18 things you need to stay healthy this winter

This winter, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have been in our homes—and sitting on our couches in front of Netflix—a lot more. We get it: When it's cold and dark outside, all you want to do is curl up with a cosy blanket and a big bowl of creamy mac and cheese. And while there's a time and a place for that, there's also a time and a place for getting your butt up, moving around, and occasionally eating something with nutritional value.

If you want to stay healthy during the winter months, we've rounded up 18 of the things you'll need, including our favourite Fitbit and the weight-loss app everyone is obsessed with. Whether you want to eat more veggies or get more daily movement, these products will help.

1. The number one fitness tracker
Did you get your 10,000 steps today? Credit: Reviewed/Betsey Goldwasser Ask any of our experts: The Fitbit Charge 4 is hands-down the best fitness tracker you can buy. We put some of the most popular ones to the test and found that the Charge 4 was the easiest to use and was the best at tracking everything from your exercise to your sleep. It automatically records your activity and even has a built-in GPS so you can accurately chart your runs or bike rides.

Get the Fitbit Charge 4 from Amazon for £128.02

2. This tiny but mighty blender
Blend, puree, crush... this blender can do it all. Credit: Reviewed/Jackson Ruckar/Ninja Smoothies are great. But spending money on smoothies? Not so much. The solution is to make those good-for-you drinks at home—and for that, you'll love the Nutri-Ninja, which we chose as the best personal blender we've ever tested. It outperformed other blenders in both speed and strength and is the perfect portable size to take on-the-go.

Get the Nutri-Ninja Fit Personal Blender from Ninja for £59.99

3. A subscription to Noom
Feel great in your own skin again.Credit: Noom If weight loss is one of your goals this winter, look no further than Noom. One of our executive editors, Megan McCarthy, put the popular diet app to the test and lost 20 pounds in three months (!!). She loves that it's easy to use, straightforward, and sustainable. It helps you create healthier habits without feeling too stringent, as well.

Sign up for Noom

4. The yoga mat with a cult following
You can't go wrong with Lululemon. Credit: Lululemon I'm a yoga teacher so I may be a little biased, but yoga is a great workout for your body _and_your brain. The next time you want to drop into downward dog, we recommend you roll out this number one yoga mat first. Made by everyone's favourite yoga brand (Lululemon, of course), it has a comfortable amount of cushioning along with a non-slip grip so you can flow without falling. Psst: I use mine every day!

Get the Reversible Mat from Lululemon for £34

5. The best Instant Pot to make healthy cooking easier
Let this gadget cook for you. Credit: Reviewed/Betsey Goldwasser You're tired, cold, and hungry—and definitely not in the mood to spend hours in your kitchen cooking a healthy dinner. Thanks to the Instant Pot, you don't have to. The cult-favourite pressure cooker can have a meal that usually takes an hour on the table in just 20 minutes. Of all the Instant Pots we tested, we like the Ultra the best because it has 10 different cook settings (from steaming to slow cooking) and a display that shows the progress of your food.

Get the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus from Amazon for £129.99

6. This weighted blanket to get a better night's sleep
Choose 15, 20, or 25 pounds for the Gravity Blanket. Credit: Gravity It's no secret that getting enough sleep is super important to your health. But sometimes that's easier said than done, especially if you're someone who struggles to fall—or stay—asleep. A weighted blanket can help with that. We recommend the Gravity blanket because it provides just the right amount of pressure (not too heavy, not too light) and is super luxurious to the touch thanks to its velvety cover.

Get the Gravity Blanket from Gravity for £149

7. These dumbbells so you can work out at home
Credit: Umi Dumbbells and free weights have been hard to come by in 2020, with many gyms closing amid the pandemic. However, you can still find some online in select weights and sizes, like this set. It's one of the most popular ones on Amazon because it comes in a variety of weight and colour options and the dumbbells have a neoprene coating that's both comfortable and easy to grip.

Get the UMI. by Amazon - Neoprene Dumbbell Weights for £48.99

8. This product to protect your skinAdd this to your bathroom cabinet ASAP. Credit: Aquaphor

Take it from our resident beauty guru—all you need this winter for healthy skin and hair is a tube of Aquaphor. She's been using it for years and calls it her "saviour." The gel does everything, like healing (and preventing) chapped lips, taming flyaway hair, and moisturising dry skin. Bonus: It can also protect minor cuts and, if you have a little one, soothe diaper rash.

