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20 things that will help you eat better and get in shape in 2020

This is your year to shine

Credit: ClassPass / Reviewed/Jackson Ruckar

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Forget that whole “new year, new you” thing. Let’s take it up a notch—new decade, new outlook. While a major diet revamp works for some people and the gym is a great place to get your fitness on, you don’t have to become vegan overnight or commit to a long-term membership to get healthier. Small changes in your eating and exercise habits can quickly add up to have a huge impact. Here’s what you’ll need to take steps to get trimmer and fitter in 2020—including some personal favorites that have worked for me and other staffers at Reviewed

1. A reminder to get moving: The Fitbit Charge 3 

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Fitbit Charge 3 provides great motivation to get (and keep) moving.

Let’s be honest: We all need a reminder now and then to get up off the couch and get moving. The Fitbit Charge 3 can give you the extra boost of motivation you need, especially heading into the new year. Our favorite fitness tracker has a long battery life of up to seven days, a touchscreen that automatically adjusts to lighting conditions, and is waterproof. From the office to the gym to the pool, there's no limit to where you can track your fitness activities. Plus, if it wasn’t your most active day, you can disregard looking at your step count and scroll through your texts instead (we all have lazy days sometimes—just embrace them).

Get the Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker on Amazon for $121.65

2. A versatile kitchen tool for every meal: Instant Pot 

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The popular Instant Pot is a huge time saver in the kitchen.

This baby can make pretty much anything you can dream of—soups, stews, full chickens, meat loaf, even yogurt. The super-popular cooking device can help you get into the habit of cooking every night instead of ordering takeout. If the Instant Pot was running for election in 2020, it would be a guaranteed victory. 

Get the Instant Pot Duo on Amazon for $140.94

3. A fun way to get more veggies in your diet: Imperfect Foods subscription

Credit: Imperfect Foods

Get "ugly" but delicious produce delivered to your door.

It seems like 2020 is going to be a year when sustainability and reducing waste becomes more prevalent in everyone’s lives. Might as well join in on saving the planet with saving some veggies first. Imperfect Foods delivers, you guessed it, imperfect, e.g., “ugly” fruits and veggies to your doorstep that would otherwise be tossed in a landfill. Twisted carrots, slightly bruised apples, and funky-shaped potatoes are all types of produce you can get in your delivery. Do they look a bit strange? Yes. But do they taste any different? Absolutely not. One of our writers tested the subscription service this year and not only loved that she was “saving” produce from being wasted but she also realized she was eating better.

See Imperfect Foods for pricing and delivery options

4. A way to re-energize the office: iMovR Standing Desk

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The iMovR standing desk will give your office an entirely new feel.

I don’t know about you, but when I sit at my desk for too long, my legs get cramped, shoulders tense up, and I generally start to feel like an office slug. However, when we tested the best standing desks, it was a true workday game changer. Instead of hunching over my computer all day, I felt like I had space to breathe and room to stretch while up at my standing desk. We liked the iMovR Lander Desk for its ample space for your laptop and knick knacks, as well as easy-to-use buttons to control the height of the desk. Investing in a standing desk this year might just make you feel like you got a brand new job.

Get the iMovR Electric Adjustable Standing Desk on Amazon for $1,199

5. A great way to explore your city and get active: ClassPass

Credit: ClassPass

ClassPass is great for exploring different fitness classes in your city.

If you take one thing from this list, know this: ClassPass is one of the greatest fitness innovations I’ve experienced in a long, long time. Living in a city where boutique fitness classes can range anywhere from $20 to $35 can be tough (especially as I want to try every new studio that pops up in Boston).

With ClassPass, you pay a fixed monthly rate, depending on how many credits you would like to book classes with each month. The app makes it simple to reserve your spot and even check who of your friends are going. Best of all? ClassPass offers a free two-week trial so you can see how it works before you commit to an ongoing charge. 

Get a ClassPass membership in your city for varying prices

6. An easy way to cut out deep frying: the Philips Air Fryer XXL

Credit: Philips

Air Fryers are great gadgets for still getting that fried food taste—but eliminating tons of oil.

Air fryers used to be something that made people wrinkle their brow in confusion, but it seems like the past few years they’ve been popping up on kitchen counters across the country. If you just can’t seem to cut deep-fried foods out of your diet, air frying them is the next best thing. Our favorite air fryer does a great job of providing the perfect crispiness to French fries and fried chicken, without the mess (or calories) of submerging them in hot oil. At this point, anything that can make fries even one percent healthier is a true miracle.

