It’s been established by now that consistent workouts and healthy habits are the real status symbols. In the last five years alone, more luxury consumers have placed great premium on wellbeing. These discerning customers have been investing in private Pilates sessions, exclusive memberships in fitness gyms, premium spa retreats, and elevated active and athleisure wear. There has also been an upward trend for specialized fitness studios that offer classes ranging from yoga to mediation, breath work, barre, spinning, Lagree, and even biohacking. For those who prefer to workout in the comfort of home, a well appointed at-home gym is proving to be a worthwhile investment.

My dream at-home gym is a work in progress. While I’ve built a sizable wardrobe since the pandemic, exercise equipment and tools have remained bare bones. There is a spin bike, two worn out yoga mats, and a pair of light dumbbells. This year, the goal is to stock up my space with design-forward fitness accessories and innovative fitness equipment that will allow me to elevate my routines even while at home.

Innovative Designs For Exercise Mats

Exercise Mats are the foundation of every at-home studio. They are versatile in that they support a wide variety of exercises. I love how these essentials are easy to clean, store, and roll up for yoga retreats. I’ve accumulated a number of mats since beginning my wellness journey. My favorite is the Avant Mat from now-defunct Furö Studios, which allows me to check body alignment and posture. So now, I’m looking for other innovation-fueled options to anchor me in my daily yoga flows.

The Curved Mats by ONYX brings elements of contemporary design to the workout space. Its rounded corners offer a refreshing alternative to the traditional rectangular shape, complemented by a choice of soothing colors ranging from beige, blue, green, and gray. Beyond aesthetic value, the Curve Mat is made thicker (at 5mm or 8mm) and wider (at 1008mm), adding more comfort and allowing for a wider range of motions. The brand utilizes FSC™-certified natural rubber and high-grade polyurethane top-coat, which makes the mat more durable and sustainable.

The uniquely adaptable, foldable design of the Stakt Mat was developed by Millie Blumka and Tayolor Borenstein. It allows users to add padding and elevation, or resize mats according to one’s every movement and workout needs. The mat is also built to be super light, yet twice as thick than most. This concept has since expanded into other products that include the Stakt Mat PRO, which features a commercial-grade textured surface for better grip and stability.

Building A Stylish Weight Bar In Your At Home Gym

Strength training and muscle building are important tools for healthy aging. They support overall mobility, reduce health risks, and preserve muscle mass. When choosing the right set of weights or dumbbells for your at-home gym, consider your fitness level. Beginners typically start with a lighter set that allows one to focus on form. Once you progress to the next level, you can gradually increase weight or you add more repetitions. The best way to know you are working with the right set of weights is when you hit that sweet spot between challenge and maintaining form.

When picking out weights for home use, also consider sets that are easy to store, stack, and build. Personally, I am drawn to dumbbells and other fitness accessories that go with the rest of my fitness equipment and space.

ONYX also carries hand weights, ring weights, and bracelet weights, bringing their signature color palette to Pilates balls and resistance bands. The sleek, contemporary design that distinguishes these workout accessories completely elevates and changes the workout experience. I also love that the brand is committed to using sustainable, highly durable materials.

STAKT has also added hand weights to the product range. It is designed as a buildable set, with the base at 2 pounds. More weight can be added through removable stacks. Other functional features include a soft, textured grove to support grip. The brand’s website also offers an on-demand Movement Library that can guide one to Pilates sand Functional Strength Training workouts at home using the brand’s fitness accessories.

A Foldable Reformer Bed Fit For Your At-Home Pilates Studio

An at-home Pilates studio complete is the ultimate fitness flex. It is a luxury now made more accessible by FOLD. The UK-based fitness brand has developed an innovative design for reformer beds that is compact, easy to assemble and store. No matter how small your at home studio might be, there is room for a reformer Pilates workout.

Despite it being distinctly foldable, movements on the Original FOLD Reformer remain smooth and seamless, resulting in a truly in-studio statement. It comes in two colors and includes a Pilates Box Jump Board, Pilates Mat, Circle, Pilates Ball as well as a pair of 1 kg weights. A FOLD App subscription, comes for free (for three months) when you purchase a reformer. This gives aaccess on-demand workout, live classes and community events.

FOLD Co-Founder Tom McClelland shares, “The FOLD reformer community is the DNA of the business, and our app is its heartbeat…. [It] will be a place for our members to connect with like-minded individuals online and in the real world. “

Contrast Therapy At Home: Ice Baths And Saunas

Elite athletes often turn to contrast therapy to speed up recovery especially after intense matches. Other benefits of this biohacking treatment also include: improved circulation, enhanced vitality, anti inflammation, relaxation, reduced stress, mental clarity and stronger immune function. The idea is to immerse the body in two extreme, polarizing temperatures. By alternating between hot and cold, the body expands and contracts to flush out toxins and stimulate the circulation of nutrient-rich blood.

After at-home workouts, give your body the recovery it deserves with a contrast therapy session. Recovery Zone is carries quality, reasonably-priced products for athletic recovery. It offers clever edit of pro athlete vetted saunas and ice bath tubs that can easily be set up in your very own backyard or fitness space.

The Sauna Pro is “the only face out sauna tent in the market today.” It is suitable for individuals who tend to feel claustrophobic in enclosed places. After opening up the body through heat, submerge the body into the only oval-shaped tub in the market, the Ice Bath Max. It features triple layer insulation and can carry up to 600 liters of ice and water.

Hydrate With Hydrogen-Rich Water

During workouts or in between sauna and ice baths, I love to stay hydrated with hydrogen-rich water. Studies have indicated that molecular hydrogen brings countless health benefits like: reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and fatigue. It also helps with improving metabolic and skin health. Since getting my sleek ECHO GO+ tumbler late last year, I’ve been carrying it with me wherever I go. Since consuming more hydrogen-rich water, energy levels have significantly improved. Recovery time after workouts have also been cut shorter.

Unlike other makers of hydrogen water bottles, ECHO boasts cutting-edge, patent pending Solid Polymer Electrolysis and Proton Exchange Membrane technologies. These “ensure therapeutic levels of molecular hydrogen,” complemented by platinum-coated, titanium electrode plates.

More recently, the ECHO Flask Hydrogen Water Bottle was launched online. Touted as “most advance hydrogen water bottle ever created,” it can carry up to 12 ounces of water infuse with 8ppm of hydrogen. Ordinary water bottles would burst given this intense level of hydrogen. The ECHO Flask is also a smart water bottle, designed to track hydrogen potency, hydration stats and cycles. It is an innovative new accessory that will surely hold a place of pride in my workout space.

The dream at-home gym is far from complete, but the essentials that allow me to stay healthy and active daily are all in place. An ECHO Flask, among the first to be shipped out, is also well on its way to me. And while it will take some time before I can finally place an order for bigger equipment like a reformer bed or a home sauna, I know that it will be an investment I won’t regret.