People ask me all the time about exercise tech. Do I have any tools, gadgets, gizmos, or devices I’m using or would recommend? After all, the world of fitness tech has exploded. There are things you can strap on, attach to your body, loop around your wrist, or wear on your finger that all claim to make getting fit easier and more enjoyable (and more trackable).
I don’t see the point. If I ever need a device to tell me if I had a great workout or if I’m sleepy or not, it’s time to throw in the towel.
You can spend $1000 on a smartwatch with a $30 a month subscription fee plus Strava, plus Peloton workout subscription, plus the new model every year, plus the smart ring, plus the heart rate variability monitor, plus the meditation app subscription to help you get that HRV back up… or you could spend good money on a high-quality piece of equipment that will last forever and make training enjoyable again.
These are my picks.
Get a good watercraft.
Maybe it’s a kayak. Maybe it’s a standup paddle board. Maybe it’s a surfboard or windsurfing rig. Most people reading this will have some level of water access—and I urge you all to avail yourselves of it. There’s nothing quite so Primal and human as traversing a natural body of water. Spend as much as you’re comfortable, and don’t be afraid to buy used.
My personal recommendation is a standup paddleboard from Starboard. Hard board, if you have the storage for it.
Get a good adventure bike.
I say “adventure bike” because while you can take a mountain or fat tire bike out on the road, you can’t take a road bike on the trails or sand. I know, I know, riding a mountain bike or fat tire bike on the road isn’t “optimal” or “efficient,” but this is all about fun, and having a bike that can go almost everywhere is far more conducive to fun than a bike designed for only one specific type of environment.
I’m partial to Trek for both mountain and fat tire bikes. I have a Trek Farley I use twice a week minimum on Miami Beach, and it’s probably my favorite bike I’ve ever owned. And yes, it works on the street.
Get a good weight vest or rucksack.
For as long as hominids have been bipeds, we’ve been supporting heavy loads and walking for miles underneath them. A million years ago, it was the haunch of an antelope we successfully stole from a larger predator thrown over the shoulder. 2000 years ago, it was 50 pounds of armor, weapons, and personal affects piled on our backs on some campaign in the Mediterranean. Whether you were a farmer, explorer, naturalist, prospector, soldier, or parent, you were carrying heavy things while walking across the environment.
Some call this rucking, some call it loaded carries. The point is that we are designed to carry heavy loads and walk. It’s the entire reason why we have opposable thumbs (for grabbing) and bipedalism (to free up our hands and give us an upright posture that can better support a load).
I recommend GoRuck if you want to ruck and Aduro if you want a weight vest. They go up to 30 pounds, so if you want heavier, I’d go with Rogue.
A gym membership.
For the price of a high end fitness watch, Peloton bike, fancy treadmill, indoor rower, and all the other doodads you want, with monthly subscriptions for all of them, you could find a great gym with a sauna, pool, cold plunge, extensive free and machine weight collection and cardio equipment and, most importantly, a pool of interesting members you can socialize with. I’ve met many great friends and business partners at the gym, and they’re often what kept me coming back day in and day out.
Get good footwear.
Footwear is everything. It’s how we interact with the world and how we generate force—by pushing off to start the battle against gravity. No matter what exercise or sport or activity you’re doing, your kinetic chain starts with the feet. If you’re starting with suboptimal footwear, you’re short-changing yourself.
I recommend Peluva, of course—my own footwear brand that I built from the ground up to be the closest approximation to actually going barefoot. I’d love it if we could go barefoot everywhere, but the modern world we’ve built simply doesn’t allow it. Most of the surfaces we walk, run, and move across aren’t meant for bare feet.
What would you add to the list?
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.
Love your recommendations and I’d add one that pays for itself very quickly: A quality set of resistance bands. I shrugged them off for quite some time, but now they are a key part of my strength workouts. Anytime and anywhere…