THE SOUPED-UP
SKIPPING ROPE
Last summer’s sellout fit kit
was the smart weighted hula
hoop, with #weightedhulahoop
racking up more than 207
million views on TikTok. This
summer it will be the return of
the humble skipping rope to
satisfy the plyometric crowd.
Tangram has a supercharged
smart version featuring lights
and sensors to track your
workout and log your stats
( 1 £80). The #skipping hashtag
has amassed 891 million views
on TikTok and has even
spawned a dedicated #skiptok
community.THE STYLISH WAY
TO WILD SWIM
The ever-increasing tribe of
wild swimming devotees will
be dictating what the rest of
us wear on the beach this
summer, according to the
trend forecaster WGSN, as we
embrace what it is calling the
“outdoor boom”. It predicts that
summer’s hottest beachwear
will be rash vests — try Perfect
Moment’s rash guard ( 2 £175)
— while wearing a jumpsuit by
the wild swimming brandWylding marks you out as
being in the cool gang (£160).
This year the paddle boarding
company Red Paddle has
launched its Pro Change Robe
Evo (£150), an innovative take
on the ubiquitous Dryrobe,
with an underlayer that actually
dries your body as the outer
layer keeps you warm.THE WONDER
WEARABLE
In a fitness industry that pushes
us to do more all the time, it’s
refreshing to find a bit of tech
that wants you to consider how
well rested you are. Whoop, the
wearable strap favoured by pro
athletes, measures how stressed
or rested your body is, and
advises a workout based on that.
Some days it wants you to go
all-out, but on days when your
body is struggling — perhaps
after a big workout or a poor
night’s sleep, or at certain
points during your menstrual
cycle — it advises a calmer
approach to keep your stress
hormones in check. Its recently
launched latest iteration, the
4.0, has even better sleep
sensors ( 3 from £24 a month,
band included).THE NEW FIT KIT
3217 The must-have
status symbol
(that’s not a Peloton)
If the thought of sit-ups and ab crunches makes you
feel sick, try Icaros (below), the latest fitness status
symbol. Think high-tech gaming meets full-body
workout, where you work your core strength while
holding the plank position at multiple angles to
navigate virtual ski slopes, fly through hoops or
even attack aliens. “The device keeps your body in
an optimal position, which allows for increased
hamstring and upper-back activation, so good form
and correct core position are maintained,” says
Jason Reynolds, head of fitness at Lanserhof at the
Arts Club. “The virtual-reality element of Icaros has
been proven to improve the brain-to-muscle
[neuromuscular] link, which can give a more
effective workout but also help with bodily
awareness, increasing overall performance.” Like all
in-demand at-home gym equipment, the Icaros
Home doesn’t come cheap — it starts from £1,835,
or for something more living room (and wallet)
friendly, you can try the fewer-frills micro version,
the Icaros Cloud 360, for £500. icaros.com8 The viral
treadmill challenge
The 12-3-30 trend, popularised by social media
influencer Lauren Giraldo, is currently going
viral on TikTok, with more than 64 million views
and counting. It is simple in premise: walking on
a treadmill set at a 12 per cent incline at 3mph
for 30 minutes. Giraldo claimed to have lost
more than two stone and now posts videos of
others taking on her challenge. To try it yourself
head to the gym, invest in a smart treadmill,
such as the Echelon Stride (£1,599), which
folds away to fit under your sofa, or lace up your
trainers and head for a hill.Sports bra,
£680, crop
leggings, £590,
and shorts,
£1,450, Dior.
Fitness bench,
£4,700,
Technogym
for Dior© Laura Jane Coulson
The Sunday Times Style • 13