Just because it gets a little cold or wet outside doesn’t mean you-should retire to your couch and slack off, or grow a new love handle with each latte. There’s always the gym, but getting there can be a struggle all on its own. So, if you’re considering building a home gym, this indoor fitness-gear is a good place to start. Related: Best fitness gadgets and tech to get you into shape You’ll need more than just weights to keep fit, though. Cardio is a must, and being able to track your progress is just as important and easy to do. Even the scale can help manage your exercise profile. The post that follows covers what you need to reach the next level of physical fitness without leaving the warmth of your house. Withings Smart Scale-($98) Scales can do so much more than point out how many pumpkin lattes you’ve had in the past month. Withings’ offering is much more than a scale; it’s a “Smart Body Analyzer” that can tell you BMI, lean and fat mass, and even heart rate, in addition to the expected poundage. It connects to an iOS or Android app via Bluetooth, too. You can connect the scale directly to your Wi-Fi network and your My Fitness Pal account. Once connected, you change and track your body measurements and progress via the-Web or app. The scale is not just for one person, either — You can add as many as eight people to the mix. Step on the scale barefoot, and it recognizes you based on weight. For users who weigh nearly the same, the scale will show an image of the possible users, and let you choose-a-profile with a subtle shift in weight.-The Web version of Withings and the app display-your goals, graph-your-weight and mass changes, as well as showcase heart rate and air quality. An recent update added local weather forecasts, step counting, and — probably most importantly — the freedom to change the data display order. With this wealth of features, the Withings Smart Body Analyzer is a good bookend for any daily workout regimen. Available from: Amazon-Best Buy-Target Fitbit Aria-($110) Smarter than the average scale, the Aria is as smart as Withing’s Analyzer, with the added benefit of working with Fitbit. It tracks weight, body mass index, fat percentage, lean mass, and all the next-level metrics we expect from a next-level scale. Stats sync wirelessly over Wi-Fi in a similar setup to other top-notch scales. However, other scales don’t necessarily connect to Fitbit. If you already use a Fitbit to track your daily activity and you’re looking for a smart scale, Aria is a natural choice. The results sync to your Fitbit dashboard, giving you a more complete picture of your health and physical changes than a smart scale or activity tracker can provide on its own. Available from: Amazon-Best Buy Walmart Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE-($1,337) Not every piece of fitness equipment has to connect to the cloud. Bowflex’s home gym is a solid setup for the house with the variety of exercises it offers. With an angled lat bar and a leg extension, no part of your body is left out. The multiple pulley system means no changing cables for different workouts, or having to-hassle while-keeping your heart rate up during your routine. The Bowflex is about as compact as a full home gym gets, but it’s still a hefty beast. It takes up an 8 x-6-foot area and weighs in at 185 pounds. Unless you have a really large living room, you’re going to want to put this behemoth in its own dedicated space. Available from: Amazon Bowflex Fitness Superstore Tacx Neo Smart Trainer-($1,600) The Neo won best accessory at Eurobike 2015. It’s one a fold-up direct-drive setup. You remove your rear wheel and attach your bike directly to the trainer. This direct attachment lends itself to higher torque, so that you can recreate the feeling of hitting a hill. Another benefit of this setup is that it’s as quiet as a whisper – or at least, as quiet as your bike. You’re going to hear shifting and the noise of your chain, but that’s about it. No pissing off the new neighbors. No new trainer would be complete without some sort of connectivity, and the Neo Smart doesn’t disappoint. Equipped with both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart, it can simultaneously display data on sports watches and bike computers, with the option to-connect to Tacx apps. You can even ride real routes you’ve actually done outdoors, or just rock to a particular setting and follow a pre-made workout. Of course, you don’t have to connect it to anything, and it will still give you good exercise. It won’t, however, speed up on simulated downhills the way it will when connected. Available from: Amazon Wahoo Kickr Snap-($700) This is one of the best options for a trainer that keeps your wheels on. It uses a high-inertia flywheel to turn your bike into a trainer, so it’s a good option if you still want to ride your bike indoors and out. The Kickr Snap connects to the Wahoo fitness app, Zwift, Velo, and a slew of other fitness apps available-from the App Store and Google Play. You can also control the resistance and check your measurements using your PC or Mac, along with the iOS and Android device of choice.-If you use Wahoo Fitness, the app brings together your data from external runs, and lets you send data to Strava, RunKeeper, MapMyFitness, Garmin Connect, Nike+, and more. This includes data from an external heart rate monitor. Available from: Wahoo Fitness Competitive Cyclist Colorado Cyclist Next Page:-Five more pieces of great fitness gear Peloton Bike-($2,000) If spinning is your thing, but the trip to the gym is not, the Peloton bike could be a good match for you. While you can watch rides via your tablet or phone on other bikes, the Peloton setup makes that whole process easier, and lands-you a seat-in some of the most exclusive spinning classes in New York City. Well, a virtual seat, via a-built-in touchscreen. Purchasing the-bike does require-a year’s subscription to Peloton online classes, though, which you can connect to and stream using Wi-Fi. Each class-comes with leaderboards, and if you want, you can chime in using the built-in mic and headphone connection.-The subscription is also good for unlimited access, meaning you can have multiple accounts for everyone in your-home. The bike even touts-ANT+ connectivity for third-party monitors, so you can use that heart rate band you already have or grab one from Peloton. Available from: Peloton NordicTrack-C630-($650) The NordicTrack C630 was designed-for tablets and features a cradle to hold one. The company’s treadmill-is a good choice for fitness fanatics who use iFit, the fitness platform with its own wearables and training programs. The C630 is iFit integrated, meaning you can-download routes that shuffle you through-the virtual streets using-Google Street View. Moreover, it features an incline function-that will automatically adjust to match the terrain. Keep in mind an iFit premium membership is 10-bucks a month, or $100 a year. Available from: Sears NordicTrack PowerBlock Elite 90-($600) No gym would be complete without a set of dumbbells. The PowerBlock Elite 90 are-a stackable set that let you add or take away weight with a u-pin, so you can go for as little as five, or as much as 90 pounds. The weights are conveniently color-coded to help you see-how much you’re lifting at a glance. Their compact and logical design allows you to stack them neatly in the corner when not in use. Available from: Amazon PowerBlock Kmart Xbox with Kinect and fitness games-($400) It may seem silly, but fitness games can actually be fun and get you fit. There are a few options for virtual athletic training out there, but the most versatile are the Wii U with Wii Fit and the-Xbox One with Kinect. Nike+ for the Xbox One uses the Kinect’s motion sensing abilities to track your movement, and though the graphics aren’t the most polished, it links to the Nike online community. If you already have an Xbox One, it’s a pretty inexpensive fitness option, considering-new games typically run for less than $60.-Xbox Fitness lets you create a goal-based workout plan, pick from a roster of famous trainers, and exercise to improve your numbers. Leaderboards add to the gamification of a good workout. Just make-sure you have the TV set up in a big, open space with a high ceiling. Available from: Amazon Toys R Us-Best Buy Trigger Point Grid X Roller-($37) After really rough workouts, some personal trainers recommend using a foam roller to stretch out tight muscles and prevent soreness. They’re also used for physical therapy, and frankly, Trigger Point makes some of the best. The Grid X is dense enough to stretch quads, hams, lats, back and calves, and some of the tougher, larger muscles. Best of all, it’s easy to pack away considering it measures a mere 5 inches wide and 13 inches long. Available from: Amazon-REI Walmart



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