by Yvonne Bridges

Created on: October 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

With new fitness gadgets coming at you left and right, choosing what's really good and effective these days can be difficult. All are backed by claims of well known and not so well known fitness experts, celebrities and also a 30 minute infomercial designed to impress and woo even the most skeptical shopper. So, how can you tell the difference between a good workout gadget and one that's really just a waste of your money and time?

Here, we've done that bit of hard work for you. Below is a list of the best fitness gadgets you can find available today and what they can do for you.

BOSU

First up is the BOSU. BOSU is an acronym for "Both Sides Up", named so because you can use this piece of equipment upright with the domed side up, or turn it over and use the flat side. BOSU will turn any fitness move you perform into a challenging core and balance improving workout that engages your entire body in every movement. The BOSU is a great piece of equipment that will get you in awesome shape from head to toe.

Kettelbells

Next, we have kettlebells. Basically cast iron balls with a handle, kettlebells allow you to lift weights in a variety of angles and motions that traditional dumbbells don't allow. In weights of 9lbs on up, everyone from beginner level to more advanced exercisers can be assured a tough and challenging workout with these weights.

Swiss Balls

Stability or Swiss balls are great because there are more than a thousand different ways to use them and incorporate them into your fitness routine. Primarily used to improve and promote core strength and stability of the abdominal, back and leg muscles, stability balls raise the workload and calorie burn of just about any exercise you do.

Bowflex Revolution

The Bowflex Revolution is undoubtedly the best all-in-one home gym out there. While many other home gyms have come and gone, Bowfles has remained the most popular and reliable brand of resistance training equipment on the market.

Perfect Push Up

For upper body training, there's Perfect Push Up. Basically, two round mini stands with handles, they rotate when you perform push ups causing more of your arm and chest muscle fibers to be recruited with each completed push up. Using this device, you can achieve excellent upper body and core strength.

Urban Rebounder

The Urban Rebounder is a round, mini trampoline that you can set up quickly and use right in you own living room, or any other small space with enough head room. It has been discovered that jumping on the Urban Rebounder has the added benefit of cleansing the lymphatic system because you focus more on the down motion when jumping. Also, jumping on the Urban Rebounder is less stressful on the joints.

TreadClimber

The TreadClimber. also by Bowflex, is actually a cross between a treadmill and a stepper. The up and down motion combined with its constantly rolling treads makes for a cardio workout with double the impact.

Ab Wheel

For abdominal workouts, the best gadget is the Ab Wheel. A round rotating wheel connected to a short bar that you grip on both ends, this little piece of equipment works and completely challenges your entire abdominal and core region, while also toning and strengthening your chest, arms and shoulder muscles.

You will not go wrong buying any of these pieces of fitness equipment. All tried, tested and proven most effective by the people who use them, they are the products you absolutely must have on your best fitness gadgets list.

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