Get the Philips Air Fryer XXL on Amazon for $199.95

7. To give your muscles some extra TLC: Lululemon Reversible Yoga Mat  

Credit: Lululemon

Our favorite yoga mat from Lululemon is ideal for toting to class or stretching out on at home.

Yoga mats are useful for two types of people: Those who won’t stop saying how yoga changed their life... and everyone else. For the hardcore yogi and the total beginner, yoga provides a low-impact way to stretch and strengthen the body. Whether you’re toting our favorite yoga mat to a strenuous heat yoga class or simply turning on some YouTube yoga in the living room, this mat will ensure zero slippage and adequate cushioning.

Get the Reversible Mat at Lululemon for $68.00

8. The perfect tool to whip up a snack on the go: Magic Bullet Blender

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Magic Bullet won't take up too much cabinet space and is ideal for whipping up a smoothie to take on the go.

Getting healthy is the marriage of two activities, exercising and eating right. (I know, I wish it was from just sitting on the couch, too.) However, nothing makes eating right more fun than making smoothies. It’s basically like drinking milkshakes in disguise, filled with fruits and veggies instead of ice cream. Our favorite smoothie blender can whip up an easy morning breakfast or a post-workout treat in seconds. Added bonus: it won't take up too much cabinet space either. 

Get the Magic Bullet Personal Blender on Amazon for $32.99

9. An outfit that will actually make you want to go work out: Durable, inexpensive leggings

Credit: 90 Degree

Multiple color, style and length options from 90 Degree.

I don’t understand the hype around super-pricey leggings. I have tried enough brands and styles to know you don’t need to drop $100 to get flattering, opaque, perfectly fitting leggings— I’ve found the best ones and they’re only $16. You can snag these leggings by 90 Degree online for a few dollars more, and you’re pretty much guaranteed that T.J. Maxx and Marshalls will have some on their racks in the $16 range. Whether I’m heading to a spin class, doing yoga at home, or crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon, you can bet I’m wearing my 90 Degree leggings.

Get 90 Degree by Reflex Women's Power Flex Leggings on Amazon for $24.99

10. A way to stop ordering so much takeout: A Home Chef subscription

Credit: Home Chef

Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Hate eating the same thing every night? Try out a Home Chef subscription.

The hardest thing about cooking (and therefore eating healthy) is the preparation. You have to make sure you have the right ingredients, find time to go to the grocery store, avoid people you know while inside the grocery store (just me?), then lug all of your bags back inside your home. No wonder so many people give up and just go for takeout. Enter, Home Chef. The best meal kit subscription we’ve ever tested will have your meals fully stocked with ingredients and ready to hit the table in about half an hour. With gluten-free, vegetarian, and even vegan options, you can ensure you’ll have a healthy home-cooked dinner, without any of the hassle. 

See Home Chef's plans and prices

11. A simple way to spice up a workout routine: A set of resistance bands 

Credit: Fit Simplify

You can use these bands for exercise or for rehabbing injuries.

Whenever I’m feeling generally uninspired with my workout routine, I often turn to resistance bands. The ones in this set from Amazon are compact and lightweight, so toting them around feels like virtually nothing and they’re super-easy to store. Plus, you can work out pretty much every part of your body by using them. Resistance bands are great for someone getting back into a workout routine, too—no scary machines to decipher, just colorful bands to play with.

Get Resistance Loop Exercise Bands on Amazon for $10.95

12. An almost-substitute for an at-home masseuse: A foam roller

Credit: LuxFit & TriggerPoint

The next best thing to a massage? A foam roller!

Pre-workout? Foam-roll. Post-workout? Foam-roll. Just aimlessly watching TV? Foam-roll. Starting a new fitness routine comes with plenty of aches and pains. Instead of shelling out cash for a one-time massage, investing in our favorite foam roller is the answer. It’s (kind of) like having a masseuse constantly available in the living room, which is pretty much everyone’s dream, anyway. 

Get the LuxFit Foam Roller on Amazon for $26.10

13. Entertainment for those never-ending cardio sessions: Waterproof, wireless headphones 

Credit: Mpow

The MPOW headphones are totally waterproof—and even better than AirPods.

There’s something terrible about being on cardio equipment at the gym and being forced to listen to the soft rock that’s piped in. That, plus the grunting of other people as they lift weights, is enough to make you give up your New Year's Resolution entirely. Do yourself a favor and pick up these waterproof headphones that are under $20 that our executive editor prefers to AirPods. Just let these live in your gym bag and never again will you have to listen to the cacophony around you—or your dreaded inner monologue—during another workout.

