Some of the must-have fitness gears with every fitness fanatic are listed below:

1. Fitness Tracker:

Top of the list, hands down. Fitness trackers are a must have fitness gear for people who workout regularly. It helps you set goals, track them and stay motivated. With the mapping of several fitness trackers with mobile Apps, they have become a great socializing tool too.

          My fascination with fitness gadgets began around 2 years ago when I started hitting the 21km distance in Marathons. When you are running for over 2 hours, suddenly any weight on you feels like an unnecessary weight. Especially a mobile phone. When I bonded with a few pro runners and observed their running routines, I noticed that many of them even ran barefoot forget running with mobiles. I still can’t dare run barefoot. That’s just not my thing but yes I got more and more determined to run without a mobile.

         The solution then was a fitness tracker or a GPS watch for me. I have been running with the Timex MoveX for over a year now and I can safely say that it is as close to accuracy as a timing chip during Marathons. Fitbit, however, is certainly a better alternative, if it fits your budget that is. For suggestions on activities to track, try out this 12-week guide.

2.  Shoes: 

And no, please never use the same set of shoes for all your fitness activities. The same kind of shoes doesn’t help you at the gym, the running track or a dance floor. Know the activity and adapt the shoes you are using as your fitness gear.

        Running, for instance, is such an impact sport. Injuries are fairly common to ankles and knees especially. Decrease the chances by choosing the right shoes. Any regular runner will tell you that you never do a marathon in a new shoe. Try it before, in fact, wear it down a little. That way it gets softer and expands better when your feet swell from heat sometimes.

Apart from this, also consider the right clothes. Being comfortable is more important than looking fancy at the gym or at the swimming pool. Avoid clothes that are too tight at the waist or on thighs.

3. Skip Rope: 

If you have been following my blogs, I mentioned my love for skip ropes before. It is a must-have simply because of its portability. You can take it anywhere and use it anytime. In today’s time of never-ending rat race lifestyle, skip rope helps you squeeze in a quick 20-minute workout any time of the day.

         It provides healthy cardio and it provides a really fun workout. At least it takes me back to my childhood all the time.

4. Weighing Scale: 

Ideally, working out should never be about weight gain or weight loss. It should be focused towards building stamina. Loss or gain happens in the process of it, combined with the diet you choose. But nevertheless, a weighing scale can give you much-needed motivation and a goal to reach every-time you drift away from the workout habit.

    Needless to say, having a scale ensures that you check your weight consistently on the same scale every-time and it is consistent in terms of measurement.

5. Supplements: 

And I am not talking about the fake and processed ones. Everyone needs some nutrient supplement or the other to improve and balance their chosen diet. No exercise can magically shape your body without you putting an effort to maintain a good diet as well. Go for organic supplements and focus on the ones that come from best of brands.

There are few other things too that can be added to this list including Yoga Mat, Weights or Medal-Hanger if you run a lot of marathons like me, etc.

-ShiningPoornima.