Wow!  I can’t believe how quickly Christmas is creeping up on me.  I am mostly finished my shopping so that is nice.  I am getting lots of questions from clients about Christmas presents for their friends and family who are dedicated to their fitness so here are my top three!  Again, these suggestions are for those who are already dedicated to their training, do not buy fitness equipment for someone who is ‘thinking about getting in shape’.  If that is the case, then purchase them 1-3 sessions with the best trainer you can afford.

Okay, on to the list:

 #1 - A good quality stability ball - there is a huge difference between a cheap stability ball that you pick up for $10 at the local department store.  The stability ball shown here is from Twist Conditioning and the cost is around $35 CDN.  The key is to have a burst resistant stability ball, anything less is dangerous!

#2 – the Smart Toner – is a resistance bungee that is wrapped in a nylon sheath so if the bungee snaps, it will not snap into your face, it will be contained.  This is key for safety!  These are the only bungees I use at the Revolution studio and have actually never had one break – ever.  Worried that bungees will not provide enough resistance for your monster muscles – UM yeah!  don’t worry, get the ultra super heavy and you are all set.  If you ever miss a workout because you are travelling, then this is a must!

#3 – last but certainly not least… the TRX!!!  Click on the link to check it out!  If I were stranded on a desert island and could only take one piece of equipment with me, this would be IT!  I love the TRX for it’s portability and the functional quality of all the exercises.  I use it with beginners right up to pro athletes because you can easily vary the difficulty of each exercise.  The number of exercise you can do are limited only by your imagination and you can use it anywhere.  I take it outside and loop it over a tree branch or I use the door anchor when training with it at home. 

You will notice that two of my top three are very portable…in the next few blog posts I will share some of my favourite ‘road warrior’ or travel workouts that use little or no equipment.  Stay tuned. 

Cheers,
Maria