Commercial 1250 Series

For a very classic treadmill, like the ones people have had in their homes for half a century, NordicTrack makes the best on the market. Trainer-led runs, on-screen entertainment, and the option for up to 12% incline, it's everything most people need and more.

AssaultRunner Pro, Portable

But if you really want to kick your cardio into gear, curved treadmills are the way to go. They're more often used for sprinting, but they can work just as well for distance running. The curve helps you when you're extending that stride for a full sprint, but the track is more heavy duty than other treadmills like the NordicTrack. So, it's also a great option for those worried about joint issues.

Mini

Work out mirrors are weird. Like let's just get it out there. It's like a ghost of resolutions past, and a constant secret reminder that you can always do more. But for those with commitment on lock, Fiture has one of the largest and most immense selections of workouts. And now it's all pushed into a smaller and more space-saving model, making it a perfect all in one guided home workout that can fit anywhere.

MYX II

This bike is more than a regular exercise bike. With the MYX system, you get your usual cycling workouts, along with guides for strength training, pilates, yoga, and beyond. The library of workouts built into the bike's impressively large mobile tablet is expansive, replacing all those personal training sessions and gym classes of years past. The MYX also comes with a set of dumbbells, a kettlebell, and mats to ensure you're fully prepared for all the classes. The best part is that you can always spice up your routine with what seems to be a never-ending supply of new content.

Watch Series 8

Apple practically owns the market on smartwatch tech, and now it's decided to try its hand at an Apple Watch-based fitness subscription service. Apple Fitness+ includes a ton of classes—yoga, pilates, HIIT, and more. It also integrates Apple Music to save you from the oftentimes exhausting music of workout classes. The Apple Watch itself is a phenomenal way to keep your goals in check while we live in this timeless void. You can even share your activity with friends to silently judge or enable each other. Watch paired with subscription is a fantastic tool to stay in shape, especially if you don’t have the space for equipment.

Home Gym Necessities

HOME2 System

Old school! Fuck those fancy AI-powered form coaches. Fuck those mirrors from the future. TRX, which was designed by a former Navy SEAL, is all you need to add endless versatility to your at-home workouts. Chest, back, abs, even legs—you can hit them all with way more time under tension. Plus, you can pack it in the carry bag and take it anywhere.

Slam Ball

Picking up and slamming a heavy ball over and over is an incredible stress reliever... And it's one of the best things you can do for your body. Reasonably fit men can handle 20-25 pounds. Literally toss it in the air or slam it into the ground as many times as possible in 30 minutes. It's an incredible full-body explosive workout.

Jump Rope

We should all take training notes from boxers. Skipping rope is incredible for not just cardio but for training explosive movements from the ground up. Get on your Creed shit and start every workout with 30 minutes of skipping.

Weighted Jump Rope - 1lb.

What's crazy though: Add one pound of weight to a jump rope, and it instantly becomes a much more intense full-body workout. Your arms go sooner, your legs go sooner, your core goes sooner. Adding this as your warm up or finisher will give you all the explosive benefits of a regular rope, but it'll melt away fat as well.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

Chances are you have a pair of dumbbells lying around somewhere, and if not, plenty of places are shipping these bad boys for cheap. Toss on some music, get pumped, and do bicep curls or overhead press or any of the thousands of exercises you can do with dumbbells. This Bowflex pair saves a ton of weight, and using them could not be any simpler. You pick up weight, move around a bit, and get stronger.

Adjustable Weighted Vest, 30 lb

A weighted vest feels really intense, but it's by far the easiest way to make anything a workout. And this weight vest is the best I've found for any application. The compact build makes it the most secure I've used for running and calisthenics. But since it sits above your abdomen, it really, really works your core. Put it on when you're cleaning the house on Sunday morning, and sweeping, dusting, and vacuuming will blast your obliques. Or, put it on for a Saturday stroll and work your legs. It's hilarious how useful this vest can be.

Oh, and it's also adjustable in increments of 3lbs. So, don't be intimidated by the weights. Lowering the weight down to zero takes all of 30 seconds.

Kettlebells

Kettlebells, like dumbbells, are great. Easy to use and made for repetitions, they keep you on track with your workout without hurting you—no spotters necessary. They're hard to mess up. I personally love these pick-up-and-go workouts, which you can do for 10 minutes or an hour, based on your free time. The kettlebell design lends itself to different moves than the dumbells, with many centered around the lower back. Since I'm working from my living room, the best thing this bell did for me was crack the ever-loving shit out of my spine after a six-hour couch session.

Best Recovery and Tracking Tech

RecoveryTherm Cube

Ditch the Icy-Hot. Throw away your ice packs and heating pads. Therabody has made a lovely little device for contrast therapy. This little cube will cool and melt away pain anywhere on the body, thanks to a surprisingly large and versatile strap.

Plus, hot-cold contrast therapy is one of the longest running forms of recovery out there. Saunas have been in Northern Europe for thousands of years, and for most of that time those guys have been doing the shit where they go from sauna into the snow and back again. It's amazing for your circulation, and it's the perfect way to target specific aches and pains.

Hypervolt 2 Pro Heat Pack

Get the benefits of a full massage and heat therapy at the same time. Hyperice's newest update to its percussive massager is a heated head attachment. I didn't think it would be an incredibly big upgrade on what's already a pretty good massage gun, but wow... The extra heat really changes everything. It loosens you up, and lets the massager blast away aches and pains.

Dara Smart Scale

I will start off by saying: Don't get a scale. The last thing any of us needs to worry about is weight. You know how your body feels, and with regular exercise, you will feel better. That's what's important.

With that said, if you want a scale, this is the one. The Dara scale tracks progress, while also providing a vast amount of information about weight, hydration, muscle mass, fat levels, body age, and more to both help you figure out how to shape a diet and exercise plan, and also convince you to give yourself a break on things that are out of your control. The app does a great job of motivating, as opposed to making you feel any sort of shame. If you're going to add a masochistic stressor to your life, and it's a scale during a time of self-isolation and peak Uber Eats orders, then at least get one that tries to be supportive.

Best Fitness Apps and Subscriptions

Moves App

Alo isn't just the status wear of Equinox locations across the country, it's also got a great trainer-led workout app. If you're not exactly sure what you want from a workout subscription, or if you know you want a bit of everything, Alo Moves is perfect. There's programs for everything from strength training to yoga to self-care. Everyone can find something that fits their plan.

6 Bodyweight

Your bodyweight is free, but figuring out how to find the burn with just bodyweight is a little bit funny. It involves increasingly difficult versions of the same move, and sometimes progress can be tough to visualize. The Onnit 6 program is the best foundational bodyweight program we've found in a long time. Not since the early 2000s heydey of P90X and Insanity, has there been such a great building block of bodyweight exercise.

You Might Also Like

• Kid Cudi Is All Right

• 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks