BRING IT IN

Nike Studio Wraps

Exquisite style isn’t only for Italiandesigned handbags. Technogym, the creator of high-end gym equipment, adds Italian flair to your at-home fitness sessions. Showcased in the health clubs of hotels like the Fairmont, these esthetically pleasing offerings include a treadmill that’s powered by your workout and a sleek washable, antibacterial covered Wellness Ball (above). Switch out your desk chair and start training your core all day long. Wellness Ball - Active Sitting, For those who dislike going without shoes in a barre session or worry about slipping during a steamy yoga class, these Nike Studio Wraps offer both hygienic protection and traction. Stretch foam supports your arches, silicone traction grips the ground and subtle padding cushions your heels. Plus, the slip-ons leave your toes free to grip and point. The pack comes with ribbons for a pointe-shoe effect and rubber ballet flats to wear over your wraps on the way to and

$242, technogym.com.

Forgo your routine treadmill workout. The latest ways to stay in shape stream on your iPad, adorn your wrist or unfold in your living room—and often involve a little friendly competition.

JILL BUCHNER

from class. Studio Wrap Pack 2, $135, nike.com.

Go Boarding Want a wicked workout without water? The hottest fitness trend is going indoors. While traditional standup paddleboard (or SUP) yoga involves a local pond, lake or ocean, the Indo Yoga Board simulates the muscle-activating instability of water without the need to brave the elements. The bottom side has four arches that create a wobbly water-like surface to help target all of those mini muscles. The more advanced yogi can also place inflatable cushions underneath. From $315, indoboard.com.

Launching early this year, the

Sport measures the quality, frequency and quantity of your movements to give you a complete picture of your daily physical activity via your iPhone. A built-in sensor on the watch tracks your heart rate (read: intensity), uses GPS to monitor how far you’ve moved, counts your calories and tells you how much time you’ve spent sitting versus standing (take that, sitting disease!). At the gym, use the workout app to communicate with your watch so you can set goals and review a post-sweat-sesh summary. From US$349, apple.com.

Thanks to Essentrics TV, you no longer need a DVD player to exercise in the comfort of your house. Cocreators Miranda and Sahra Esmonde-White have customized their unique stretching and strengthening workouts for easy streaming on mobile devices, so all you need is an Internet connection. A monthly membership gives you unlimited access to both Essentrics and classic stretch workout clips (and new workouts are added monthly). Try it for $15 a month on essentrics.com.

Fitness and Function

Started by a Canadian media company, Evolve Functional Fitness is an equipment-free digital choose from, (including Toronto fitness expert Brent Bishop and world-renowned yogi Janna Webb), you can customize your exercise and your expert. Take a fit test to start, then choose from three fitness levels all while workin’ it to your own iTunes playlist or a DJ-mixed set. Try it for $8 a month on evolvefunctionalfitness.com. Virtual fitness tools put you in the moment. Sahra EsmondeWhite, cofounder of the Essentrics

workout that you can stream using any Wi-Fi- enabled device. With four top-notch trainers to

fitness program

Personal Trainer Don’t let bad weather shelve your daily ride; when the ice and snow hit, set up your bike on a training stand at home. A wind or magnetic trainer ($190 to $600 on sites like cycleops.com) is a great way to get in a workout without venturing outside. Throw on your favourite Netflix series to stay entertained or try a downloadable cycling video like the ones from thesufferfest.com. You’ll be a stronger cyclist by spring— guaranteed!

CHANGE YOUR SCENERY The new wave of high-tech fitness is all about simulation-assisted exercise. Whether you want to ride as if you’re competing in the Tour de France or go on an outdoor adventure in your living room, there’s a virtual workout for you.

Lead the pack. Got a competitive streak? Check out the latest in indoor cycling. A computerized bike sends your stats to a leaderboard that displays your rank and cycling intensity, which will quickly motivate you to avoid falling behind the rest of the class. Your instructor might choose to base the competition on speed or calories burned. You can access stats later to see how you did and to continue to push yourself to a new personal best. There may not be a finish line or a trophy, but this is one intense race.

Get immersed. Ever wondered what it would feel like to be in a video game? Reebok and Les Mills have partnered to develop a revolutionary fitness program that uses 360-degree video screens to immerse you in your workout. Coming to Canadian gyms soon, The Project: Immersive Fitness includes a cycle class (ride up and down hills on an illuminated track), a combat workout (battle virtual bad guys—a visual target gives your uppercut extra oomph) and a yoga class (do asanas under the setting sun).

Achieve balance. If you don’t love the gym, try a virtual workout from the comfort of your home. Wii Fit U lets you scale an outdoor rock wall, barrel down a luge track or join a row crew—all from the safety of your Wii Balance Board. Though the workouts aren’t quite as intense as the real thing, the more than 70 activities will keep your body guessing. The personal trainer feature will help you meet your personal fitness goals, and the online gym communities allow you to share your achievements.