IIf you’re like me, January will flood your social media feeds with targeted ads for fake fitness equipment, dubious “supplements,” off-the-cuff gadgets, and more. “Get a rippling six-pack while you continue to rot on the couch eating melted camembert,” they might say. Unfortunately, such cases are rare.
The harsh reality is that there are no shortcuts to staying healthy. But certain tools can help you get there…or at least make the process a little less dire. So, we asked ordinary people who want to get in shape about the kit they can’t live without.
Top Rated Fitness Gear of 2025
pull up bar
everlast pull up bar
£10 in studio
£10 at Sports Direct
I think I paid £12 for a pull-up bar during the pandemic and it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. I hung it on the door frame of my home office so that I would do one pull-up every time I entered or left the room. One pull-up turned into two, which turned into three. Now, I practice calisthenics (bodyweight exercises) almost every day, and I recently mastered my first muscle-up. This is essentially a pull-up where you push yourself over a bar, but a few years ago you could only dream of being able to do it. Tim, Leeds
For other methods, To stay fit at home, read our PT-recommended guide to the best home exercise kits
turbo trainer
Wahoo Kickr Snap Turbo Trainer
£249.99 at Cycle Revolution
£149.99 on Amazon
COVID-19 has been a time of change for me. In April 2020, I weighed 21 stone, but through cycling I was able to reduce my weight to 15 stone by 2022. I bought a turbo trainer because I didn’t want to waste any progress over the winter. For those unfamiliar, it’s a device that connects your bike to your laptop, tablet, or smartphone via an app (the one I use is called Zwift), allowing you to ride indoors in a virtual world. is. There are interactive training sessions, workouts, and even races. You can also ride with friends, which is a great way to stay connected. Matt, North Tyneside
running buggy
terrain buggy
£649.99 at Mountain Buggy
Natural Baby Shower for £649.95
I was running competitively before I had kids. Once he arrived, training went out the window. In the end, I took the plunge and bought a running buggy with a lot of features. It was expensive, but it really helped me regain my strength. This also comes in handy as he is able to go out on his own terms again and he often takes naps there. Although I’m still not back to my pre-pregnancy state, it’s great to be able to take my little one to parkrun. Hanna, Northumberland
sports bra
Nike Swoosh Flyknit Sports Bra
£79.99 at Nike
£65 at JD Sports
I’ve always been active in sports, but it wasn’t until I started running regularly that I realized that my bra wasn’t up to snuff. I found some research joanna wakefield scarrShe is a professor of biomechanics and has shown that a good sports bra is just as important as the right running shoes. Nike’s Swoosh Flyknit bra changed the game. My form has improved and I no longer feel sore after high-intensity training. It’s expensive, but worth it. Merida, Amsterdam
running shoes
Karimor Duma 6 Men’s Running Shoes
£24.99 at Sports Direct
Hoka Clifton 9 Men’s Running Shoes
£130 at Hoka
My first proper running trainer changed everything. I remember hating running in school. I used to buy any gym trainer, anything that was popular. Often that meant court-style shoes that just hurt when you ran. When I started running regularly as an adult, I bought Karrimor Duma running shoes for £25. It made a big difference. I upgraded to a pair of Hoka Cliftons when I ran the Great North Run last year. I don’t have the luxury of “rotating” shoes like some runners, but I feel like I really need a solid all-rounder like the Clifton. harley, newcastle
Read our guide to learn more about the best men’s and women’s running shoes.
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TRX kit
suspension trainer kit
From £127.46 at TRX
All-in-one suspension training system
£118.46 on Amazon
I work at sea, which often lasts for months at a time. The TRX (Total Resistance Exercise) system is basically a portable gym that you can pack in your bag and set up anywhere. I’ve been using it for rehabilitation lately. I was having knee problems so my physical therapist recommended I use it to strengthen my legs and it helped tremendously. I find that it’s equally useful for strength training without the need to use dumbbells endlessly. What matters is angle and weight. The difficulty level changes by adjusting your position relative to the anchor point. This makes it easy to increase the intensity as your training progresses. Josh, Glasgow
winter overshoes
Spatz Pro Stealth Overshoe System
£104.99 at SpatzWear
£93.60 at Sigma Sports
I’m an avid cyclist, but my fitness level drops during the winter. This is mainly because they struggle to keep their feet warm on long rides. Overshoes are like small neoprene boots that you wear over your shoes. I used to feel that they weren’t enough to protect me from the cold, but when I bought my first pair of spats, I changed my mind. They are much thicker than regular overshoes and have thermal lining all the way to the shin. Since then, I’ve completed 100 mile rides a few times in the winter, something I’ve never been able to do before. Lisa, Cheshire
weighted vest
Bulldog Gear 20kg Adjustable Weight Vest
£119.95 at Bulldog Gear
£119.95 on Amazon
Bodyweight training wasn’t working for me during the pandemic, so I bought an adjustable 20kg vest to help build muscle and sweat production. We’ve taken your dips, pull-ups, lunges, and sprints to a whole new level. I also gained core strength and improved my posture. Something I needed significantly with the transition to working from home (I was hunched over like a shrimp every day). Jamie, Whitehaven
walking boots
Terra GTX WMN
£195 at Scarpa
£195 at Cotswold Outdoors
I was spending my leisure time on the couch, I was overweight and I wasn’t particularly happy. I started trying really hard to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Living in the Peak District means there are lots of great walks on my doorstep, so I started going out regularly and increased my distance as my fitness improved. The more distance I walked, the more I realized that the trainers weren’t giving me the support I needed, so I bought a pair of leather walking boots. This has allowed me to explore more remote routes and even completed a 46 mile charity hike in the Lake District. Sue, Derbyshire
Read our guide to the best men’s hiking boots
heart rate monitor
Coospo heart rate monitor chest strap
£49.99 on Amazon
Garmin dual heart rate monitor
£49 at Boots
I used to ride my bike a lot, but I didn’t have any physical strength. I decided to start paying attention to my heart rate and bought an inexpensive heart rate monitor online. In fact, just cruising along a flat road by the sea isn’t enough to get your heart rate up. After choosing a arbitrarily high heart rate and running at that rate for about a week, I immediately felt visibly healthier. Ride at a high heart rate and you’ll get a good workout even if you’re out for an hour two or three times a week. As a result of this revelation, I am now healthier than I have been in over a decade. peterMargate
Paddy Maddison is a freelance consumer journalist, outerwear enthusiast and exercise junkie. When she’s not hiking the hills, she can be found scrubbing her shoes on her bike, zipping down her snowboard, or lacing up her running shoes and hitting the sidewalk. That gave him enough time to put all his modern gear through the filter wringer.
