HALO TRAINER

What It is: Newly launched in the fitness industry this month, the Halo Trainer is a handy apparatus that you use with a stability ball, with other equipment like a BOSU ball or even on its own. You can put the Halo under the ball for better stability when sitting or doing planks. Or placing the Halo on top of a ball – sort of like handlebars – makes for better ergonomics when doing pushups and similar exercises.

What You Might Not Know: The Halo was invented by practicing physical therapist (and all-round nice guy) Bryce Taylor. You’re looking at a thoroughly thought-out tool designed and tested by a true expert, who developed more than 200 exercises to go along with it.

Feelin’ the Love: I was lucky enough to try out the Halo under the supervision of the inventor himself. He showed me how to do a bunch of common exercises using a stability ball but with a Halo twist. I was pleasantly surprised at how I could really concentrate on good, solid shoulder stability during planks when the Halo was under the ball. 

Then, when Bryce flipped the Halo out from under the ball and placed it, handle-bars up, on top of the ball, it was a whole new, well, ball game where planks were concerned (this time done with straight arms and beautifully neutral wrists, thanks to the Halo’s comfortably padded handlebars). Probably my all-time favorite exercise, though, was triceps dips with the Halo securely perched on top of the ball. It just felt so right compared to doing dips on a ball without the Halo, where hands sink into ball-squish, wrists all awry.

If I Could Change One Thing: Like with any piece of equipment that’s meant to “go with” something else, there’s a learning curve to using it and also it’s not as “fluid” going from one exercise to the next. You have to take a few seconds to re-position the Halo from time to time, which isn’t bad, just more challenging for those of us with Type A personalities.

Should You Buy It? Yes. It’s good for anyone doing rehab or in need of a better way to position wrists during most bodyweight exercises. And if you’re looking for a useful accessory to spruce up the stability ball, TRX, bodyweight or BOSU ball exercises you already do – or to take them to the next level – picking up a Halo Trainer just makes sense. HaloTrainer.com; $74.

FREESTYLER

What It Is:  A heavy-duty plastic platform shaped like a mini surfboard with two anchor points on either end for elastic tubing. One end of each tube has a cuff that you attach to your ankle and the other end has a handle to hold on to. Comes with multiple resistance tubes so you can adjust intensity.

Judging from this product’s website, the FREESTYLER seems to offer a little of everything: Pilates tool, platform for choreographed exercise-to-music classes, portable device for personal trainers, physiotherapy, rehab, stretching, sports, home gym … you name it.

What You Might Not Know: I’m told that the FREESTYLER is huge in Europe and is just making its way to North America now. I love this promo video for the product – it’s like a very exciting fitness/Broadway musical mashup.

Only, can someone explain to me the folks in costume with those skull-hugging Spiderman hoods? Seriously, please leave a comment and let me know what that’s about. It’s awesome.

Feelin’ the Love: I test-drove the FREESTYLER at a recent fitness conference and when they first strapped me in, I felt like it was pulling me off-kilter. But with instruction from a patient FREESTYLER trainer, I soon realized that the pulling effect was part of the FREESTYLER’s benefit and charm.

I could feel right away how the tubing’s resistance was hitting my muscles from multiple angles as I moved my legs and arms around – it felt like I was getting a better hip, abs and shoulder workout compared to traditional exercises like squats, planks and dumbbell lifts.

If I Could Change One Thing: The idea behind the FREESTYLER is to provide “functional multiaxis movement” (according to a document from the company). It makes you use lots of muscles all at once with training that “emphasizes the body’s natural ability to move in three anatomical planes of movement.”

All that multi-dimensional movement choice is great – really great – but it also complicates how to actually use this thing from the exerciser’s point of view. Since my arms and legs aren’t normally attached to resistance tubing when I move around, I didn’t find exercising on the FREESTYLER to be immediately intuitive.

I think you’re supposed to bust out with your own freestyle “flow” of moves. But I didn’t know how to do that. Luckily, FREESTYLER offers 285 free video clips on its website for guidance.

Should You Buy It? Depends on what you’re looking for. With all the movement variables and adjustable equipment options available with the FREESTYLER, you’ve got everything you could wish for in a piece of portable fitness equipment, except maybe ultra-simplicity.

