When it comes to working out for weight loss, more often than not, people are more concerned about the bigger gym equipment than the smaller equipment to help them achieve their goals.
While this type of equipment, such as treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines, and air bikes, can help you lose weight and tone up, it’s just as important to take a look at the smaller workout accessories.
Not only do these lightweight weight loss accessories serve to make your gym life more comfortable, they’re also functional enough to assist you in achieving your body goals.
Weight loss accessories are also known as fitness/workout accessories. These add-ons range from clothes to workout equipment and are all useful in making your workouts more efficient, preventing injury, and in some cases, adding more resistance to your exercises. Generally, they help streamline your weight loss journey, making the process easier.
Some may say no, but we say yes. While you may not need every workout add-on out there, there are some accessories that will definitely make your life easier if you have them. Check out the following list to see which accessories exist and their benefits and choose which ones you believe will be the best for your needs.
The first and most effective part of a weight loss journey is your food intake. Making healthier food options won’t be effective for your goals if you don’t reduce your caloric intake. According to the CDC, for gradual and steady weight loss, you should aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week (20).
This can be done in part by cutting your calories by 500 to 1,000 a day (by 3,500 to 7.000 a week) (31).
At the start of your weight loss journey, it’s important to have a reputable calorie-counting app to help you keep track of your food intake. Such an aid will be useful in keeping you within your recommended energy intake for the day, helping you shed those extra pounds.
Research has also shown that such apps can be effective in assisting with weight loss:
They found that the app provided actions of food-logging, real-time diet and exercise self-monitoring, progress tracking, etc. were incredibly effective in initiating and sustaining weight loss (21).
The BetterMe app is one such fitness and calorie-counting app that offers calorie and diet tracking, in addition to water tracking, intermittent fasting timers, daily workouts, meditation advice, and much more.
Unbox the BetterMe Pilates Essential Kit and say hello to smart workouts at home or on the go. Slip into the grip socks and stand your ground in style, or loop in some fun with our resistance bands. It’s everything you need to stretch your limits and sculpt your body!
While some people think fitness trackers aren’t important, we believe there is enough use of them to prove their worth as an investment for efficiency in losing weight. Investing in a weight loss accessory could actually be beneficial to your fitness goals. Some of the benefits of these trackers include:
In a study review published in the Lancet Digital Health journal, researchers found that wearing trackers helped increase daily step counts by approximately 1,800 steps, walking time by an extra 40 minutes, and weight loss by an extra 1 kg (10).
4. Data sharing – Sometimes, people find it easier to work out in groups. This system is a fantastic motivational and accountability system. Trackers can be set with a data sharing option that allows you to share your progress with anyone you’re doing a challenge with or your physician.
You’ve probably seen this belt on the guy in your gym who looks like he can break a large watermelon over his biceps. Although it may seem as if this is for avid strongmen only, the use of the belt is not limited to professional weightlifters.
In a study published in early 2022, researchers looking at the effects of such belts on recreational weightlifters found that wearing a lifting belt (and wrist straps) can help lifters do deadlifts much faster and reduce knee flexion during a workout (25).
The researchers also acknowledged that weightlifters feel a sense of support and believed that their lifting capacity increased due to wearing these belts, but also the fact that lifting belts have the benefit of increasing intra-abdominal pressure, stabilizing the spine, decreasing spinal compression, and reducing the likelihood of spinal injuries during weightlifting training (25).
If you choose to invest in this accessory, it’s important to know that it is best used for doing exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and military presses. It’s important to note that this belt should not be confused with a waist trainer. While waist trainers have gained popularity in recent years, they’re not one of the weight loss accessories you should invest in.
Not only do they not give you better posture, an hourglass, and even help with weight loss, they pose tremendous health risks, such as breathing problems, rib fractures, and shifted internal organs, in addition to causing acid reflux, constipation, and other digestive issues (27). Waist trainers may also restrict blood flow.
When many people are looking to lose weight, the first thing they do is run out to purchase a bathroom scale. This is understandable because, after all, who doesn’t want to wake up and see that the pounds are dropping? However, standard bathroom scales may not be the best weight loss accessories for monitoring your progress (5). When you first start working out, you shed fat and begin to gain muscle.
Muscle and fat weigh the same, but muscle is denser than fat tissue, which means that you might look smaller but weigh more or just the same as when you started. Anyone who doesn’t realize this could be disheartened by thinking their diet and exercise aren’t working.
As regular bathroom scales cannot differentiate between fat, muscle, blood, or organs, it’s best to get a body fat weighing scale. Seeing the percentage of your body fat going down offers a better insight to how your weight loss journey is going rather than simply paying attention to your weight.
Water is very important in weight loss. It’s known as a natural appetite suppressant, increases calorie burning, helps muscles function, improves connective tissues, joints move correctly, and keeps your organs working effectively. It’s also important to note that drinking water directly helps with burning fat. Without it, the body can’t properly metabolize stored fat and carbohydrates (11, 9).
Hands up if you have a workout playlist saved on your phone. Some people prefer hip-hop, while others are more inclined to listen to upbeat pop music while working out. Regardless of personal preferences, we can certainly agree that good music can motivate you and positively impact your workout.
