Ah, can you believe it? It’s Christmas! You know what that means: presents! ?✨?

Wait – are you panicking because you haven’t even come up with a holiday shopping list yet? Can’t imagine how you’d ever manage to cross off everyone on the list before the Big Day arrives? Don’t worry.

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Here’s a guide on the latest smart tech fitness gadgets that’ll delight even the pickiest recipients (because who doesn’t want to get into shape for the new year ahead?!)

1: “Mirror gyms”

First up on our Christmas gift ideas: “mirror gyms”.

If you don’t know what these are, well, these are essentially gym equipment that provide an on-demand, streamlined, high-quality fitness studio experience wherever they’re set up.

Here’s how they typically work.

A user would set up what looks like a regular full-length mirror somewhere in their house (e.g., living space, spare room, and the garage).

What distinguishes a “mirror gym” from a regular mirror – where, you know, someone could check their OOTD before heading out – are the following features.

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• On-demand exercise options: This ranges from strength training to yoga to cardio. These workouts could either be pre-recorded or live (where a user is essentially “tuning” into a fitness class happening in real-time).
• Camera: As mentioned earlier, a user could attend a "live" workout lesson. But what's perhaps more impressive is that fitness mirrors also come equipped with a camera – which makes it possible for fitness instructors to monitor and provide feedback on a user's exercise form. Yes: in real-time!
• Gear: It’s worth noting that not all “mirror gyms” come with workout gear. But some, like the Tempo Studio or the Tonal Studio, offer an all-in-one training experience by coming with a set of weight plates (relevant to the former) and a “cable-machine-like” contraption (the latter).

So, why is this such a great Christmas gift?

Easy: it gives your recipient the power to access a quality workout session without even having to step out of the house!

The only problem? As you’ve probably already suspected, mirror gyms are rather expensive.

For reference, here’s what you could expect to fork out for some of the most popular models currently available in the UK market:

1. Echelon Reflect: From £1,799
2. VAHA: From £1,150
3. NordicTrack Vault: From £2,499

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2: Immersive cardio machines

Move aside, boring old treadmill; you’re out of style. And replacing this piece of equipment is a new generation of AI-enabled, immersive machines that’ll keep your recipient’s cardiovascular system in tip-top condition.

Chances are, you’ve already heard of the “market leader” for this category of fitness equipment: the Peloton Bike (from £1,350).

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Thanks to its ability to combine an excellent home workout with the atmosphere of a live spin studio (the user can get immediate feedback, check past efforts, and “hi-five” other class participants), the bike became an instant hit during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

And it’s still going strong.

Its popularity, in turn, has spawned a league of immersive, smart at-home cardio machines – some of which arguably “better” in comparison.

Take the Bowflex Velocore (from £2,199), for instance. It allows users to lean from side to side as they ride; the entire bike chasis can unlock to swing left and right, making the whole biking experience much more realistic. A must-buy Christmas gift for that riding enthusiast in your circle of close friends and family members.

But wait. What if the recipient you have in mind hates cycling? Or, what if they're looking for something that's a little more … well, full-body?

That’s no problem at all. Companies have also pushed out AI-enabled rowing machines.

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Here’s a great example: the Hydrow (from £1,795). Through the system (which comes complete with a 22-inch HD screen, by the way!), your recipient will have access to more than 2,000 workouts – both live and on-demand – ranging from rowing to yoga and even to Pilates.

3: VR fitness games

But let's be real. In addition to being prohibitively expensive, the above two Christmas gift ideas are only suitable for hardcore fitness enthusiasts.

Even the most immersive fitness experiences will feel monotonous to someone lacking the motivation to work up some sweat. So, what can you do about this? How can you better motivate a loved one to lead a more active lifestyle in the new year through a Christmas gift?

Two words (well, technically, it’s 3 words): VR fitness. In other words, virtual reality fitness.

Essentially, VR fitness uses immersive VR technology to create a "new" workout environment that blocks a user from the real world – enabling them to instead engage in all manner of games and pursuits, from boxing to slaying aliens to shooting enemies.

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By making fitness a game, VR reality makes it possible for anyone to get in a workout “by accident” – all the while having fun throughout the session.

Right off the bat, gifting VR fitness reality during Christmas offers several advantages over the two options above already:

• Less “offensive”: There'll be a lower likelihood of your recipient getting offended by your choice of Christmas present during the gift exchange session (“What are you implying – that I need to move more?”
• Sustainable fitness approach: VR fitness is undoubtedly way more fun than heading to the gym or the tracks – especially for those new to fitness.
• Could end up cheaper: Does your recipient already own a VR headset (e.g., Oculus Quest, Sony Playstation VR)? That’s great news! You’d only need to spend money on fitness games (typically less than £100 a pop).
  Looking for a, um, more affordable Christmas gift option?

Still looking for an alternative that’ll fit your budget?

Then AI-enabled fitness apps, like GymStreak, are right up your alley. (Wink)

Here's a quick preview of what GymStreak could help your recipient with:

• Proper workout programming
• Exercise execution
• Access to a community of like-minded individuals
• Useful fitness resources (spanning topics from recovery techniques to hypertrophy tips to injury prevention)