Since the FREESTYLER is more than 200 bucks, maybe see if you can try it out first at a fitness conference or fitness supply store. And it wouldn’t hurt to check out a few video clips, as well.

BETHENNY’S SKINNYGIRL WORKOUT  

What It Is: A yoga DVD – released this month – from Bethenny Frankel, reality TV star best known for her appearance on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York City and her Skinnygirl brand, which includes books, DVDs and her famous Skinnygirl Cocktails. The DVD contains 15-minute, 30-minute and 45-minute yoga routines plus a bonus 12-minute stretch.

What You Might Not Know: Bethenny is pictured solo on the DVD cover and she’s in the DVD, but this “housewife” is not the instructor – whew! That distinction goes to Mike McArdle, Bethenny’s NYC-based yoga teacher, who, according to the DVD’s cover, is certified in Bikram yoga and Pilates.

Feelin’ the Love: Both Mike McArdle and Bethenny Frankel are likeable on-screen workout buddies, and McArdle is clearly an experienced yoga teacher. I enjoyed the yoga routines and bonus stretch he put together for this DVD. Each yoga segment balanced toning poses with stretching ones. And I liked how McArdle frequently brought my attention back to engaging specific muscles – like inner thighs, abs and back – in each posture.

Plus, I got a giggle out of a surprise celebrity sighting on set – Bethenny’s dog Cookie scampering across the floor. I’m a dog person, so any cute canine automatically scores bonus points with me.

If I Could Change One Thing: Someone forgot to point out that cues for “right” and “left” sides should be according to how the viewer will experience the poses. Instead, McArdle cues directly to Bethenny, who’s sitting right beside him, facing the same direction as he is. I played this DVD on my computer and was facing the screen, of course, so my right side was their left side and vice versa. Since I like to close my eyes while holding a stretch, or when I didn’t have a good vantage point of the screen in poses like Downward Dog, this backwards cueing mixed me up.

The routines and bonus stretch helped release muscular tension, but the frequent chit-chat between Bethenny and the instructor distracted me from toning down my mind’s clutter. I just couldn’t mentally “let go” to achieve true inner calm with all the yammering going on … (Breathe … relax … did I just hear Bethenny refer to menstruation as “lady holiday”?)

Should You Buy It: I’m not a huge fan of aligning fitness with skinny girls or reality TV stars making fitness DVDs, but I warmed up to this DVD quickly. Still … all that chit-chat! If you’re more “Zen” than I am, you might not be distracted by the running commentary throughout this DVD; in fact, Bethenny fans might love it! In that case, this one’s definitely worth a try.

Sold exclusively at Target and Target.com (at time of post); $16.

AMY DIXON’S BREATHLESS BODY & GIVE ME 10 MORE! FITNESS DVDs

What It Is: Two new fitness DVDs from celebrity master trainer Amy Dixon: Breathless Body and Give Me 10 More! (the sequel to one of my fave fitness DVDs Give Me 10!).

Breathless Body is a Tabata-style workout, where you exercise intensely for 20 seconds and then recover for 10 seconds. Do that eight times and you’ve completed a sweaty four-minute Tabata drill. Breathless Body includes eight separate four-minute drills for a lot of intense exercise (and sweat).

Give Me 10 More! tosses in a little of everything with six 10-minute segments: cardio, total-body training, lower-body conditioning with dumbbells, upper-body conditioning with dumbbells, core exercises and a stretch.

What You Might Not Know: DVD instructor Amy Dixon is a former world competitive power tumbler. I’m not clear on exactly what that is, but it sounds extremely fun. She’s also got a degree in exercise physiology and two kids.

Feelin’ the Love: These two DVDs complement each other well. With just 30 minutes to work out today, I zipped through two four-minute segments from Breathless Body and two 10-minute segments from Give Me 10 More! Killer cardio. Check. Total-body conditioning. Check.

In Breathless Body, every four-minute Tabata segment focuses on the same exercise, done eight times total. You might think, “Who needs a fitness DVD if you’re just doing, like, 20 seconds of jumping jacks and 10 seconds of standing around over and over?”

