With the new year right around the corner, there’s no better time to look back on all the equipment that made our workouts that much better. Every year new gadgets emerge to the market, and while they all look shiny and exciting, some of them turn out to be complete disappointments. We’re here to examine the workout equipment that made 2019 what it is – a year full of progress and success. With the new year comes the moment to make a new year’s resolution, and perhaps your next big resolution should be to get in shape! These tools might help you to achieve it. Good luck!

Exercise Bands

Also known as resistance bands – this is number one on our list because it’s the easiest item to carry at any household – they are small and don’t take up space, and they’re also easy to carry around with you to any vacation. You’d be surprised how much these simple, innocent-looking bands can do for your muscles – a small thing goes a long way. Resistance bands, properly named, provide resistance for your muscles and thus a great way to train your arm muscles. Last but not least, they are easy to use (well, they aren’t really “easy,” bur rather in the sense that they are very intuitive).

Kettlebell

Perhaps you’re not familiar with this one, but it’s not too late – and that’s what we’re here for. The kettlebell is a cast iron or steel ball with an attached iron handle, which in the last few years has become very trendy in the world of fitness. Much like the exercise bands, it’s rather small, so you can easily keep one at your house – however, it’s a lot heavier (as it’s made out of steel) – so it’s definitely not recommended to take with you to a vacation. The kettlebell can be used in many different exercises involving muscle strength, such as power training (jumping with weights, lifting weights), or aerobic exercise.

Yoga strap

You didn’t really think there wouldn’t be anything yoga-related on this list, did you? Yoga has been around for centuries, but in the past decade it has gained great momentum in the Western world. Some people don’t consider yoga as real exercise, but don’t be mistaken by it’s innocent image – yoga is actually a lot harder than it looks, provided that you do it right! The yoga strap can help you achieve this goal; you can use it in almost every yoga practice, and it provides a little extra oush to your muscles (arms or legs), with a similar affect to that of the resistance band.

Treadmill

We’re talking about equipment of the decade, not the past year, and so the good old treadmill deserves a mention! The treadmill might not be as small and handy as the resistance band or kettlebell, but it’s the best way to achieve a good cardio workout. Of course, walking or running outside is an even better choice, but if the weather condition don’t allow it, or you’re feeling too lazy to leave the house – this is a great solution. Every year the good old treadmill takes on new shapes and improvements, and now you can even find treadmills with a television screen on them.

Fitness watch

Oh, the wonders of technology. In the past few years technology has been slowly but surely taking over our lives, and it was only a matter of time until it reached this area as well. But honestly, it’s not all that bad – the fitness world gains a lot from this smart watch. The fitness watch allows you to track your workout and progress, as it contains data of everything you need to know about your progress, including distance, calorie count, heart rate, etc. You can use it while walking, running and swimming, and it provides you with all the information you need (and what you don’t need) about your workout.