skating bags have special pockets to hold your skates. Soccer bags have com-
partments to separate your muddy, grassy cleats from the rest of your items.
Swimming bags are designed to accommodate your fins, paddles, and goggles;
good ones have a waterproof compartment to throw your suit in when it’s wet.You can get a good bag for less than $50. Look for sturdy, easy-to-wash fabrics
such as thick nylon. Canvas tends to rip and soil easily. A gym bag should have
a rigid bottom so that when you place it on the floor, it stands upright. This
helps keep your items in place. We also like bags with both shoulder straps
and handles so that you can choose how to carry your bag. If you tend to
walk home from the gym at night — or even just from the club to the parking
lot — look for a bag with reflective stripes or glow-in-the-dark panels.A Heart-Rate Monitor
Heart-rate monitors are the training tool of choice for both serious and recre-
ational exercisers. Because your heart rate is directly proportional to how
hard you’re working, a monitor is a great way to determine your exercise
intensity. We especially recommend these gizmos for beginners who are just
learning how to push themselves, and for people training for a competition
who want to get a sense of what it feels like to work out at near-maximum
pace. (See Chapter 8 for details on how to put your monitor to good use.) A
monitor is also especially valuable if you’re a home exerciser. You don’t have
the roar of the crowd to keep you going, or the wide assortment of equipment
to occupy you; your heart rate gives you something tangible to focus on.
Prices range from $59 for a simple model to $400 for one that lets you down-
load information to your computer, create graphs of your training intensities,
and cross-reference this information with every variable from the weather to
the type of shoes you wear.A Personal Training Appointment
Hiring a personal trainer sounds like hiring a personal chef — an extrava-
gance that’s swell for Oprah but unrealistic for the rest of us. But we’re not
talking about a lifetime commitment here. You can hire a trainer for a couple
of sessions, either at home or at a health club, to get you started on a pro-
gram tailored to your goals and your fitness level or to update your current
routine. Trainers cost between $25 and $100 per session. If you buddy up
with a friend or two, your sessions may cost less.Chapter 25: Ten Great Fitness Investments under $100 371