Photo Credit: Mirror; Nordictrack
Exercising at home is easy enoughHowever, when you’re not streaming from a tablet to your bike or treadmill, watching your workout can be painful. Do you stretch your neck to see your TV from your yoga mat? This encourages all kinds of misalignments. Do you pause your flow during a HIIT workout to check for the next move of your phone lying flat on the floor? Not ideal. There’s a reason every gym or studio is plastered with mirrors – not only does it give you the opportunity to see your own performance, but it allows you to see the instructor no matter where in the room they are.
That’s why – with people still stuck at home and the gyms unlikely to get back to normal anytime soon – workout mirrors have become the newest trend for home fitness equipment. (The OG mirror, The MIRROR, which debuted in 2018, was recently acquired from Lululemon for $ 500 million.)
These devices, which look like a normal decorative mirror when switched off, are switched on to shine coaches directly into your home. As they demonstrate the moves, you can see your form compare. Why does that matter? Fitness is all about quality over quantity – the better you do a move, the more benefit you will get (and the less likely you are to prepare for an injury).
Despite their slim footprint, these high-tech devices can create a complete fitness experience in your living room, basement or second bedroom – wherever you prefer. All of them act as oversized wall-mounted smartphones that allow you to browse hundreds of training courses with the touch of a button on the screen or a connected app. However, some offer interactive experiences with trainers, others provide the motivational boost that comes from training live with other people, and others even come with all of the equipment you need to complete the workout.
Considering that 59% of Americans have no plans to return to their gym after the pandemic, according to a survey From TD Ameritrade, it’s no wonder people are choosing to invest in workout mirrors over bulkier single-purpose machines like bikes, treadmills, and squats. After all, there is only so much real estate in your own home – and how much space you have shouldn’t limit how well you can exercise in your own home.
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Do you want to build your own gym? These training mirrors offer everything from unlimited courses and real-time metrics to personalized feedback from teachers.
The slim, chic MIRROR, which can be leaned against the wall or mounted on the wall, fits into any living room. However, when you turn it on, an immersive studio experience becomes apparent, supported by an iOS app. The LCD screen behind the reflective 52-inch surface broadcasts over 70 new classes from 50 training genres every week, all of which are stored in a huge on-demand library. (The mirror comes with a number of resistance bands, but you will need to invest in additional equipment yourself.)
As you exercise, metrics such as heart rate and calories burned are displayed on the screen. They are called up via Bluetooth from the heart rate monitor supplied with the chest strap or Your Apple Watch. There is also a built-in camera that can be used for one-on-one training, or to see classmates and get real-time directions from the instructor.
When you open the door of NordicTrack’s Vault, you’ll find a foam roller, mini and full-size resistance bands, yoga blocks, free weights and kettlebells – basically everything you need for a home gym in less space than a bookcase. The mirror even rotates so you don’t have to exercise in an awkward position. Use the embedded 32-inch touchscreen to navigate iFit’s live and on-demand workout library – including Pilates, yoga, lifting, and interval training – then watch the trainer change shape on the oversized 60 -Inch surface mirror. Yes, it’s expensive, but also buying all of this equipment yourself. (If you already have your own equipment, you can purchase a cheaper, standalone version.)
Echelon’s mirror is available in two sizes: the Reflect 40 “ and the Reflect 50 “touch. Go for the bigger one – if you have enough space – for a powerful 32-inch touchscreen that lets you browse live and on-demand workouts for cardio, yoga, strength, Pilates, and boxing (you can even have classes take at Mario Lopez). With the front-facing camera and built-in speakers, you’ll feel like you’re in the studio rather than your living room. Thanks to the Bluetooth connection, you can synchronize heart rate monitors for screen measurements. Echelon also uses a gamified, point-based system (depending on how long you spend in different heart rate zones) to keep the competitive spirit high. Ranking lists are displayed in the ranking list at the end of the class.
Place the Proform swivel mirror in a corner to turn any room into a gym. The back of the mirror, a cheaper version of NordicTrack’s Vault, stealthily stores the included accessories: a 10-pound barbell, two 5-pound dumbbells, four 2.5-pound weight plates, three resistance bands, and a yoga mat. Scroll through the iFit library of live and on-demand courses with the 22 ”HD touchscreen behind the 60” reflective surface.
You won’t get real-time feedback from teachers, but you can sync your activity tracker with the device to see your measurement data on the screen. It automatically saves your training performance and uses AI to suggest future training sessions.
There’s nowhere that this mirror can’t fit: it comes in three sizes (55, 65 and 85 inches) with four display options (a wall mount, an oblique mount, a standalone mount, and a ceiling mount). While most training mirrors require a subscription on top of the purchase price in order to access classes, it syncs with apps like Nike Training Club, Beach Body, Tone It Up, and more. An HD camera enables personalized virtual coaching sessions. In addition to the touchscreen, you can operate the device (and connect to Google Home) using the embedded microphone with Google Assist Voice Control.
Tempo is not technically a mirror, but it uses a motion sensor camera and pulses of infrared light create a 3D skeletal model of your body. As you move through the Cardio, Strength, HIIT, Mobility, and Recovery classes, 25 key joints are tracked to provide real-time feedback on your form and technique, which is displayed on the device’s 42-inch screen. For example, it may cause you to put your weight on your heels or to crouch lower. Below the screen is a storage cabinet for the weights it contains (between 1.25 and 10 pounds). There is a bench press bar and two dumbbell bars on the back. There’s even space for the included heart rate sensor, exercise mat, and foam roller.
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