April 3, 2023 April 2, 2023
Some version of “get healthier” is likely at the top of your New Year’s resolution list. Whether you’ve vowed to get more sleep, improve your eating habits, cut down on stress, or just carve out more time for yourself, our experts have a product for that. The CEOs, scientists, business leaders, and health innovators we tapped for their picks have jam-packed, high-stress days, and they personally use the products on this list to feel less stressed and more energized. Below, see the 25 wellness products they love.
It may be no surprise that the Peloton Bike made our experts’ favorites list. Peloton helped revolutionize at-home fitness with fun and interactive classes led by professional trainers. “It allows me to get exercise in even if I only have 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes is better than 0 minutes!” says SmartyPants Vitamins CEO Brenda Demers. In addition to the bike, Peloton has a rower and a treadmill and offers no-equipment workouts like yoga and Pilates too.
Price: The Peloton Bike is $1,445 to buy and $89 per month to rent. The Bike+ is $2,495 to buy and $119 per month to rent. An all-access membership to the Peloton app is $44 per month.
“After sleep, walking is my most essential habit to feeling good,” says Quilt founder and CEO Ashley Sumner. She recommends her favorite shoes—Atoms—to other avid walkers. “I go on a walking meditation every day, and my Atoms shoes make it easy to walk 10,000 steps without pain,” Sumner says. These sneakers have a simple, clean design and features like Achilles padding to enhance stability, copper lining to prevent odor, grooves to provide traction on wet surfaces, and a cushioned midsole for comfort.
Price: $179
Julie Hansen, U.S. CEO and chief revenue officer of Babbel, like to work out first thing in the morning. Her go-to machines are the Concept2 RowERG and the Concept2 SkiERG. “I love how they track my metrics and offer a community feature so I can work out with a buddy, my team, or even the wider rowing community,” she says. Both machines were originally built as training tools for advanced or professional athletes, but each has the flexibility for athletes of all levels to build strength and endurance. Every Concept2 ERG machine includes a performance monitor that can connect via Bluetooth to a wide range of apps so you can track and share your progress.
Price: $850 for the Concept2 SkiERG and $990 for the Concept2 RowERG.
One of the best things about running is that it’s an effective, equipment-free workout. All that’s required is a great pair of shoes. Papa CEO Andrew Parker loves the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. “These shoes have been a game changer for me,” he says. “It feels like I’m floating when I run.” The Endorphin Speed 3s are ultralight and designed to provide maximal support during your run. Available in both men’s and women’s sizes, there’s also a version with reflective details for safer night runs.
Price: $170
Garmin makes a range of stylish wearables that can track a variety of health data including sleep, heart rate and pulse, respiration, hydration, and menstrual cycles. The smartwatches can calculate stress, and your body’s energy reserves, and give you a sleep score. “I love to incorporate data into my own life,” says Papa’s CEO Andrew Parker. “My Garmin watch helps measure my fitness and wellness and track my goals—all while staying connected to those around me.” Thanks to his watch’s ability to follow and share activity data with friends, Parker can virtually connect with loved ones over a run. He wears the Garmin Fenix, which has a solar charging lens and training features for multiple sports and is compatible with several fitness apps.
Russell Glass, CEO of Headspace Health, is also a fan of the brand. “I love my Garmin Epix watch for the step and stair counter and biometrics like step count and heart rate,” he says. “It helps me see when I need to get some more steps, or just take time to breathe. And it’s great for yardages on the golf course.”
Price: The Epix Gen 2 is $899.99, and the Fenix 7 ranges from $699.99 (the Standard Edition) to $999.99 (the Sapphire Solar Edition).
Fitbit has long been a leader in the wearable space. Katy Milkman, cofounder, and health director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Behavior Change for Good initiative, says she’s “crazy” about hers. “Tracking and goal setting matters to achievement, and that little jiggle at 10,000 steps is just what I need to motivate myself to get great exercise every day.” Milkman wears a Fitbit Inspire 2, which also tracks sleep, heart rate, and active minutes—the time when your heart rate is in cardio or peak zones. Fitbit has a range of smartwatches and trackers to support a variety of activities.
Price: The Inspire 2 is $79.95 and the newer Inspire 3 is $99.95
In a market overflowing with personal activity trackers, three members of our product panel pointed to the Oura Ring as their favorite. Fortune CEO Alan Murray is hooked on his, “because I believe sleep is as important to wellness as exercise, and Oura does a good job tracking both,” he says.
Brenda Demers, CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins, says this wearable has become part of her daily routine. “I have altered my routines for the betterment of my well-being based on the information it provides me—plus the ring itself fits my style,” she says. And Lindsay McCormick, founder and CEO of Bite, says the Oura Ring, which she bought to track her sleep, has been a game changer. “I realized how much of an impact screen time and blue light has on my quality of sleep, and now I avoid both at least an hour before bed,” she says.
Like other wearables, the Oura Ring gives you personalized data on sleep quality, movement, heart rate, and other metrics important to your health. However, this wearable, with all sensors on the inside, looks like a simple, stylish piece of jewelry.
