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6 Products That'll Pump Up Your Cardio Workout
Our favorite new gear for taking your workout to the next level.
Change Up Your Home GymTake a standard stability ball, put 3 pounds of sandlike substance inside and -- voila! -- you've got the Bosu Ballast Ball, a head-to-toe strengthener that's part medicine ball, part balance tool, and a challenging way to do everything from rolling push-ups to one-legged squats.
Saucony's ProGrid Paramount is like an air conditioner for the sole(s). Comfortemp technology in the liner (originally developed for NASA) keeps your feet in the perfect zone: Above 82 degrees, the running shoes cool down; below 82, they heat up. "I usually peel off my sneaks the moment I get home, but these felt so good I kept them on for hours!" says a tester.
Designed by celeb fitness guru Valerie Waters (who's trained Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel), the ValSlide, a hard plastic footpad, is one of the most effective and adaptable workout tools we've seen. Use the slides on a carpeted surface to make lunges and leg curls super-challenging and to give abs, glutes, and thighs a great workout. Bonus: It's small enough to fit in any travel bag or the tiniest living space.
Think of the Polar AW200 Activity Watch as a bionic pedometer. Strap it on your wrist to track the number of steps you take, how hard you're working, how many calories you're burning, and the distance you've traveled. It even gives you the latest weather conditions.
If you love jogging to music but hate having to constantly push your earphones back in your ears, these buds are for you. V-MODA Bass Freq has three sizes of inserts to choose from for a comfy, customized fit. Color options include blue, red, and green, and sound quality couldn't be better.
Are you Goldilocks when it comes to workout pants -- they're either too short or too long? New Balance's Thermal Lite Pants, designed with three seams at the bottom, promise to be just right. Pick the perfect length and cut along the seam, no stitching required.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2007.