Trust me, you want the DVD.

Tabata training is hard; Amy’s motivation and encouragement helped me stick to it even when I really just wanted to kick off my Nikes and call it a day.

I loved the dumbbell exercises in Give Me 10 More! because they weren’t the same old ones you see everywhere. Each set lasts just long enough for you to feel the burn without feeling bored.

If I Could Change One Thing: Amy cues when each Tabata drill is about to end in Breathless Body. But I’m a control freak, so I would have liked to also see an onscreen timer counting down from 20 seconds and again from 10 seconds.

Should You Buy It: Yes to both DVDs. I think they’re best for people who like exercise already, get bored easily, don’t have a ton of time and aren’t afraid to challenge themselves. I get a lot of fitness DVDs to review that I never look at more than once – these are two DVDs that I’d definitely do again.

Both DVDs are $19.99 at www.AmyDixonFitness.com

BOOTY CAMP FITNESS

What It Is: An all-women boot camp held indoors in the winter and outdoors from spring to early fall. Started in Ontario in 2007, this fitness licensing program now offers about 100 classes across Canada. All Booty Camp leaders are certified fitness instructors or personal trainers.

What You Might Not Know: Booty Camp gives away cool loot to a Booty Camp “recruit” who’s shown exceptional progress in their Eight-Week New You Challenge. Win the challenge in 2011 and Booty Camp will fly you to L.A., give you a credit card loaded with thousands of bucks and even rent you a convertible. Nice perk.

Feelin’ the Love: Exercising in the fresh evening air versus at the gym was a welcome change for me, and I didn’t even mind doing my most hated exercise, burpees (200 of them, in fact), in plain view of whoever happened to be strolling through the waterfront park where our class was being held. My favorite Booty Camp drill was sprinting across an open field between bouts of jumping jacks and squat jumps.

The instructor, Crystal Eckenswiller, came across as both strict and non-intimidating, which I really liked. I want my instructor to have high expectations of me without being a jerk about it. Crystal was all about tough-love, but in the friendliest of ways, stating that we’d be doing a total of 60 pushups and 60 triceps dips in the kind of pleasant tone that made it hard to slack off and risk letting her down.

If I Could Change One Thing: I loved the personal challenge the class provided, but afterwards I realized I’d barely had the chance to interact with the other women there. If I could change one thing, I’d swap about 100 of those dreaded burpees for a fun, runaround game to break the ice and build team spirit with the group. Also, by day three post-camp, I’d had enough of the lingering delayed onset muscle soreness in my triceps (curses to those 60 pushups and 60 triceps dips).

Should You Try It: If the idea of a challenging workout in a women-only class sounds good to you, try Booty Camp Fitness. Had my schedule allowed it, I’d have begged Crystal to let me come back for the full eight-week program. Cost: $299 for eight weeks, two classes per week (16 sessions total). Group discounts also available. Find a location and register at BootyCampFitness.com.

ABS REVEALED iPHONE APP

What It Is: A new fitness app for iPhone, iTouch and iPad. It’s meant to complement the Abs Revealed book by Jonathan Ross (Human Kinetics, 2010), but you can get a lot out of just the app on its own, too.

Includes more than 60 exercises – categorized from beginner to advanced – and also a 10-week guided program for a chiseled core.

What You Might Not Know: The folks over at Abs Revealed tell me this app contains more exercise photos and video than any other ab-training app on the market (at the time of this blogging).

Also, I know from firsthand experience interviewing author Jonathan Ross for numerous fitness articles that his training knowledge and advice is solid and trustworthy. I think he was probably a straight-A student in school.

Feelin’ the Love: I like that the beginner-to-advanced exercises are divided according to equipment needed (including no equipment), so you can go directly to the exercises that are compatible with whatever fitness tools you’ve got in front of you – a mat, TRX, stability ball, BOSU ball and more.

Every exercise shows a start and finish photo of the move. And about half the exercises come with a video option – embedded into the app, so no Wi-Fi required – allowing you to watch the exercise in action. All the models in the photos are totally cut shirtless dudes. I like this app.