Price: The Oura Ring ranges in price from $349 to $549 depending on the metal you select.
Although most people probably haven’t considered contaminants in their water while showering, common components of public water supply like heavy metals and the chlorine used to disinfect water can damage delicate hair and skin. “Beyond the benefits for my skin and hair, showering in clean water is one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals,” says Ashley Sumner, CEO and founder of Quilt. “A year in, and I feel great!” The Jolie Filtered Showerhead replaces your current showerhead and uses a custom blend of filtration material tested to work best in the conditions of a shower (hot water and high pressure).
Price: $165 or $148 with an ongoing filter replacement subscription at $33 every three months.
Solawave Red Light Therapy Wand
“As a mother of two, I don’t get very much time to myself, let alone actual ‘me-time’ to dedicate to self-care,” says Liana Douillet Guzmán, CEO of Folx Health. After hearing that skin-care brand Solawave donated to Folx’s HRT Care Fund, she explored the brand and “got hooked” on its Red Light Therapy Wand. The facial massage wand uses low-wavelength red light to help the absorption of skin-care products and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles, and blemishes. “It helps keep my skin smooth and vibrant, no matter how tired I am. I think the design is brilliant, and it’s easy to use, plus it feels amazing,” she says.
Price: $149
As Eight Sleep CEO, Matteo Franceschetti points out, “Our skin is the largest organ in our body.” Franceschetti incorporates Supermud’s Glam Glow face mask into his wellness routine. “[It] keeps my skin feeling clean, fresh, and restored,” he says. The Glam Glow face mask is especially good for acne-prone, oily skin. Made with charcoal, a blend of six acids, and K-17 clay, this face mask lifts excess oil and dirt from the hardest-to-reach pores and loosens and exfoliates dead skin cells.
Price: $60 for a 1.7-ounce jar.
Meditation apps are a booming business. More than 70 million people have subscribed to Headspace—one of the top apps in the category and an “incredibly powerful” tool that helps Andrew Parker, founder, and CEO of Papa, clear his head for a few minutes. “I come back feeling rejuvenated so I can be there for my team, my friends, and my family,” he says. With helpful animations that visually guide you through the sessions, Headspace has made meditation approachable and accessible.
Price: After a free seven- or 14-day trial, a membership costs $12.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
Think of HigherDose’s Infrared PEMF Mat as a whole-body heating pad, but exponentially better. The infrared part of the mat involves deep-penetrating heat to relax your muscles, but the PEMF part is a cutting-edge therapy astronaut use to recover. NASA found that PEMF, which stands for pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, could improve cell viability and enhance tissue function. Ashley Sumner, CEO and founder of Quilt, says, “Fifteen minutes on this mat and I feel calm, rested, and focused. It’s helped me the most with work stress and falling asleep more easily.”
Price: $1,095
Most handheld massagers were created for elite athletes, bodybuilders, and runners. However, they’re excellent for everyday athletes like Eight Sleep CEO Matteo Franceschetti. “I have a very active lifestyle between workouts and playing sports, and my Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro helps relieve stiff muscles so I can continue to train hard and recover fast,” he says. The Hypervolt 2 Pro has a long handle to extend the reach and five different attachments so you can choose how you want your massage. The attachments come in a fork shape, ball shape, cushion shape, flat shape, and bullet shape.
Price: $299
The benefits of a weighted blanket are many. Thanks to “pressure therapy,” which creates a calming effect similar to when you swaddle a baby, weighted blankets can help alleviate symptoms associated with anxiety, sleep disorders, and ADHD. BCFG health director Katy Milkman particularly likes her Baloo cotton weighted blanket. “It helps me get a great night’s sleep and is light enough to keep me cool in the summer, and [I can] layer with a thick comforter for cozy winter nights,” she says. Baloo’s blanket comes in four sizes, each with a different weight. Every blanket is made with 100% cotton on the outside and filled with glass microbeads to provide weight.
Price: The throw (12 pounds) is $179, the full/queen (15 or 20 pounds) is $199, and the king (25 pounds) is $249.
Sleep is essential for feeling sharp and focused, but also for keeping stress under control. Eric Daza, the founder of Stats-of-1, loves that the data from the Withings Sleep Tracking Mat helps him understand not only his sleep duration but the quality as well. The sleep mat is a strip of fabric with pneumatic sensors that measure respiratory rate, heartbeats, and body movements as well as a sound sensor tuned to listen for snoring and gaps in breathing. The mat fits under your mattress and sends data to a free app that automatically calculates a sleep score, displays sleep trends, and gives tips on improving your sleep quality.
Price: $129.95
At the end of the day, the CEO of Eight Sleep, Matteo Franceschetti likes to relax in his Finnleo Sauna. “It improves my overall health, brain function, and recovery, and prepares me for a deep and restful sleep,” he says. Evidence from a Mayo Clinic research review suggests that sauna bathing, especially combined with regular exercise, can be beneficial for heart health. Finnleo builds customized wood indoor and outdoor saunas, with the option of traditional hot rocks sauna, infrared, or both, but also offers a few preset designs.
