When training to become better at a sport, there are lots of different types of equipment that you can use.
This could include a few flashy gadgets that could help to provide detailed metrics of your performance or simply help you to practice on your own.
Below are just a few gadgets that could be worth considering.
Indoor Bikes
If you’re a cyclist, consider whether an indoor bike could be a worthy investment. Indoor bikes could allow you to keep practicing cycling even when the weather is bad outside. Such a bike could be a stationary exercise bike.
Alternatively, you could take your outdoor bike and put it onto indoor rollers. For a modern digital solution, it could be worth trying a smart stationary bike or a smart turbo trainer.
These gadgets can track your cycling performance to give you a good idea of the speed you are traveling, the distance you’ve traveled, and the calories you’ve burned, allowing you to view all this information on an app.
You can also go one step further by considering virtual cycling apps. These allow you to cycle through virtual environments, giving you the feeling of cycling outdoors.
Rowing Machines
If rowing is your sport of choice, you could consider buying a rowing machine. This can allow you to practice your rowing without constantly going out on the river.
Even if you’re not into rowing, such machines are popular home gym machines that can provide a full-body workout, helping you to stay in peak physical condition for whatever sport you may choose to take part in.
Like indoor bikes, there are some rowing machines that can deliver digital metrics to tell you how fast you’re going and how far you’ve rowed.
You can also look into virtual rowing apps that give you the experience of rowing outdoors indoors (some rowing machines come with mini-screens, while others can be linked up with a phone, TV, tablet, or VR headset).
Treadmills
Running is an essential part of many sports. A treadmill could allow you to practice your running indoors in a home gym so that you don’t have to go for a run outdoors when it’s raining.
A decent treadmill will be able to offer information on your runs such as the distance covered and speed. Some running apps may even allow you to record smart treadmill stats so that your indoor runs are being tracked too.
As with indoor cycling and rowing, virtual running apps exist too.
Reaction Lights
Reaction lights can be used to practice the speed of your reactions. They include a set of lights. The lights come on in random order and you have to hit each light as soon as you see it. These lights could be on a wall or on the floor.
They are used by many athletes from boxers to soccer players. You can buy sets of reaction lights online. Some are made for specific purposes (such as being integrated into boxing pads).
Pitching Machines
Play baseball and want to improve your batting? Pitching machines have long been used to train in baseball. These machines automatically pitch balls, so that you don’t have to do batting practice with someone.
You can look online for pitching machines for sale. Advanced models may be able to be programmed with different settings so that you can practice against certain types of pitches.
Fixed Motion Sensors
Fixed motion sensors are sensors that are able to record the speed of an item going past, whether it’s a ball being thrown or a person running. In most cases, it involves setting up two sensors and calculating the speed between the two.
Such sensors can be linked up to an app, allowing you to digitally track your speed, whether you’re trying to improve your sprint speed or trying to pitch a ball faster.
Glove Sensors
These are sensors that are attached to the hand in order to record the speed and motion of hand movements.
They could be used in boxing to improve your jabs or they could be used in golf to improve your swing. Such sensors commonly take the form of a glove, while others take the form of a wristband or clip.
Like fixed motion sensors, you’re able to record your performance on an app. Some are even able to help you fine-tune the motion of your hand movements by helping you to understand the angle at which you move your hands.
Smart Baseball Bats
Smart bats can help you to improve your swing while playing baseball. These bats contain in-built sensors. Every time you swing, they record data such as the speed and angle, which you can view on an app.
There are only a few smart baseball bats on the market. Such smart technology can also be integrated into equipment such as golf clubs and tennis rackets.
Smart Footballs
In ball sports, another way of measuring ball speed can be to use a smart ball such as a smart football. These balls have sensors inside that measure the speed that they are traveling, as well as other metrics.
This is all recorded on an app. Smart footballs are just one example of this. Such technology can also be integrated into basketballs and golf balls.
Smartwatches
A smartwatch could also be a gadget worth buying.
This could allow you to more easily track smart metrics from other gadgets in real-time such as your performance while cycling or even the speed of a ball while it’s in the air in situations where you may not be able to get out your phone.
There are lots of different brands of smartwatches to choose from. Some smartwatches are built for sports and may be a little more robust as a result. You can compare some of the best smartwatches here.