Get Aquaphor Healing Ointment from Amazon for £20.20

9. This genius salad bowl

Sad salads will be a thing of the past. Credit: ENYAA

To make the same restaurant-worthy salads at home you can use this convenient bowl. It has guides for your knife so you can chop up your salad in seconds and can even be used to rinse your greens beforehand.

Get the ENYAA Salad Cutter Bowl for £5.90

10. This top-rated smartwatch
It does way more than just tell time. Credit: Christian de Looper / Reviewed Need a reminder to stand up from your desk every hour? Or an activity tracker to see how many calories you burned during last night’s home workout? Or simply a way to play your music while you’re on a walk? The Apple Series 6 can do all of that and more. It’s our favourite smartwatch because of all its features along with its ease of use (it connects to your other devices effortlessly) and its toughness (it's water-resistant and durable).

Get the Apple Watch Series 6 from Amazon for £399

11. This essential oil diffuser to destress

You can easily take it from room to room. Credit: InnoGear

Winter—and the pandemic—means more time at home, so you'll want to make your space as calming and inviting as possible to keep stress and anxiety at bay. Sounds like you could use an essential oil diffuser (filled with soothing scents like lavender, of course!). 

Get the InnoGear Diffuser from Amazon for £16.19

12. This gadget to keep your muscles loose

Ahh, much better. Credit: Reehut Whether you're stiff from the cold weather or sore from yesterday's workout, there's finally a product that you can use to get rid of any aches and pains. This muscle roller stick has gotten high marks for effectively relieving soreness and for being easy to use on yourself. You just roll it over any sensitive areas that need a little extra love.

Get the Reehut Muscle Roller Stick for £11.95

13. These containers to help you meal prep
Lunch, solved. Credit: Prep Naturals Ordering lunch from Uber Eats every day while you work from home may be convenient, but it isn't always the healthiest option (looking at you, Shake Shack!). Meal prepping is a better option and it's a lot easier if you have these glass containers. Our kitchen and cooking writer loves that they're glass (no harmful chemicals here!), stackable, and durable.

Get the Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers for £19.99

14. This subscription for new workout clothes every month

Fabletics leggings are high-quality and, more importantly, not see-through. Credit: Fabletics You've probably heard of Fabletics, Kate Hudson's mega-popular activewear company. But is it worth the monthly subscription fee? Our audience development manager tried it for herself to find out—and now she's hooked. Not only is it a fun way to update your workout wardrobe on the regular, but she also says that the leggings she got are just as good as Lululemon (but without the hefty price tag!).

Get two pairs of leggings for £24 at Fabletics

15. This workout bar with over 12,000 reviews

There are three grips so you can switch up your workout. Credit: Iron Gym Missing the gym and all the equipment and machines you may no longer have (safe) access to? Fortunately, with this workout bar, you can get just as good of a workout without leaving the house. According to reviewers, it's sturdy, simple to install, and incredibly versatile—you can use it in a doorway for pull-ups or on the floor for dips.

Get the Iron Gym Upper Body Workout Bar from Amazon for £29.10

16. This budget-friendly standing desk for your WFH setup
Standing is the new sitting. Credit: Reviewed/Jackson Ruckar You know that standing desks are a better alternative than sitting for hours on end—but to be honest, most of them are incredibly expensive. That's why we tested some of the most affordable standing desks and found this VariDesk to be the best. At less than $400 (compared to the $1,000+ most desks cost), you can easily raise and lower it so you can alternate between sitting and standing and the transition is super smooth.

Get the VariDesk Pro Plus from Amazon for £365

17. This therapeutic lamp to use on dark winter days

Bring the sun indoors. Credit: Hosome

When you only see the sun for an hour each day, it can be tricky not to feel a little more bummed out than usual. Enter this lamp, which is often used by people with seasonal depression. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews because it mimics natural sunshine (perfect for boosting your mood and energy) and is compact and lightweight, so you can carry it around with you.

Get the Hosome Portable Sun Light Lamp from Amazon for £39.99

18. This must-have to tone your abs

Oh hey six pack. Credit: Perfect Fitness No gym, no problem. You can still get a killer ab workout at home with this gadget, which has over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. People rave that the ab roller uses resistance to works your entire core and has ergonomic, cushioned handles that are comfortable to hold while you exercise. It also comes with knee pads so your knees don't get sore.

Get the Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro Roller from Amazon for £39.99 

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.