From VR headsets to exercise apps, we test products that can get you fit from home
ITEMS in the latest basket of goods – whose price changes are tracked to measure inflation – now include yoga mats and VR headsets.
They have been included by the Office for National Statistics because home exercise is more popular than ever after taking off during Covid.
Today I look at the ways you can get fit without ever leaving the house.
YOGA MATS
THIS one from The Yoga Collective certainly feels a bit thicker than your average mat.
And when your knees aren’t as springy as they once were, that’s essential.
It has a smooth, anti-slip matte surface that’s great for gripping on to.
It looks and feels extremely high quality and although I usually hate branding, the logo is sleek.
Comes in loads of colours, too.
The only downside is that it stains easily. I spilled some water which left a mark that I just can’t shift.
VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET
I’M not a huge technology fan but I love exercising this way now.
FitXR is a VR workout app that allows you to step into an amazing virtual world and do classes including HIIT, boxing, Zumba and dance.
You need a bit of a steep outlay at first for the Meta Quest headset and controllers.
It’s priced at about £289, but the app comes with a week-long free trial and starts from about £7 a month for any class you want.
It is amazing, offering everything from seated classes for those with mobility issues to instructor-led dance and boxing classes where you punch targets in your virtual world.
Exercise on a new level. Makes the fitness DVDs of the past seem ridiculous.
£7 a month, fitxr.com
APP
TOTAL Reset is a new six-week exercise programme created by online fitness app RWL.
It is aimed at beginners or those returning to exercise after a break.
You do four 25-minute workouts a week, so it is manageable even if you’re pressed for time.
Each class is led by a different female instructor, all of whom are lively, informative and fun, and every session is a full-body workout.
I thought the low-impact cardio was brilliant for calorie-burning without injuries – think Joe Wicks with less jumping around.
It’s all doable from home, with no gym fees or struggle to book classes.
The app also offers meal plans.
From £9.99 a month with a free seven-day trial, rwl.fitness