17 Things That Actually Helped People Get (And Stay) Fit

Real results from real people.

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which products actually helped them get fit. Here are the life-changing recommendations.

Obviously everyone's bodies and experiences are different, but here's what helped people see real results.

1. A water-resistant Fitbit Charge 3, which will track your calories and heart rate, help you set new fitness goals, and connect all of your data directly to your phone.

buzzfeed.com, instagram.com

"It's been about three years since I first got my Fitbit, and I've lost nearly 90 pounds. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today without it. It taught me about calorie counting, exercise, and overall wellness. It also helped me set achievable goals for myself. I'm so proud of the determination I've shown. If you’re not in it for the right reasons, and if you aren’t dedicated, then you won’t lose weight, get healthy, or achieve your goals." —oliviawann6

Get it from Amazon for $139.99 (available in graphite/black and rose gold/blue grey).

2. A stainless steel insulated water bottle, which will keep your water ice cold for up to 24 hours, so you'll always feel refreshed no matter how hot it is outside.

buzzfeed.com, instagram.com

"I lost 60 pounds since February of 2017, and 50 of those were lost in the first 10 months. The biggest change was about investing in my mental health. Hot yoga is my tool that has helped me love myself deep down, and the weight loss came secondary to my newfound peace. I made drinking a healthy amount of water a daily priority. It may sound weird, but using fun and pretty reusable water bottles reealllllllly helped with this goal!" —ebb2

Get it from Amazon for $13.95+ (available 17 or 25 oz and 27 styles).

3. A pair of waterproof wireless headphones, which will actually stay in your ear no matter how much you move or how sweaty you get.

amazon.com

"Wireless headphones are a must for me. I got into working out by starting small and walking whenever I could. Then I moved up to jogging, then running when I got more comfortable. Having my music and podcasts really helped me stick to it." —weasel7092

Get them from Amazon for $39.99.

4. A Swift Short Sleeve running shirt from Rhone, which dries faster than most and is also anti-odor, which means you'll actually smell good ~after~ a workout.

rhone.com

"I wore this shirt two days in a row for two very intense workouts because it fit really well on my body (which isn't always the case) and I wanted to show it off. Even though I was drenched in sweat both times, the shirt dried super quickly and didn't smell at all. I've since washed it, though. Don't worry." —spenceralthouse

Get one on Rhone's site for $68 (available in sizes S–XXL and six colors).

5. A pack of resistance bands, which can be used for sports, physical therapy, stretching, or any regular workout you do at home or at the gym.

instagram.com, instagram.com

"I’ve always been really thin and a good runner, but I wanted to get more confident, work the rest of my body, and tone up. Resistance bands were the perfect solution because they let me work out anywhere, and I was able to start with a light resistance. This way I wasn’t super intimidated, especially as someone who had never done anything resistance-based before." —laureng1029

Get a pack of five (including a carrying bag and EBook of workouts) on Amazon for $5.89.

6. A digital food scale from Taylor, which will help you recognize true portion sizes and take all the stress out of meal prepping and planning.

amazon.com

"You don’t realize how wildly inaccurate your portion sizes are until you weigh everything in grams. It totally changed my life!" —kristinn42994

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

7. A pair of simple, comfortable, and attractive workout shorts, which will make you feel so good that you'll actually go to the gym just to show them off.

instagram.com, runjanji.com

"This may seem a bit controversial, but finding some cute gym clothes makes me want to go to the gym. Like, I want to wear those clothes and show them off to everyone who I don't know when I work out." —tjrid06

Get them from Run Janji and Olivers Apparel for $68 (women's available in sizes XS–XL and 3 colors, men's available in sizes S–XL and 14 colors)

8. A container of Promix Whey protein powder, which will help you hit any type of fitness goal you have, whether you want to bulk up or just get healthy.

Instagram: @spenceralthouse, instagram.com

"I started my fitness journey about 3.5 years ago. Obviously I had to put in the work at the gym, but I genuinely owe a lot of my progress to Promix's protein powder (the raw chocolate flavor is my favorite). I originally gained about 20 pounds of weight/muscle mass, and I've actually kept it all on over the years, which was always impossible for me." —spenceralthouse

Get a one-pound container from Promix for $19.99 or a five-pound container for $79.99 (available in five flavors).

