Our favorite fitness technique: Powerblock dumbbells, Saucony sneakers and Yoga with Adriene

Keeping fit is difficult for many people, especially if you still avoid health clubs (or were never a fan at first). A year after many of us continued to live at home, we are still looking for ways to stay in shape and stay healthy.

We asked the staff of The edge what they used to stay fit and healthy during the pandemic and got the following answers.

Fitness videos and websites

Yoga with Adriene

If you want to try yoga, I really recommend the 30-day challenges from Adriene Mishler’s YouTube channel, Yoga With Adriene. She is very welcoming and makes my wife and I who are absolute yoga beginners feel like we are doing a great job when we get on the mat. Plus, in later videos, her incredible dog, Benji, shows up and flops around. – Jay Peters, news writer

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305 Eligibility

I’ve never been more sedate in my life than I was last winter. If I had a tracker that would track my fitness / movement, the past few months would have been a sad, low pit on the chart … thanks, New York winter! Sometimes when I gathered some energy I would do a dance cardio video with the instructor, Sadie. Her energy made me smile and dancing alone in my apartment made me laugh which is a plus in this day and age. The music is great and the 40 minutes go fast because you are really just dancing. – Alix Deacons, director

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Hiking project

I’ve always been fond of hiking and other outdoor activities, but the pandemic has made them even more attractive – it’s easy to keep a social distance when there are less than 20 people around and you have the whole side of a mountain to explore . Hiking Project (and its counterparts and alternatives such as MTB Project, AllTrails, and Trailforks) helped me find new and longer hikes to do – and avoid getting lost while doing them. I’ve also played with the Guthook Guides app as an exercise in daydreaming. – Mitchell Clark, news writer

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Fitness equipment

Saris Fluid Indoor Cycling Trainer

I wanted to ride an indoor bike, but I don’t have the space for an indoor bike, so I wanted to use a bike that I already have. My setup is Apple Fitness Plus and a Saris Fluid trainer – I have the original model, but there is a slightly updated model that comes with a smart sensor that can talk to some smartphone apps. Apple Fitness Plus can’t read it, but other indoor bike apps like Zwift or Garmin can.

The Saris is great because I don’t have to remove my wheel to use it, it’s not terribly loud, and it’s made in Wisconsin. If you want to buy something like this, my strong advice is to buy it from a local bike shop. I did, and they gave me a lot of advice on compatibility with my bike, including leading an enthusiast away, incompatible trainer, and hooking up a new axle from the Robert Axle project so my bike would work with the Saris. – Dieter Bohn, editor-in-chief

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Exerpeutic foldable magnetic standing exercise bike

While walking is a great way to get in at least some daily movement, it’s all too easy to shrug and put the thought aside when the weather is wet, cold, or just plain unpleasant. I decided that an exercise bike could help, but we don’t have much space in our small and very busy house. In the end, I chose the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike. It’s nowhere near as flashy as the Platoon – it’s not ‘smart’ at all – but I can now kick in my living room while watching streaming content on my TV, folding it up, and putting it away until tomorrow. – Barbara Krasnoff, review editor

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The Stick Original muscle massager

An embarrassingly large part of my pre-pandemic life was massages. Cycling and running in NYC hurts you! And apparently it somehow hurts to be in my apartment too. This rigid foam roller isn’t a massage, but it’s a damn good replacement and a lot cheaper too. It is difficult, but flexible, which is very effective for working out knots. Plus, it’s easy to use because of the handles, unlike traditional foam rollers which are just Styrofoam cylinders. – Alix deacons

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PowerBlock Sport 24 adjustable dumbbell

Although I missed all the machines in the gym, I knew I would never be able to fit them in my apartment. However, with the PowerBlock Sport adjustable dumbbells, I can continue to do at least some amount of strength training, without taking up the huge amounts of space that a normal set of weights would do. Having access to weights is a lifesaver for me – I’ve found that the only reliable way for me to avoid a repetitive stress injury is to do dumbbell rows. The only downside is that I went for the non-extensible version and, not to bend it literally, after using them for a year I’ll probably have to upgrade them – I’m starting to use the heaviest setting available. – Mitchell Clark

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Fitness shoes

Saucony Peregrine 11 trail runners

I invite you to click through and look at these Trapper-Keeper-ass shoes. Really, just get their mood. I’ve hiked a lot of the pandemic – I even started running – and these trail runners from Saucony are really, really good. They grip uncertain terrain without being too heavy or stiff, so whether I want to jog on some sand or take a long walk, these are my go-tos. Obviously, the shoe that works best for you varies based on your foot and gait and so on, but when you’re thinking about going for a walk, trail runners are lighter than hiking boots and often more comfortable. Plus, you can wear really shocking neon. – Liz Lopatto, Deputy Editor

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Cairn Pro II Adventure sandals

If you want to go hiking and, like me, find walking shoes unbearably uncomfortable (especially in summer), I can give Bedrock Sandals two thumbs up because they are ultra comfortable and durable walking shoes that will stay comfortable even after a river crossing or five (and because versatile enough to ride your bike and carry to the beach or supermarket). – Mitchell Clark