The AquaFit 19 Dual Temperature Spa looks like the ultimate home gym, especially if you’ve had injuries that make low-impact water workouts a good idea. This is essentially a large hot tub that lets you swim in place (a current pushes against you, so it’s like a treadmill for swimmers), resistance train at exercise stations, or just relax with your sore muscles against the jets. Some of the exercises you can do are stationary swimming, underwater running, and underwater rowing.
The Aquafit 19 features two climate controlled areas, so you can keep the water warmer in the warm-down/relaxation part of the tub and cooler for the swimming and exercising area. Just plop this bad boy down on your deck (which may need to be reinforced to hold the weight of all that water!), and you’ll never need to go to the gym for exercise again.
Granted this ultimate hydrotherapy experience is a bit costly ($40,000), but you’ve got some extra cash in the couch cushions, right?
Find out more at Aquatic Fitness Systems
You’ve probably heard of helmet cameras that let you shoot pictures and even film footage while you’re skiing or snowboarding down the slopes; well, next ski season you’ll be able to film your ride with your ski goggles.
Liquid Image is promising a June 2010 release for a pair of ski goggles that have a digital camera mounted in the middle. Appropriate for snowboarding or skiing, the “Summit Series” goggles will offer two hours of video recording time and the option to click still photos as well. A 16 gigabyte micro SD card will store the footage, which you can download to your computer when you get home.
The camera goggles are expected to retail for $150, which makes them pricier than your average set of ski goggles but perhaps not as expensive as you might expect for something with a built-in camera system.
Check out the Press Release for more information.
If you need a bag for your yoga or pilates mat, here’s another unique and eco-friendly option:
Made by Etsy seller, Empower Daughters, the pink yoga bag is made from a mix of denim and rice bag material, both recycled for their new use. Vietnamese words and images on the side relate to the sale of rice and remind you of the material’s origins. Since each bag is individually made, the images vary a bit. If you pick one up, you’ll know you’re getting a unique mat covering.
Large enough to hold mats and yoga clothing, the bags also come with cargo pockets, so you’ve got a place to stash your keys, wallet, phone, etc.
Available for $45 on Etsy.
Still using pencil and paper to keep track of your golf score? You could leap into the modern gadget-loving age with a digital scorecard.
This inexpensive ($20) gizmo keeps track of your strokes, calculates scores, and will also save your best round. It runs on a cell battery (included), and a strap lets you clip it to your golf bag or belt.
Ranked lightweight and easy-to-use by reviewers, the digital golf scorecard means no more worrying about losing your pencil.
From Brookstone.
If you’re trying to get the edge in a sport that requires fast reflexes and good balance, you might consider practicing on a Bongo Board.
Reminiscent of a skateboard but with just one rolling wheel, this gadget is continually in motion. As you stand on it, you’re forced to make constant adjustments to your body in order to keep from falling off. Exercising on a bongo board is supposed to help with any sports that require good reflexes and superior balance. Whether you’re a basketball, football, or tennis star (or wannabe), balance is a must, so if the board truly does help, it might make a useful training aid. You can start off on carpets (with something nearby to grab onto), and then move onto hard surfaces and maneuver your way about the room.
Reviews on Amazon are fairly positive, and you can pick one up there for about $90:
If you’re a hiker, you can save your knees some grief (especially on the downhill side) by using a walking stick or cane. This can also be useful for simple walking if you have mobility or balance issues. You may not always want to tote that cane with you though, so having the option to fold it up and tuck it away is nice.
Foldable walking canes are available in numerous styles and colors. As you can see from the purple floral one pictured, you can also get distinctly men’s and women’s canes (not that men aren’t allowed to walk with purple floral models, but you know…).
This is one of several folding canes from the House of Canes, and it sells for $28. A nice optional feature is the 5-prong ice grip (an attachment for the bottom, which costs $10 extra). You can use it for walking more easily through snow and ice, and it can double as a personal security measure–just see how often you get mugged if you can prong your foes in their very special body parts.
Tired of hot spots, blisters, and sweat-drenched toes when you’re running? Perhaps you could tuck a pair of Drymax socks over your feet.
Made using a “Blister Guard” system, the running socks are designed to keep feet dry, not just by “wicking away sweat” (how many times have you heard that description?) but through science: “This system incorporates Friction Free Profilen® fibers (PTFE) throughout the entire foot area of the sock. PTFE has the lowest Coefficient of Friction of any solid material. This scientific approach keeps feet dry and the friction between the skin and sock low. Runners wearing the Hot Weather Running socks will have cooler, drier, more comfortable feet with far less chance of getting blisters.”
In addition to the snazzy science, the running socks also feature top mesh panels and bottom air vents to work with your breathable running shoes to keep your feet cooler, even in hot weather.
Pick them up for $16 from Sock Geek.