If I Could Change One Thing: The app comes with a program that’s broken up into three chunks: Weeks 1-3 (phase 1), Weeks 4-6 (phase 2) and Weeks 7-10 (phase 3).  If I could change one thing, I’d make it possible to view or click through to exercise descriptions, photos and videos directly from the Abs Program screen. Right now, you have to flip back and forth between the Abs Program screen and the Exercise screen to see what a suggested move looks like and how to do it.

Should You Buy It: Yes. You can easily benefit from working out with this app at home, at the gym and on the road.

Find Abs Revealed at the Apple App Store; $2.99

P.S. Fitness Test Drive is a finalist in the 2011 Best Health Blog Awards. Have you voted yet? (Find Fitness Test Drive under the “Get Healthy” category – and vote every day until March 21 if you like.)

YOGA-PAWS  (new updated design)

What it is: High-tech fingerless gloves and toeless socks with yoga-mat material sewn on one side and a stretchy, breathable fabric on the other. The box says, “The yoga mat you wear.” Comes in four sizes for men and women.

What You Might Not Know: Yoga-Paws have been around since 2003, but the new design includes absorbent material in the “gloves” (hand-mats? palm-paws?) to soak up sweatiness. Get this: The towel-like lining in the hand units absorbs seven times its weight in moisture, according to a Yoga-Paws press release. That sounds impressive even if I can’t quite imagine just how much sweat that might amount to. I should test-drive these in Bikram Yoga.

Feelin’ the Love: These mini-mats are really handy, and I liked how the mesh in the “gloves” and the Lycra-spandex in the “socks” felt snug against the backs of my hands and tops of my feet – so no distracting slippage there. I could see myself stuffing Yoga-Paws into my suitcase when flying off to fitness conferences (although I’d still want something like a towel between me, my Yoga-Paws and whatever lurks on hotel-room carpet. Ew.)

Eco alert: The yoga-mat material in Yoga-Paws scores bonus points for being free of chlorides, PVC or latex.

If I Could Change One Thing: I want to be able to toss Yoga-Paws in the washing machine. But they have to be hand-washed. That’s a chore I reserve only for bras and bikinis.

Also, some poses feel better without the paws. For example, I missed having my palms lightly touching each other in Prayer and Tree Poses; the paws’ padding interfered with that subtle connection. (About Tree Pose, though…the foot paw improved my ability to gently rest the sole of my foot on the opposite thigh without feeling like it was going to slide down.)

Should You Buy It: I’d say so, if you travel even sometimes or want the freedom to drop into a yoga class, impromptu – Yoga-Paws easily fit in a large purse or travel bag.

Yoga teachers might also find this product convenient for moving around the room demonstrating poses without their having to stick to one yoga mat at the front of class.

Yogapaws.com; $44

P.S. Fitness Test Drive is a finalist in the 2011 Best Health Blog Awards. Have you voted yet? (Find Fitness Test Drive under the “Get Healthy” category – and vote every day until March 21 if you like.)

As it turns out, Fitness Test Drive is a finalist in the 2011 Best Health Blog Awards for excellence in health and lifestyle blogging in Canada. When I got the email yesterday announcing the finalists, I said something aloud and to myself – I think it was, “No way!” – because I’m excited for this blog to receive such esteemed recognition!

If you subscribe to and happily read this blog, had a product test-driven here, or just landed on the site randomly as part of a routine Google search, I humbly ask you to consider voting (and hopefully for this blog). It’s OK to vote every day until March 21/11 if you like – just a helpful hint…

To vote for Fitness Test Drive, go to Best Health’s voting page and look in the *Get Healthy* category.

Cheers. And thanks, and exceedingly grateful.

UGI WEIGHTED FITNESS BALL

What It Is: Think of the weighted Ugi ball as a souped-up version of a medicine ball. At 15 inches in diameter, it’s bigger than a med ball and more versatile, too, because of its squish factor (which makes it wobble when you lean, kneel or stand on it). Working out Ugi-style is sort of like carrying around a really heavy beanbag. It reminds me of a more attractive version of the Performance Ball. Available in 6, 8, 10 or 12 lbs.