9. The bestselling book Always Hungry?, which may singlehandedly change the way you think about diets, food, and your body.

amazon.com, instagram.com

"I lost 65 pounds in two years, and I owe a lot of that to this book. I don’t follow the book’s guidelines as closely anymore, but I do eat similar meals and am now running three miles a day and lifting weights. I'm very happy with my results." —millennialm0xie

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available for Kindle or as a hard copy).

10. The Insanity workout DVD series, which will give you some of the toughest workouts of your life, all without leaving the comfort of your own room.

buzzfeed.com, amazon.com

"My son started doing the Insanity workouts and cooking his own food. After about seven years, he even competed in his first bodybuilding competition and had a fitness photo shoot in California. This is his lifestyle now, and he's so happy he found fitness." —tmhiggs1965

Get it from Amazon for $22.90.

You can also check out the complete Insanity Base Kit DVD set for $144.80.

11. A spa facial headband, which actually works perfectly to keep your hair dry and face clean, no matter how sweaty you get during workouts.

amazon.com

"It sounds so dumb, but these headbands actually make me want to work out. I’m hoping other people can relate, because there were plenty of times when I was motivated to work out but ultimately decided not to because I didn’t want my hair to get sweaty and then need to wash it. These headbands keep sweat from pouring onto my face, and my hair is alway dry after a hard workout. So far I’ve lost 45 pounds!" —marad4f9844125

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $8.99.

12. A Zumba video game, which allows you to work out without actually feeling like you're working out.

BuzzFeed / Nadia G., amazon.com

"I was too embarrassed to go to my gym and take a class. I heard about really good results from Zumba, so I bought the game for my Wii. It didn't feel like exercise. To me, it was just another game to play, and I guess that's what motivated me. Then when I actually saw results from it, that became the motivator. Dancing with Zumba was really fun, especially when it was a song that I knew or liked. The game made it seem more like I was trying to beat a level as opposed to actually exercising. It helped me lose 150 pounds in about three years." —Nadia G., Facebook

Get it from Amazon for Wii for $14.99, for Xbox 360 for $19.95, or pre-order it for your Nintendo Switch for $39.99.

13. An indoor spinning bike, which may seem like a much better investment than an expensive gym membership.

instagram.com, instagram.com

"A spinning bike is a great investment if you can afford it. It requires no electricity, is pretty low profile, and there are a ton of training videos on YouTube to follow along and get good workouts in. My fitness fluctuates, just like everyone else's, but I always know I can easily jump back into things if I get off track, even if it's a simple 15 minutes on the bike." —venny

Get it from Amazon for $239.

14. An Auoxer weighted hula hoop, which will help you burn calories, tone up, and actually have a good time while working out.

buzzfeed.com, instagram.com

"It may sound really silly, but after losing 105 pounds I was really struggling to get my workouts in, so I got a weighted hula hoop. I do 30-minute workouts with it every morning after I wake up, and it really boosts my motivation for the day and helps me tone up!" —laurensummerfruitss

Get it from Amazon for $17.98.

15. A pair of Nike Metcon 4 training shoes, which are perfect for any type of training you want to do: running, weightlifting, or just walking around the block.

buzzfeed.com, nike.com

"Changing my mindset was the most important thing for me. I started doing Crossfit and Metabolic (a local group exercise class), and they made it fun to be active. Whenever I lift, I make sure I wear my Nike Metcon sneakers." —brianav4239c9a6e

Get them from Amazon: women's for $84.62+ (available in sizes 5–12 and 30 styles), men's for $89.96+ (available in sizes 7–15 and 24 styles).

16. A set of at-home kettlebells, which is wayyyy less intimidating than learning how to lift weights in a crowded gym.

buzzfeed.com, instagram.com

"Lifting weights has honestly changed my life. I used to be very unhappy with my body. I started going to a lot of gym classes and eating healthy, but I still didn’t feel totally comfortable in my body. Then I discovered weightlifting and fell in love with it. Not only did it help me to achieve my ideal body goals, but it also gave me confidence and made me (literally) feel strong." —magdalenaprezt

Get them from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in individual sizes and in sets, ranging from 5–45 lbs).

17. And the free MyFitnessPal app, which will help track everything you eat, count calories and macros, and take away the pressure that comes with the word "diet."

buzzfeed.com, setthetableblog.com

"I hit my goal of losing 150 pounds this past July! It took a long 23 months, but I don't regret a single day. I started off slow, but then I built up stamina and made sure I walked a few miles every day. I also used the MyFitnessPal app to track what I ate. Best decision I have ever made." —supergoodfeelin

Get it from the App Store for free.