About

Fitness Test Drive steers you toward the best fitness/wellness gadgets and gear, from workout wear to gym tools to exercise tech.

Certified fitness instructor and professional writer Amanda Vogel tests and reviews the newest health, fitness and wellness products so you know what’s worth your attention when it comes to trending workouts, time-saving fitness tech, stylish athleisure outfits and more.

Driven by Amanda’s advice as a fitness-industry insider and contributor to popular fitness and women’s magazines—including Best Health, Women’s Health, Oxygen, SELF and Reader’s Digest Canada—Fitness Test Drive shares candid, from-a-friend reactions about a product’s biggest benefits and best features.

DISCLOSURE: Some product links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I might make a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase. This might also occur as a result of discount codes offered on this site. The products and workouts I test-drive are most often gifted to me for review purposes, social posts and/or as part of a media event. Some, but not all, reviews are also sponsored by the brand—sponsored blog posts are clearly disclosed.    

ABOUT AMANDA VOGEL, MA

When I’m not testing out and blogging about fitness and wellness products for Fitness Test Drive, I might be:

– Teaching a fitness class. I’ve been a certified group exercise instructor for more years than I’m going to admit. I am certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

– Driving my 14-year-old daughter to school.

– Walking my aging Labradoodle; I’m definitely a dog person.

– On deadline or on Instagram (see below).

Fitness Writer & Blogger

I’m a professional magazine writer and book author with a Master’s degree in human kinetics and a long-standing membership at American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). Specializing in health and fitness topics, I’ve written articles on everything from “revamping your ab workout” to profiles of Olympic athletes to social media’s impact on body image. View Press + Bylines page.

The fitness and women’s magazines I’ve contributed to include:

Social Media Consultant

The other part of my career involves hanging out on Facebook and Instagram (yes, that’s a job). Sometimes it’s to joke around with friends or to “oooo and awww” over adorable baby or puppy posts (that’s not the part I get paid for). Mostly, though, it’s as a social media manager with the serious intention of boosting “likes” and followers, generating word of mouth, driving customer loyalty through relationship marketing, and, ultimately, stirring up more business for the fitness brands and public figures that I represent.

Fitness Presenter

In the fitness and blogging industries, I am an educator and presenter on topics such as group exercise, social media, fitness writing and micro-influencer marketing. My conference appearances include IDEA World, IHRSA, ACSM Health & Fitness Summit, canfitpro, NASM Optima, Association of Fitness Studios/SUCCEED!, Fitbloggin’ and IDEA Blogfest. I am certified as a Group Fitness Instructor by American Council on Exercise (ACE).

You can find me in misty Vancouver, B.C. or on IG  👉@amandavogelfitness.

P.S. Would you like me to test-drive your fitness or wellness product? Let’s see if we can collaborate!