Good bluetooth earbuds or wireless headphones can be a good idea as you don’t have to battle with loose wires while doing your cardio or lifting some free weights.
Read more: Wall Pilates for Butt: A Quick Guide for Beginners
These armbands are probably one of the most useful weight loss accessories for women as much of their workout gear does not always have pockets. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to turn their phone off even during a workout, as this could mean missing an important call from work, children, or the nanny.
If this isn’t something you need to worry about, these armbands are also useful as a safe slip-proof place to keep your phone while you listen to music at the gym or when out on a run.
While some people don’t think these mats are an important part of your home workout or gym routine, we believe it’s a good idea to invest in one. It provides stability on most slippery surfaces, adds some extra padding between your body and the ground, and conveniently sets you up with a clean surface to work out on.
No matter how well your gym is cleaned, you don’t want to be rolling around on the floor. It’s also important to note that the difference between a yoga and exercise mat is the thickness, the former being thinner than the latter. The BetterMe Pilates mat is a perfect example of what a fantastic exercise mat should be. Stylish, extra wide, comfortably cushioned, and easy to clean – it’s the perfect mat for anyone who is looking to make an investment.
Most people prefer using apps to log their food as they’re a quick, simple, and effective way to do so. However, some of these apps can be limiting in terms of what you can add on them. However, a food journal can be whatever you want it to be. Some people also simply love the feel of pen and paper and prefer physically writing down notes, food and water intake, etc. by hand rather than typing into a device.
According to Harvard Health, the benefits of having a physical food journal include noting down what, how much, and when you eat, in addition to extra details such as where you are when you eat, what else you’re doing as you eat, your feelings during this time, and who you’re eating with (32).
Basically, a physical food journal can be more personalized than an online variation. For those who enjoy bullet journalling, food journals can be another way to engage in this relaxing hobby – you can make your journal pretty by adding all kinds of stickers and doing calligraphy in the book.
This may be an odd item for inclusion in a weight loss accessories list, but these containers can make a huge difference in your weight loss. Meal prepping is one of the most sure-fire ways to keep you from reaching for the wrong foods and snacks.
After a long day of work, no one wants to think about having to cook, so having ready-to-eat meals can prevent you from reaching for your phone and ordering a calorie-packed pizza. Some of the most popular meal-prepping methods include make-ahead meals, batch cooking, individually portioned meals, and food prep.
This is particularly important for anyone who doesn’t work from home. During lunch, most people will make their way to a restaurant, fast food cafe, or food truck to find something to eat. While you may choose what looks like a healthy order off the menu, more often than not, these meals are full of saturated fats and sugars.
Insulated bags will help you keep your healthy homemade meals hot until whenever lunchtime rolls around. Plus, with this system, you’ll know exactly how many calories you’ve consumed for the meal, making calorie tracking that much easier.
Portion control is an important part of losing weight as it can help reduce the food you consume, thereby reducing your daily calorie intake. Research has shown that when people use portion control plates or smaller bowls (and serving spoons) when serving themselves, they tend to consume less food – and dessert – than when using regular or bigger plates/bowls (16, 8).
Green smoothies have become a massive trend in weight loss and fitness. As these smoothies are made up of mainly fruits and vegetables, they’re an excellent way for many people to consume their micronutrients. While micronutrients aren’t highly regarded in weight loss, it’s still best to ‘eat the rainbow’ for a healthy daily dose of minerals and vitamins (26).
The BetterMe Pilates Essential Kit is your pocket-sized personal trainer, ready to unleash a full-body transformation. Grip it, stretch it, balance it; each piece invites you to play your way to a toned physique. With comfort at your fingertips and style at your toes, who knew shaping up could feel so good?
While these powders cannot be considered to be the magic answer to weight loss, consuming a protein shake every day is a great way to reduce your calorie intake.
A protein shake can be used as a meal replacement, and as proteins keep you feeling full for longer, they keep you from snacking as a side benefit, which helps you shed the extra pounds by keeping your total caloric intake on target.
Not only do they decrease your hunger and appetite, they may also increase your metabolism, help with muscle growth, and prevent muscle loss and metabolic slowdown from dieting (3, 6).
Skipping ropes are amazing weight loss accessories that anyone can use to lose weight, regardless of their level of fitness. Jumping rope for just 30 minutes a day can help you burn anywhere from 226 to 503 calories, depending on your weight and how fast you do the exercise (4).
Using a weighted jump rope instead of an ordinary rope can increase the number of calories burned and provides you with an upper-body workout. This is due to the extra weight that is provided by a heavier rope.
Many people don’t consider yoga as a way to lose weight, but depending on the kind of yoga you do and how much you weigh, you could burn between 180 and 460 calories in an hour. Yoga straps will help with some of the complicated stretches in this exercise.
Even if you’re not a yoga practitioner, you can use the straps for stretching to increase the range of motion in your joints, decrease the risk of injury during exercise, and reduce stress (24). The long fitness tapes from BetterMe can work as both yoga straps and stretching straps for anyone who wants to try this.