Get the Mpow Flame Wireless Bluetooth Headphones on Amazon for $19.99

14. A home workout that makes it feel like you’re at a studio: The Mirror

Credit: Mirror

All you have to do is follow along in the Mirror.

The only thing better than a workout class? Not having to leave home to go to one. Our e-commerce editor tested and loved The Mirror, which doubles as both a projector/TV screen of on-demand fitness classes and (yes) a mirror. During the workout, fitness instructors appear on The Mirror, coaching you through exercises that are effective and also don’t take up too much floor space. Once the workout is done, all you do is turn it off and you have a beautiful piece of home decor hanging on your wall. What’s not to love? Well, now that you ask... the price. The Mirror is a serious investment, but one worth making if you want to take your love of studio classes to the next level and bring them into your home. 

Get The Mirror for $1,495 and $39 per month for a subscription

15. The only gym buddy you’ll ever need: A great water bottle 

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Brita BB11 Premium Filtering Water Bottle makes it easy to keep cold water at your fingertips so you remember to keep sipping all day long.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that there is an entire drawer in my kitchen devoted to water bottles. Excessive? Yes. But I truly feel somewhat naked when I am without one. My go-to favorite that has been by my side for a decade is my Nalgene. It has survived high school sports, college athletics, and is now banging around the inside of my bag while I bring it to every fitness class Boston has to offer. (Now that I think about it, it has been to an insane amount of places and I should probably clean out my water bottle more often.)

In our testing, the Brita Stainless Steel Filtering Bottle came out on top as our favorite water bottle. The wide mouth ensures ice cubes will fit in and the premium insulation means the water will stay cold for up to 24 hours straight.

Get the Brita Stainless Steel Filtering Water Bottle on Amazon for $34.99

16. For a workout that will make you feel like a kid again: A jump rope 

Credit: Amazon

This workout will make you feel like a kid again.

Intimidated by cardio? Just pretend you’re on the playground again. The Survival and Cross jump rope is far from the tattered skipping ropes you used in elementary school, though. Originally designed for boxing gyms, this adjustable rope allows for people of any height—even over six feet tall—to tailor the length to their needs. 

Get the Survival and Cross Jump Rope on Amazon for $10

17. A way to trick yourself into eating more veggies: A spiralizer 

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

This spiralizer will have you tricking yourself into eating more veggies in no time.

I recently hopped on the “zoodles” bandwagon and I’m never getting off. Yes, it does take a bit of tricking your brain, telling it that you’re eating mounds of pasta when in reality you’re just eating mounds of zucchini (or whatever vegetable you spiralized). The best spiralizer we’ve ever tested is small, simple to wash, and stores easily in your kitchen when not in use. It takes just minutes to go from whole vegetable to veggie noodles, steaming or sautéing in a pan. More veggie noodles 2020! End rant.  

Get the Vegetti Spiralizer on Amazon for $9.99

18. For runners who love stats and data: A GPS running watch

Credit: Garmin

The Garmin Forerunner 245 is about to become your favorite running buddy.

I will be the first to admit this, but I am a full-blown slave to my Garmin watch. This watch was my little buddy on all of my marathon training runs, beeping every mile to tell me my pace and let me know how many miles I’ve gone, based on its GPS tracking. It’s a great tool for measuring your progress on each workout and over a training cycle. Buyer beware: I become a different person when I strap mine on my wrist, absolutely obsessed with my pace and if I can set a personal best (because of course, this watch keeps track of all of your best times, too). 

Get the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music on Amazon for $319.74

19. A way to treat yourself post workout: Figs compression socks

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Figs are the best compression socks we tried.

The best part about working out? Recovering after. The best tool you can have on your side (aside from a foam roller, see above): compression socks. These snug, stretchy socks gently apply pressure to the feet and calves to help improve blood circulation. So whether you’re just watching TV or running errands after the gym, pop on a pair of the best compression socks we’ve ever tested, and let them help ease your post-workout soreness.

Get Compression Socks on Figs for $28

20. For all your workout-supplement beverage needs: A shaker bottle

Credit: Blender Bottle

No matter what you choose to drink pre or post workout, this Blender Bottle is ideal for taking your drink on the go.

You don’t need to have a gigantic container of whey powder sitting on top of your fridge to be the proud owner of a Blender Bottle. It's ideal for mixing up protein and supplement shakes, but the whisk-like ball works well for powdered hydration drinks, too. Regardless of your pre- or post-workout drink of choice, the leak-proof bottle is great for on-the-go sipping. 

Get the BlenderBottle Classic Shaker Bottle on Amazon for $7.29

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