Fitness fads. They are everywhere these days. You can?t turn on the TV late at night without being suckered into a new sales pitch on why some machine or method is the best fix for those pesky thighs and love handles. Some fads are quite fun and are here to stay. Some, however, are just plain kooky and make for a good laugh :-).
I debated giving my take on these so as not to offend any users out there, but eventually gave in, in hopes of saving some of you money and time by steering you toward fitness fads that can actually help you get to your goals!
The Belly Burner
Their claim is that The Belly Burner ?increases your thermal core temperature to shed away unwanted inches? creates a sauna around your entire mid-section, melting inches off you waist.? They say you?ll ?Lose those love handle and inches around your waist by wearing the Belly Burner during your daily activities or exercise.?
Here?s the fact of the matter ? you can?t spot reduce. You just can’t. Darn it? I know. It sounds to me, though, that by wearing The Belly Burning, it will sweat out some dermal fluid (aka water you are holding in your skin) which will definitely maximize the ?chiseled? look?for a few hours at least. Once you eat food with sodium and drink water, guess what? That fluid will go right back to where it was.
Another fact, though, is that oftentimes when we THINK we are on our way to a slimmer mid-seciton, say by way of The Belly Burner, we tend to become more aware of the foods we put in our mouth and the intensity and consistency of our workouts. Yes, it?s kind of a mind game, but it is quite possible that by slapping on the Belly Burner, you may begin to make changes beyond the Belly Burner that can get you closer to that 6 pack you?ve always wanted :-).
Sorry Belly Burner
, but I?m thinking this fad will soon flop.
Antigravity Yoga
What benefits could possibly come from dangling from a sheet that is secured to the ceiling? More than you might realize. This fun, new spin on yoga incorporates aspects of traditional yoga, pilates, acrobatics (my favorite part), and calisthenics. It?s been said to relieve stress and back pain, improve mobility, flexibility, coordination and strength ? all while minimizing impact on those joints.
And what could be more fun than dangling from the ceiling and learning to trust yourself? Not much in my book. This fad is fab in my book. Learn more at anitgravityyoga.com
The Shake Weight
How can I write a blog on fitness fads without including this classic? And do I really need to write too much here? I mean, I think we ALL know what the Shake Weight is. It?s only been one of the hottest selling As Seen On TV fitness products over the last few years. The question begs itself: does their claim of ?a complete upper body workout in 6 minutes a day? really hold a candle to the traditional dumbbell?
Nope. Plain and simple, it doesn?t compare to the functionality of a good ol? set of dumbbells. I?m sorry all you Shake Weight lovers, but this will forever go down as a fitness flop in my book. I will say, however, that the Shake Weight is fabulous for so many other reasons?like for holiday gag gifts, laughs around the office, South Park episodes, and maybe even as a stress relief toy! Or save your money 🙂
Ballet Beautiful
Without having ever tried this class, it?s a FAB fad in my book. Heck, have you ever seen a ballerina?s body??? Obviously, their training is not only helping to develop incredible talents (that I wish I had), but also some beautiful muscles!
Ballet Beautiful is a Bar Method-style class you can take in the comfort of your own home, no bar necessary! In other words, for those lacking rhythm (like me), you can test out your moves in privacy with these body sculpting, butt firming ballet workouts.
Want a reference before you give this class a shot? Just watch Natalie Portman in Black Swan. Mary Helen Bowers, the founder of this site, is the woman behind Natalie?s training for the show. I?m in! Learn more at www.balletbeautiful.com
Lesson to be learned today? If a fitness fad seems too good to be true then it probably is! Sometimes it’s best to keep your credit card in your wallet and do some good old fashioned exercise to melt the fat!
10 Responses
I think the difference between fad and fab is the promise of quick weightloss with little effort. Some stuff we still see helping people today (like yoga for cardio or water aerobics) were “fads” in the day but have stood the test of time.
What is your opinion of the Glycemic Index diet?
I loved this article! It’s true, there are so many “infomercials” out there promising to be the ONE thing that will work for YOU!… There’s even some kind of special fairy dust that people sprinkle on their food to make them lose weight.
Personally, I’m succeeding better with following Choose More, Lose More for Life than I ever had trying some of those gimmicks in the past.
**side note, I have one of the items listed as a “Fab”- I enjoy it, despite my poor coordination, and it makes for some fun cardio in the evening after work 🙂
Very interesting topic, thank you for posting.
So many fads out there! I’m a big fan of just calories in calories out! Thanks for your take on these fads and fabs!
I’m so glad you posted this. I did a blog post not too long ago about there being no miracle fitness machine, no miracle pills, about proper diet and exercise. I got a lot of flack for it. I’m so glad to see you post this and break down some of the truths verses not so true!
I like the fact that you tackled some of these gimmicks that prey on people who are struggling to lose weight.It’s sad these companies are making money off people who are desperate to lose weight. Thanks for taking the time to set the record straight on some of these products claims! It just reinforces my philosophy that eating right and getting the butt off the couch is the way its going to work!!
YOu ROCK!!
Hi Heidi, it’s good to read your professional take on these products. There ara so many products that promisses the world, but mostly they only empty the wallet. For me (and people like me) it’s hard to say wheather it will work.
So thanks for this blogg!
I have been looking at the journey gym since I read about it in Shape magazine. I live in the Netherlands (i lived in Phoenix before) and I have been thinking about this gym in a briefcase, but since I will have to ship it to Europe it will be expensive. I really like the idea of the journey gym and the dvd’s but i’m just wondering if you heard of it and you think about this. I ordered the book of Chris, and I’m so excited to read all about the different cycles and the 9 minute excercises!