Also known as wrist straps, they’re used for exercises such as deadlifts, barbell rows, and rack pulls. Research on the use of lifting straps during exercise has shown that they can help both male and female weightlifters perform more reps with greater preserved grip strength (28, 22). The straps also allow better maintenance of grip strength, faster grip strength recovery following training, and greater perceived grip security and power, in addition to reducing perceived exertion while exercising (13).
As the name suggests, these weights are worn around the ankles or wrists. The former are beneficial for exercises that target the leg and hip muscles as they place greater weight on the targeted muscles, making them work harder to move a heavier weight against gravity, which leads to greater muscle activation. Wrist weights are a fantastic option for anyone who is dealing with a weak grip caused by arthritis or stroke and can’t hold dumbbells (30).
These look like battle armor vests with a broad strap that wraps around your middle to keep the vest in place. They’re best used when doing cardio and bodyweight exercises. A study on obese older adults found these vests to help improve lean mass and lower extremity strength.
The results of wearing this type of vest for just under 10 hours a day showed it can help reduce fat mass and body fat percentage. It should be noted that in some cases, wearing a vest for extended periods could result in back pain and soreness. Try using a vest when working out and take it off once you’re done to hopefully prevent this (14).
Working out is beneficial for weight loss, but it can be quite taxing on your body. As not everyone can afford to get a massage after a workout, getting a foam roller can be a way of giving yourself a massage.
While these rollers cannot be considered direct weight loss accessories, they’re still important. They help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. Sore and tight muscles can affect your ability to work out the next day, making you fall off your schedule (15, 1).
Compression garments come in the form of tops, tights, sleeves, and socks. While they are mostly used after surgery (medical-grade compression garments) and by endurance athletes, they can also be used for weight loss. They can be used as weight loss accessories by obese/overweight people and beginners who are new to exercise.
Research on the use of compression garments has shown that they can increase arterial blood flow, increase localized skin temperature, and reduce perceptions of muscle soreness and pain following exercise. They have also been shown to help improve performance and above all, they’re great for recovery, delayed-onset muscle soreness, preventing injury recurrence, and reducing symptoms of a current sports injury (19, 7, 17).
These are amazing weight loss accessories as they:
These bands are all the rage at the moment and they’re the perfect weight loss accessories as they’re an affordable, convenient, and lightweight tool to train all your major muscles.
They will add resistance training to your routine and can also be used for multiple compound exercises for weight loss. They also boost bodyweight-only workouts. BetterMe has some Pilates loop tapes that are perfect for any resistance band workout.
Not having the proper footwear can lead to many foot-related injuries such as ankle strains and fractures, bunions, and corns. However, not all exercises require the same kind of shoe (2):
These are the perfect weight loss accessories for men and women. A gym duffel bag is the most convenient way to keep all your workout clothes and other gym necessities together. When correctly packed, it will make your life easier as you’ll never have to stop and look for where your outfits and other accessories are.
These include options such as small dumbbells, pilates rings, and small fitness balls. Such accessories are small enough not to take up too much space in your house and can be used to add resistance to a number of workouts
Read more: Pilates Full Body Workout for Beginners (No Equipment Needed)
All of the above weight loss accessories are good for men. If you’re looking for a gift idea for a friend, husband, or boyfriend who loves fitness or is looking to lose some extra pounds, any of the above products will make a great present.
As with men, women can also safely use any of the above equipment to help with slimming down. However, women may also need some extra items such as:
All weight loss accessories are considered helpful and they’ll positively impact your weight loss journey. However, if you’re unsure about which products to get, we suggest you start with the following:
These are perfect cost-effective fitness accessories for any beginner, and you can add to your collection slowly over time.
The best way to do this is to look at what you need to do to lose weight. Look for options that fit within your budget and those that will be most beneficial to your chosen exercise routine and diet.
Yes, they do. While most of them may not directly affect weight loss, such as free weights or weight machines, they inadvertently help you shed the extra pounds by adding more resistance, which leads to more calorie burn during and after your workout session.
There is no equipment that helps with belly fat loss. What actually helps with this is a combination of a healthy calorie deficit diet and full-body workouts (not just belly workouts). Gym equipment can help with the workouts, but without a dedicated routine and a good diet, you won’t see results.
No, it isn’t. Research has shown that working out too close to your bedtime can lead to poor sleep quality. If you have no other choice but to exercise at night, it’s recommended that you end your exercise at least an hour before you go to sleep (12).
Exercise, a good healthy calorie deficit diet, and proper hydration are the key steps for helping you get rid of stomach overhang.
Yes, you should. These items may seem small and insignificant, but in the long run, they’ll make a massive difference in your weight loss journey. After all, losing weight isn’t only about the gym, it’s also about diet, dedication, and in some cases, convenience.
Remember to only buy the essentials at first and don’t splurge on getting everything on this list. If you’re still unsure of what accessories to get, speak to a trainer at your local gym, and they’ll direct you to the best things to buy. Make sure you speak to a doctor before you make any changes to your diet and exercise.
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