Six of the Best: Fitness Gadgets

If you have ever gone running and forgot your iPod you’ll know how important music is to keep you motivated and your pace going strong. AudioFuel takes things one step further by creating soundtracks that help match the beat of the music to your stride, from 125 beats per minute right up to a punishing 200 bpm. There are short runs for beginners (around 30 min), longer runs (an
hour) for those training for half or full marathons and interval training to help really blast that fat. You can also choose the ‘with coaching’ option which intermittently talks to you, helping you stay motivated throughout your run.
AudioFuel , from £10

The easiest way to fail at a new fitness regime is to set yourself a goal that is too tough to meet. Create a mini gym at home with Everlast’s Workout Set. This way if you can’t face going all the way to the gym (like you promised you would), you’ll be able to do a session, however short, at home.
The set includes a fitness ball, mat, skipping rope, thigh toner, exercise wheel (to strengthen your core) and two 5lb dumbells. It’s great value for money too.
Everlast Workout Set, £30.63 at Argos

If your boyfriend has an Xbox and you can tear him away from playing Call of Duty, the Kinect with Your Shape Fitness Evolved is well worth investing in.
The Kinect tracks 50,000 points on your body so as you are working out the Xbox can feedback on any areas that you need to improve. There is the Personal Trainer option which takes you through a series of workouts just as you would in the gym or choose from fitness classes including boxing and yoga; there is also a selection of fun games that help you get fit too. You can also download new workouts from Xbox live so you’ll never get bored.
Kinect, around £127; Your Shape Fitness Evolved, around £45 at Amazon.co.uk

If your bum and thighs are your main points of concern then the Thigh Glider is great for toning these areas. Place your knees into the pads and roll them out along the tracks, while large elastic bands on the machine add resistance. You really feel the burn on your bum, thighs and even your tummy, while the free DVD includes exercises for your lower body, as well as your arms which you can work simultaneously. Be warned though, this comes flat packed and it’s a little fiddly to build, but it’s worth the effort in the end.
Thigh Glider, £129.95 at John Lewis

Thought your iPhone was just for entertainment, think again; it can moonlight as your personal trainer too. iTunes is chock full of free and reasonably priced apps to help you with your fitness, everything from yoga and pilates to mat work and aerobics. ELLE’s top two, one for cardio and another for toning: first is the British Military Fitness app which offers army-inspired workouts which can be done in your local park, there are so many variations of workout with lunges, sit-ups, squats, and more, on the app you’ll never get bored. Second is Nicole Stuart’s QE Squared for Arms, Hips, Abdominals and Butts, each is easy to follow and just 10 minutes, so it’s easy to fit around a busy schedule. Oh and she’s Kate Hudson’s PT so it has the Hollywood seal of approval.
British Military Fitness app, £2.99 Nicole Stuart’s QE Squared apps, £1.19 each at the iTunes store

This is another handy running tool. For anyone training for a race you’ll want to be able to see your time, pace and distance at the glance of a watch and the GPS-enabled Forerunner 210 does exactly that. It also records your calories burned and your heartbeats per minute so you know when you have reached that all important fat-burning zone. After each run you can upload the data so you can keep track of your progress online.
Top Tip: to find what your fat-burning zone is Matt Roberts says you need to use this equation: 220 - your age = maximum heart rate, your FBZ is 65-70% of your maximum heart rate.

Garmin Forerunner 210, £229