These 12 gadgets can help improve your health and fitness in 2025 — and most of them are on sale

Strength training is a critical part of overall health and fitness. Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age, but regular strength training can increase bone density, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, help you manage or lose weight, and reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions.

This fan-favourite set of adjustable dumbbells effectively replaces an entire collection of conventional dumbbells. They feature an integrated dial, enabling you to easily modify the weight from 5 to 52.5 pounds.

Walking is one of the best — and easiest — exercises you can do. Just 30 minutes of daily walking can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.

A walking pad is a handy option for those wanting to get in their steps, especially if living in a cold environment or chained to their desk. This foldable walking pad is designed for small spaces and has adjustable speed settings to customize your workout intensity.

Resistance bands strengthen muscles and bones, much like free weights or machines. In fact, a 2019 study shows that training using resistance bands provides similar strength gains to conventional gym equipment, helping to melt away body fat.

These popular resistance bands from Amazon have more than 103,000 reviews and include five colours representing five tensile forces.

Indoor cycling engages the entire body, improving endurance, circulation, and overall heart health. If you cycle regularly, it can even lower the overall risk of heart disease. If you have the means for one, a Peloton is a wonderful option. If you’re looking for a more affordable indoor exercise bike, Amazon reviewers are fans of this wallet-friendly option from CHAOKE for a full-body cardio workout.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, grip strength was a better predictor for death or cardiovascular disease than blood pressure. To build muscle and grip strength, experts recommend resistance training two or three times per week.

These popular grip strength trainers are adjustable to match your needs, adjusting from 22 lbs (10 kg) to 132 lbs (60 kg).

Adding wrist weights to your exercise routine can boost the intensity of your workout. Using weights between one and three pounds can increase the amount of oxygen you breathe by 5 per cent to 15 per cent. It also raises your heart rate by five to 10 beats per minute.

These popular wrist weights come in one and two-pound options and are built with adjustable straps for a secure fit.

Not only is sleep essential for overall health, but it plays an important role in athletic performance. Sleep reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone), allowing growth hormones to rebuild injured tissues. 

The Withings Sleep Tracking Mat & Heart Rate Monitor slips right underneath your mattress and tracks your sleep cycles, heart rate, breathing disturbances, and even snoring. It analyzes your data to provide you with customized reports and coaching to help you achieve better sleep.

The ever-popular Therabody Theragun mini 2.0 is a small, lightweight handheld massage device that offers three speeds to target specific areas, like the back, neck, and shoulders. Its ergonomic shape is comfortable and small enough to throw in your gym bag or suitcase while travelling.

The Hyperice Venom Go heat and vibration wearable is a great option for those looking for massage but don’t necessarily want or need a massage gun. The heat and vibration spot treatment is designed to loosen and relax muscles, stress and tension and offers nine combinations of heat and vibration.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 was dubbed the “best bang for your buck watch” of 2024 by Yahoo Canada’s running expert. Whether or not you’re a long-distance runner, the Garmin Forerunner 55 can be of service. It monitors steps, calories burned, sleep, heart rate, and more, making it a valuable fitness companion.

I have worn the Oura Ring Gen3 for close to a year and think it’s worth its weight in gold. The sleek device not only monitors your sleep, activity levels, temperature trends, stress and heart rate but can sync to Natural Cycles, an FDA-cleared birth control app that uses body temperature to prevent and plan for pregnancy naturally.

Another favourite from Yahoo Canada’s running expert, the Apple Watch Series 10 is a powerful health and fitness tool. It offers advanced health insights (you can take an ECG anytime), including everything from irregular heart rhythm alerts to retrospective ovulation estimates and workout intensity tracking.