If you’re like me (and I bet you are), there are days that end with a long sigh of relief and a little pat on the back because you survived another day without slapping a single person.

These are the evenings when I jump online and dive into a little retail therapy.

I try to be smart (of course) and never buy anything that’s not practical and good for me.

With that in mind I buy a lot of exercise stuff (accessories, gear, gadgets, equipment, etc.) because it meets my criteria and because the items tend to be affordable and practical (so no post-purchase regrets).

So, I thought I’d share a list of my most recent indulgences*.

You can find some of these items on Amazon and some of them elsewhere but I’ve bought all of them at some point and can tell you that you won’t regret investing in anything on this list.  

Everything listed here will feed your soul and put a smile on your face, and ultimately improve your health and life.

*Treat yourself (or the woman you love) to the perfect fitness tool that’ll make them smile and stay on track to conquer all of their fitness goals!

This post may contain Amazon (or other) affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. You can get more information about that here.

Dumbbells

Every woman needs dumbbells.

Your body will change when you add strength-training to your workouts.

No, I’m not talking about morphing into a small refrigerator.  I’m talking about building a lean, sculpted and toned body.

Every woman should be incorporating weights into their exercise program a few times a week.

Lifting light weights and doing high reps will give your body the definition that you can’t get with a cardio-only workout schedule.

What dumbbells should you buy?

Read A Woman’s Guide to Buying Dumbbells to get more information, but a great place to start is with either of these:

*Rubber dumbbells are my favorite but these neoprene weights come in a perfect starter set

Workout Pants

Who doesn’t love new fitness apparel?

If I told you how many pairs of workout pants I own you might think there was something wrong with me, but let’s just say I’m a sucker for a cool pair of tights.

But, I’m picky.  The fit and material is important to me along with the print.

I’ve written a post about nothing but workout pants:

 Athletic Leggings—Your Guide to Vibrant, Quirky, Cool, Sexy and Practical Workout Pants.

I recommend you read it if you want to see a bunch of incredible options for workout tights.

But for a great pair of workout pants I’d start at Gear Bunch because they look cool and the fit is spot on.

Ankle Weights

If you’ve ever focused a lot of energy on exercising at home then you’ve bought a pair of ankle weights at one time or another.

If you’re like me then you probably wasted money on the wrong kind.

I have 3 pairs of  ‘faulty’ ankle weights—the first pair is full of sand that shifts to one corner with any kind of movement and turns into an anchor that’ll trip you up, the second pair has a metal clasp where the strap feeds in and as soon as you stand up the weight pulls on the clasp and shifts things into a very awkward position on my ankles, and the third pair of ankle weights I bought has the Velcro part in the wrong place so the strap won’t stay in place.

After all that you’d think I’d have given up on the idea of ankle weights but I stumbled upon these after my mom bought them for physical therapy. 

The design is perfect.  These will make you happy.

Resistance Bands

You really don’t need an entire set of resistance bands.  How do I know this?  Because I have about 10 of them and yet I use the same one every time.

My biggest advice regarding the resistance bands is to get a long one. 

You won’t realize that it matters until you’re in the middle of a Cathe Friedrich workout and she has you pull that thing around your body to do something and your band only stretches halfway there.

Get the 7 foot medium resistance band.  It’s perfect for everything.

An Aerobic Step

So, this aerobic step is my personal product and my favorite piece of equipment because I use it almost every day.  This fitness tool will change the way you exercise.

I didn’t invent a new fitness tool but I made it beautiful and used the #1 design on the market to do that.

This piece of exercise equipment is a game-changer.  Because you can adjust it to 3 different levels you can change the variety and intensity of every routine.

My exercise step is a pro-sized step that’s a big target for your feet and offers full support from head to glutes when you’re using your new dumbbells to do exercises on your back.  Circuit-sized steps can’t do that.

Read more about my favorite fitness tool at my shop.

*Check out my special edition aerobic step with 3 risers on each side.  I sell these Expanded Sets with extra risers on Amazon, too.

Cathe Friedrich

You may or may not be familiar with Cathe Friedrich.  If you don’t know who she is then I’m so glad you’re here because you’ve been missing out.

Cathe Friedrich, in my opinion, is THE BEST fitness instructor (for women) for at-home exercise videos today.

*I LOVE several of the Beachbody programs but I think Cathe Friedrich is still the best option for women’s workout programs.

She’s been around for over a decade but I think she’s gotten even better in the last few years.

Her workouts are advanced but you can easily modify them if you’re just starting out by doing less reps and using lighter weights.

You’ll quickly figure out she’s a total beast and your goal will be to keep up with her during every workout.

One of my favorite things about Cathe Friedrich is that you don’t have to purchase an entire series of videos (*throat clearing, Beachbody*) to get the routine you want.

She sells each workout as a stand-alone purchase OR you can buy the whole set.

It’s really tough to recommend just one of her videos (there are hundreds) but here are a few of my favorites:

A Yoga Mat

So, a few weeks ago I went on Amazon to treat myself to a new yoga mat and immediately went into sensory overload.

The number of yoga mats for sale is absolutely astounding.

Somehow, I picked one out and I gotta tell you that I love it.

I use a mat for core exercises mostly so I was looking for something that was thick enough that I knew it was there, but not so thick that I sunk 2 inches into it every time I laid down.

I’m super happy with my purchase.

TIP–Make sure you watch the video on the listing.  It’s what sold me on this mat.  And there are a ton of colors to choose from.

A Gym Bag

Along with an excessive amount of workout pants, I also have far too many bags.

The thing is, there’s not ONE BAG that’s the perfect size for everything!  So, I’ve managed to amass every size bag you can think of with every kind of strap, flap, zipper and pocket imaginable—or so I thought.

And then I found this awesome Adidas bag on Amazon.

I love this bag.  It’s the perfect size, shape and material for the gym. 

It’s big enough to fit all of my gym stuff but not so big I can’t fit it in a locker.  The material isn’t too stiff and has just the right number of zippers and pockets—not to mention the fact that it looks awesome. 

*There are over 10 color options with this gym bag so they’ve probably got a color combo that you’ll love.

Athletic Apparel on Auto Pilot

We’ve already talked about workout pants.  But what about sports bras, pullovers and joggers (in addition to workout leggings)?

I think every woman would agree that these clothing items are all awesome and that you can’t really have too many of any of them.  Why?  Because when you look good you’ll feel good and want to go to the gym or for a run.  It’s a fact.

But trying on athletic apparel in the store sucks.  In a big way.  No one wants to push, tuck and rearrange everything into sports clothing in a public dressing room. 

So, what’s a girl to do?

Have sports clothes sent straight to your house every month and try it all on in your own bedroom.  Send back what you don’t like and pay for the stuff you do.  It’s SO EASY.  FUN. And AWESOME!

You can read The Ultimate Guide to the Top Fitness Apparel Subscription Programs where I dive deep into several different options or you can go straight over to my favorite company (Wantable) for this service.

*A Wantable gift certificate is a really cool and unique gift idea for any woman!

BUBBLES, BABY!

Don’t forget about the bubbles!

We could all use more bubble baths.  And after a long day and/or an incredible workout there’s nothing better than sliding down into a hot and bubbly soak.

Don’t underestimate how much a few minutes in a warm tub can revive and rejuvenate your mind and body.

I’ve tried several different kinds but these are my favorite:

 

I hope you plan to indulge in something on this list, too.  You deserve it.