Best fitness gadgets to upgrade your workout

Sick of shuttle runs and endless HIIT circuits? Now is the time to nail your double-under with a good old-fashioned skipping workout. Far from vintage playground kit, the smart Tangram skipping rope features 23 LEDs and magnetic sensors to track your workouts, monitor your calorie burn and log your data in real time. £79.95. At Apple. apple.com

This portable, battery-powered performance tool offers noninvasive, targeted muscle recovery via an easy-to-use app, delivering electrical stimulation to affected muscle areas to help improve recovery from injuries or particularly gruelling training sessions. £185. uk.powerdot.com

Slick, swim-proof and seriously smart, the Charge 4 is Fitbit’s most advanced tracker yet. With built-in Spotify, GPS and Fitbit Pay capabilities, the Fitbit Charge 4 is a must-have for trail runners, cyclists and swimmers looking to monitor their miles, minus all the cumbersome kit. Not only that, but the new Active Zone system will automatically detect and reward users with double credit for staying in their peak performance zones. Us? Slaves to the machine? Never. £129.99. fitbit.com

That soreness you feel after exercising? It’s just the result of your muscles and fascia (or connective tissue) becoming knotted. Rolling out tired muscles helps to stimulate myofascial release, preventing any painful post-workout knots forming. Used by GB Boxing And British Weight Lifting, the Pulseroll Plus is the best vibrating foam roller we’ve tried. Lightweight and rechargeable, it’s a must-have in any athlete’s arsenal. £114.99. pulseroll.com

If you’ve worked out properly, you’re going to feel that hurt. This percussive therapy device eases the aching in your bones from your shoulders down to your thighs. As well as tackling your pain, it can also help you relax before you nod off for bed. Go for the top-end G3 Pro for the extra attachments and the swappable batteries to keep gunning for even longer. £414. theragun.com

Getting in a strength session at home feels like a good idea until you realise you need actual weights and, ergo, also need to carry actual weights into your house. Enter the Jaxjox KettlebellConnect, which is the most efficient way to have a whole set of kettlebells in your house: a single kettlebell, which magnetically gains or drops weight based on what you input to the Bluetooth console. £299. At Argos. argos.co.uk 

Often, the concern with in-ear earphones when exercising, particularly when partaking in any kind of high-octane cardio, is security – or lack thereof. But not so with Sennheiser’s CX Sport, whose lightweight, sweat- and splash-resistant design, plus ergonomic fins, delivers the fast and fixed slip-free fit runners to rowers only dream of. Even better news, then, is that they also deliver the sound quality (clear, detailed, satisfying bass response) and ease of use (a simple three-button remote lets you effortlessly manage music and calls) to match, making them solid performers whatever the workout. £119. en-uk.sennheiser.com

Garmin’s rugged yet handsome Fenix 6 records almost everything from cycling to paddle boarding, with a tonne of other metrics thrown in for good measure. With music streaming support and colour maps for exploring trails, it’ll have your back in any fitness situation you care to throw at it. £587.79. At amazon.co.uk

There are other earbuds outside of Apple’s AirPods that will let you ditch the wires. Jaybird’s Vista are not only cheaper, but are truly built for workouts. They’re designed to fend off sweat and sit discreetly in the ears, delivering an impressive audio roar. You’ll get six hours of battery life and a quick five-minute charge will get you out the door with an hour of playtime. £145. At amazon.co.uk

Runners, rejoice: finally – finally! – there’s a means to train without feeling your phone on your person. Meet Freetrain’s V1, a streamlined, breathable running vest that, thanks to its front pocket, not only nails the essentials-carrying weight distribution (balance is key to preventing injuries), but also enables you to easily access your device to check progress, change a song or answer a call – all without so much as breaking stride. Take it from us, your only gripe will be that your paths didn’t cross sooner. £19.99. freetrain.co.uk

Connected scales have been around for a while, but Withings ups the ante performing a full-body composition analysis and offering support to track up to eight different users. There’s an easy-to-use app to analyse your metrics and the scales will even display the weather to properly prep you for the day ahead. £71. At amazon.co.uk

Peloton brings the gym class into your home, where the only sweaty body to contend with is your own. There’s live classes to jump into, live metrics to track your performance and instructors to make sure you’re not slacking. You’ll need both the bike and the subscription to join the indoor training community that you don’t need to leave the house for. From £1,990. onepeloton.co.uk

This heart-rate monitor chest strap serves up more reliable data than a wrist-mounted device while motivating you with an easy to grasp effort point system. You can pair it with other devices such as fitness trackers and watches, along with compatible equipment such as exercise bikes. Storing up to 16 hours of workout data, it's waterproof up to 10 metres too. £129.99. myzone.org

This Activ5 creates isometric workouts to help you build strength based on the amount of pressure you apply to the pocket-friendly device that can fit in your palm. It can be used for different muscle groups and is even compatible with the Apple Watch so it will contribute to closing those daily rings. It’s a bit of a step up from squeezing a stress ball at your desk, that’s for sure. £124.95. activ5.com

If you prefer to spend more time in the water than on a treadmill, these swimming goggles put your real-time stats in your eye line via a smart display that only you can see. It’s as accurate as a sports watch and uses the same anti-fog materials you’ll find on diving masks, so they really will go the distance in the pool. £199. At amazon.co.uk

When you don’t have the floor space to give up to dumbbells, Bowflex’s offers a smarter solution by putting them all into one set. This pair of free weights can go from light weights to heavy weights with the simple turn of a dial. They also place well with a smartphone app to help you make the most of the versatile piece of gym kit. £399. At FitnessSuperstore. fitness-superstore.co.uk