What You Might Not Know: Ugi is pronounced “you-guy” (“guy,” as in how you say the name “Guy” in French. Like hockey player Guy Lafleur.). The name stands for “U Got It,” meaning you get all you need, fitness-wise, from the Ugi ball and its accompanying resources: exercise booklet, instructional DVD and eating guide.

Feelin’ the Love: Personal trainer and Ugi creator Sara Shears put me through the paces with a tough half-hour workout featuring 30 exercises lasting about a minute each. Many of the moves are ones you might have seen before – alternating lunges, planks, biceps curls – but the Ugi ball makes them feel different enough so they’re exciting again. The funnest exercise for me was one you can’t do with dumbbells – shot-putting the ball across the room then running to fetch it. Bottom line, this squishy ball works: The day after the workout, as I write this post, I’ve got a satisfying amount of muscle soreness.

If I Could Change One Thing: At times, the size of the ball felt cumbersome and awkward to get a grip on (although I’m told newer versions are less prone to slippage). Still, during some exercises, I couldn’t help equating lugging ol’ Ugi around to climbing stairs with an overstuffed bag of groceries: effective for getting the heart pumping and muscles burning – but you can’t wait for it to be over.

Should You Buy It: While most of the Ugi moves can be modified for beginners, it’s probably best suited to experienced fitness enthusiasts looking for that next “new thing” to amp up a workout. I could see Ugi working nicely for independent personal trainers because of its versatility and portability. Fitness pros: Be sure to check out the Ugi ball (and demo exercises) at various fitness tradeshows this year.

Ugifit.com; $189 (for Ugi at Home kit, which includes ball, DVD, workout booklet, guide to good eating and more).

HAPPY BABY, FIT MAMA! DVD with Ellen Barrett

What It Is: A fitness DVD for new moms who have babies ages 2-12 months. Workouts are divided into three 10-minute segments: Cardio (gentle, low-impact moves), Core (standing ab work) and Calm (gentle stretching and relaxation).

What You Might Not Know: Confession time. Unlike the other DVDs I test drive for this blog, I didn’t actually do this DVD workout on account of the fact that I don’t have a baby at my disposal right now (my daughter’s four). Being a certified fitness pro, though, I know a good workout when I see one.

And since I already love and have participated in doing instructor Ellen Barrett’s other workout DVDs, I decided to just observe  the mom-and-baby routines she does with her son Luca. (Yes, that’s her own baby in the DVD.) 

Feelin’ the Love: Designing the DVD around three 10-minute chunks is right on-target for new moms, who barely have time for a quick shower, let alone a workout.  (Shameless aside: Have I mentioned I co-wrote a postpartum fitness book called Baby Boot Camp: The New Mom’s 9-Minute Fitness Solution? Just sayin’.)

The exercises in this postpartum fitness DVD are reasonable and perfect for helping new moms get moving. You won’t find any uber-intense gut-busting routines on this DVD, and that’s a good thing–when you’re sleep deprived, sometimes getting off the sofa is enough of an effort.  

The instructor’s baby occasionally coos and babbles right over whatever serious fitness cues his mommy is trying to deliver. It’s just plain cute and true to life.

If I Could Change One Thing: 1) Cardio segment: You’re supposed to wear your baby during the low-impact cardio, but even 10 minutes of slinging a kid in a carrier the wrong way can mess with your neck, shoulders and back. So it would have been useful to toss in a few tips on adjustment, ab activation and posture with a baby carrier.

2) Core segment: Ellen’s son snoozed in a stroller throughout this innovative standing core workout, which is meant to be done sans baby. I wondered, though,what would happen to the core routine if he–or any baby–woke up during this part. Then what? Improvise, I guess. 

3) Calm segment: This one’s supposed to be done with your baby by your side or in your lap. However, if your baby  is mobile and wanting to crawl in all directions, you might be hard-pressed to find 10 minutes of calm.

Should You Buy It: Doing just this gentle fitness DVD for new moms might not be all you need to melt away fat and get your pre-pregnancy body back, but it’s an excellent start. So buy it if your baby’s young enough to be happy snuggling in a carrier or lying/sitting close to you. Before pressing play, get clearance from your doctor or midwife to start gentle exercise. 

Happy Baby, Fit Mama! with Ellen Barrett; $15.