Price: Pricing is available via a quote. However, expect to pay anywhere between $2,500 and $12,000.
Muscle recovery is as important as your workout, which is why Eight Sleep CEO Matteo Franceschetti even packs 4KOR’s Fireball Recovery Ball Set in his suitcase when he travels. “It helps relieve sore muscles and helps keep my tissue healthy by improving circulation and mobility,” he says. The Fireball set comes with three massage balls, one with a 4.75-inch diameter that’s best for the lower body, one with a 3.2-inch diameter for the upper body, and one with a 2.5-inch diameter for small muscles.
Price: $69.99
Although we tend to think of health as personal, there are many environmental factors at play that we cannot so easily control. Tools that monitor some of those environmental factors, like air quality, can be helpful. Stats-of-1 founder Eric Daza particularly likes the Airthings sensor because it “gives me a great pulse on air quality and has helped alert me to higher-than-usual radon levels,” he says. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that disperses quickly outside, but inside, it can build up and increase the risks of health problems like lung cancer. In addition to radon, Airthings sensors can monitor temperature, air pressure, humidity, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), pollution, particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and more.
Price: From $199.99 to $299.
Glucose levels are a great indication of how well your metabolism, which regulates important bodily functions like sleep, appetite, and energy levels, is working. While glucose monitors have long been a tool for people with diabetes, the growing trend of collecting personalized health data has spurred general interest in monitoring blood sugar. Nick Green, CEO of Thrive Market, uses a Levels continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and app because, he says, it gives you “all the most important data about blood sugar and insulin and helps you make lifestyle [changes] to improve your metabolic health.”
The CGM attaches to your underarm via a small needle and can transmit data to an app to provide real-time information about your blood sugar, and tips on how to keep it at healthy levels. “Just knowing what spikes my blood glucose (and what doesn’t) has been a game changer, and the app has helped me to [put] action to the insights too.”
Price: $199 per month-long testing kit.
At Stats-of-1, Eric Daza expounds on the benefits of individualized data. One of his favorite tools is his OMRON blood pressure monitor. “It helps me track long-term trends for reducing my slightly elevated blood pressure,” he says. High blood pressure, even slightly elevated, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. OMRON is one of five manufacturers of blood pressure monitors that meet the American Medical Association’s criteria for clinical accuracy.
Price: From $44 to $499.99.
Fresh, homegrown food is without a doubt some of the healthiest for your body. Yet without the space to garden, it’s nearly impossible to grow produce at home. That’s why Thrive Market CEO Nick Green likes the LettuceGrow Farmstand. The Farmstand is a modular, freestanding, self-watering, and self-fertilizing gardening system that can house up to 36 different plants. It can be used indoors with the help of “glow rings” to ensure enough light reaches the plants or outdoors in an area that gets direct sunlight. The seedlings sent to you are already well into their growing process, so you’ll be able to quickly harvest food. “They grow shockingly fast, and the flavor from the freshly picked produce is incredible,” Green says. “Plus, gardening at home is a fun learning experience for the whole family.”
Price: From $399 to $699. Seedlings are an additional cost.
“I start my day every day with an ice-cold shower and green juice,” Rishi Mandal, cofounder, and CEO of fitness app Future, says. There’s no shortage of green juices available, but Mandal particularly likes Pressed’s Greens 1.5. “It’s actually tasty because there’s a fair amount of salt and lemon in it,” he says. This green juice is a mix of cucumber, celery, lemon, spinach, kale, parsley, and sea salt. It accounts for 20% of your daily potassium, which is important for the healthy function of muscles and nerves.
Price: $6.95 per bottle.
To avoid the afternoon caffeine crash she would always get with coffee, Bite CEO Lindsay McCormick drinks loose-leaf yerba mate tea made in her French press every morning. Yerba mate is brewed from the leaves of a South American tree that has about as much caffeine as green tea but is more energizing thanks to a mix of three different caffeine structures, minerals that boost nervous system function, and B vitamins to relax muscles.
She says the tea wakes her up and keeps her energized through the afternoon. McCormick particularly likes EcoTeas, which has a few varieties of yerba mate tea.
Price: $15 for one pound of loose-leaf yerba mate.
Katy Milkman, a cofounder of the Behavior Change for Good initiative (BCFG), knows how challenging it is to build new habits. “Many people pursuing healthy goals find they could use a little extra motivation to resist temptation,” she says. Two tools she’d recommend are Beeminder and Stick. “stickK.com is a website where you can choose a goal, choose a referee to report on your success, and put money on the line that you’ll have to forfeit (to a charitable cause of your choice) if you fail to achieve your goal,” Milkman says.
Beeminder is very similar and partners with many common goal-setting apps to track how you’re doing. The website uses “commitment contracts” to help users define their goals, acknowledge what it will take to accomplish them, and leverage the power of putting money on the line.
Price: You choose how much money to wager, and if you don’t achieve your goal, stickK will take either 29.5% or 50% of your wager depending on whether you chose a charity or an anti-charity (a charity that goes against your personal beliefs) to benefit.
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