Fitness Gadgets and Myths

“Get-fit-quick” schemes seem to flourish these days, and misleading marketing makes it harder every day to figure out what really works.  Whether new gadgets or diets, what are the fitness tools that can really help you achieve your personal best?  For feedback, WebMD turned to fitness expert Cedric Bryant, PhD with the American Council on Exercise (ACE).  Here is what he had to say about a few fitness gadgets/equipment currently on the market.

The AB Away
“This is an abdominal training product that focuses on the lowering action of a sit-up.  That’s fine.  It is an important aspect of exercise, but there is nothing magical about it in terms of sculpting.  The ads say the product is safe because of the cushioned back support.  But given the dimensions of the device, it would seem that for individuals of average height or taller, it will be too short to provide any real support for the back.”

The Body Dome
“This is a stability ball, but with a stable base, which allows you to do push-ups and other exercises.  This kind of apparatus can be used effectively for muscle conditioning exercises.  However, the infomercials hype that it can do everything – like converting fat to muscle.  That is impossible - those are two distinct tissues.  Also, it claims to supercharge metabolism, which may lead people to believe they will burn calories like a furnace.  That would be nice, but it won’t happen.”

Bowflex
“This is a system that involves resistance rods or bands.  It has been around awhile and is good for resistance training.  It is reasonably compact and can be used to do a variety of exercises.  More experienced users might be more critical – they won’t experience what they get in a gym.  But for the average user, it would be good for resistance training.”

Trampolines (Mini)
“This is another effort to minimize impact from weight-bearing exercises, just like the Kangaroo Jumps.  Theoretically, you can get a good aerobic workout, if you move at an aggressive enough speed.  But, it is hard to sustain that high rate.  It also would be hard to get much calorie burn.  There is a free-flowing nature to your movements, which could help in managing stress.  It has a soothing effect, but that is largely theory.”