Top 5 Cardio Accessories You Cant Do Without…
There are literally hundreds of accessories and gadgets dedicated to cardio.
I get asked all the time to give my opinion on the best heart rate monitors, foam rollers, bottles, belts, headphones, etc…
I compiled a quick list of the 5 items I recommend for cardio sessions to friends, family, and gym junkiez I talk to all the time. These are necessary cardio accessories that you will never leave home without again.
Best Cardio Headphones: SENSO BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
It is a very high quality- cost effective set of Bluetooth earphones. This obviously means no wires between you and your phone. Wires are annoying, you can hear hisses when they move and do not give you control on things like track selection.
I have tried many brands including the popular Beats bluetooth earphones, but the Senso earphones win in terms of sound quality, battery life, ease of connection and sweat resistance.
They are very inexpensive and trust me when we say it will be the last set of earbuds you’ll ever buy.
Best Running Belt: Flipbelt
You might be asking yourself “Do I really need a running belt?”, but that is the wrong question. What you should be asking yourself is “Where do I put my ID, house keys, pocket cash, phone, hotel card?”. You don’t know you need a FlipBelt until you try one.
Flipbelt is an elastic band that fits snug around your waist and has four longitudinal holes in the middle. You slide your things in, they don’t bounce up and down, don’t get lost and don’t bother you while you run.
Believe it or not it is the most sold running accessory on Amazon, where it has around 2,000 reviews with an average of 4.5 stars. It’s actually also perfect for hitting the gym and not having to store your things in a cubby or locker.
To top it all off, it is not expensive at all.
Best Cardio Shoe Laces: Lock Laces
This is probably the best kept secret of the list.
For a very insignificant amount, this is the best present you can give to your running shoes.
The principle is simple: you remove the laces from your running shoes and replace them with the Lock Laces. Insert the endings in the locking mechanism, let a couple of inches of laces fall out and cut off the rest.
Now pull the locking mechanism until your feet fit snugly. That’s it.
The laces are now elastic – much more comfortable than any other laces you’ve ever tried – and to put them on and off you just have to release or lock the mechanism. No more tie-ing laces, forever!
I learned this secret while prepping for the Team Universe competition a couple of years ago and never looked back!!
Best Cardio Safety Lights: Apace Vision LED Safety Lights
Are you one of those runners that prefer the outdoors? Do you run early in the morning, or late at night? Well if you do, you have to have a set of light. Those runners vest are cool but they can be annoying at times. There is no reason to risk not being seen by traffic. It is such a danger that it is not worth taking, for any reason.
There are plenty of reflective or LED light solution, but this one is probably the best one I seen to date. A friend of mine from work who runs ½ marathons religiously put me on to this, so I’m sharing with you!!
Inexpensive, a pack includes:
– 2x safety lights
– 2x extra batteries
– 2x velcro straps
– 1x mini screwdriver
Put one on the front and one on the back, and you are ready to go!
Best Cardio Phone Armband: Annex Quad Lock Sports Armband
Do you run with your phone? Save your money. Don’t try ANY of the cheap running armbands you find. Don’t do it. I am saving you from irritation and wasting money. Before my arms grew to large (shameless plug….lol) I have tried every arm band on the market. All of them had proven worthless, until I found this one.
This system is made of two components:
1) A phone case (or a plastic piece that you stick on to your existing case if you don’t have a compatible phone out of the box) with the Quad Lock connector
2) The armband itself.
You click the case onto the armband and it’s on. Safely, sturdly and easily removable with a simple click.
The even better part is that you can get the same mechanism for your bike, and can safely mount your phone to your bike too. One click and you hop it on and off.
Trust me on this – this is the best armband ever made, others don’t even close.
This is just a quick list of options that will make your cardio life much easier. There are many accessories for runners. But with any of these 5 items, your cardio will simply be more enjoyable.
Do you use any of these? Are you using others that are not mentioned? Let me know in the comments
