New Products for Your New Year's Shape Up Plan

Altus forearm flexor. It's a handy gadget great for strengthening the wrist and forearm for bowling, tennis, golf, baseball, racquetball, even basketball. One size fits all, adjustable for regular or reverse wrist curls. $14.99. www.altusathletic.com



Hydro-Tone water weight bells. For water workouts or on dry land, these hollow plastic bells with end caps can be water-filled to create the perfect weight. Empty, they float in the pool for resistance training. $29.99. (800)235-2156; www.sprintaquatics.com




Dyna-Disc pillow. It's the latest thing since the exercise ball. It can be used for single and double-leg exercises, push-ups and sit-ups, as well as back support. Comes with instruction sheet of several creative exercises. $28.95 each (three for the price of two). (800) 943-6999; www.gymballs.com




Original heavy rope. Who said jumping rope was easy? Here's a way to make it more difficult than ever. This rope is weighted with l- to 6-pound weights built into the rope. It comes with a training program. $29.95-$49.95. (800)556-7464; www.performbetter.com




NRG ball. A ball on a stick (actually two padded handles), this is a popular training tool for sports enthusiasts of golf, hockey, tennis and baseball. One or both handles can be removed for more versatility or to practice movement patterns. It's touted as improving power, strength, balance and flexibility. It comes with video and manual, including more than 100 exercises. $79.99-$99.99. Other attachments available. (877) 422-5534; www.nrgball.com




Mini Insta-Pulse. Ideal for those who want to keep track of their ticker, but can't seem to count beats during cardio workouts. Simply place hands over rings at both ends of the cylinder. It weighs 1 pound and includes carrying case, instructions and 9-volt battery. $88.95. (888) 396-7337; www.fwonline.com




Polar M-52 heart rate monitor. Strap your exercise program to your wrist with this "fitness" watch that tells you when it's time to work out. Besides continuous heart rate, it checks average heart rate, OwnCal (calories burned) and OwnZone (customized target zone and has an alarm if you exceed limits), Exercise Reminder (no excuses now), and OwnIndex (tracks progress over time). $149.99-$269.99, depending on features and type of watch case. (800)227-1314; www.polarusa.com




Tanita BF-350 body composition scale. "Just stand there" is the message for this premier commercial product by Tanita, which displays weight, Body Mass Index, body fat percentage, hydration levels, basal metabolic rate, fat-free mass and more. Some read-outs require Tanita's HMS Plus software, which connects the scale to a PC via an RS-232 interface. $695, plus $250 for the software.

Tanita scales also come in "home" versions that keep track of body fat percentages. $69-$199. (800) 982-6482; www.tanita.com



Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.