By Emma Brannam
Every January I make then break the same New Year's resolution.to get fit. I'm there in spirit just not in body.
When it comes to exercise I'm full of excuses as to why I can't do it but really the reason is, I'm lazy and working out is well..hard work! So, I decided to review some exercise equipment which promises to make the job easier.
Shake Weight - Cost:$69.99
Rebel Sports and online from www.telestar.co.nz
After a massive and very funny marketing campaign in the US and appearance on chat shows like "Ellen" (who thought it was hilarious), the Shake Weight has finally come to New Zealand.
It's basically a dumb bell with a vibrating motion which can look a bit sexually suggestive but helps women achieve toned, sculpted arms whilst eliminating flab.
So how does it work? According to its makers, it's based on technology called Dynamic Inertia, which engages the muscles in the arms, shoulders and chest in an entirely new way.
They claim it gives your upper body a work out that's 300 percent more effective than using traditional weights.
To use, all you need to do grip it properly and shake. Sure you feel a bit silly but try it for six minutes and you can really feel it in your arms. I'm so unfit, that I used it for three and actually managed to pull a muscle in my back. Goodness knows how!
Upsides: It's easy to use and if it fends off those bat wings that middle age is bound to bring me then that's great!
Downsides: It feels totally ridiculous and it could get boring after a while.
The ShakeWeight for men (which weight 5 pounds as opposed to 2.5) will be available in NZ later this year but as one of my male colleagues rather smuttily pointed out it's a skill that men have anyway!
Vibration Trainer - VM2 Pulsetrainer model - Costs: $1695 (in sale)
Available from Elite Fitness stores
Vibration training was developed in the nineteen seventies by Soviet scientists and has been used to train Olympic athletes and cosmonauts. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
The method uses a vibration plate which you stand or sit on in various poses. The plate then vibrates between 20 and 60 times a second stimulating your muscles and shaking your body to its very core.
In a conventional training session, only 40 percent of the muscle fibres are exercised; with controlled Whole Body Vibration that percentage nears the 100 percent mark. And it’s not just muscles that react. It can have a positive effect on tendon tissue, bone tissue, the nervous system and hormonal balances.
I chose the Motioncraft VM2 Pulse Trainer to review because it's quite portable and good for home use. At first it feels weird but you soon get used to it. It isn't a complete opt out of hard work though. Holding a position like a squat for a full minute on one of these beasts and boy, you can really feel it in your legs.
Upsides: fitness without the feeling of too much hard work and if you've had enough of standing and pulling poses you can sit down and relax while it wobbles away your cellulite. Bonus!
The downsides? Well, you have to use it. Every bit of exercise equipment I've ever owned ends up as a clothes horse in the spare room.
uRobic Twist and Trim - Costs:$900
From OSIM stores nationwide.
The uRobic Twist and Trim is such a laugh. It looks like a cross between a toilet seat and a saddle.
It rotates (you have to watch the video to really get the feel of it) and you sit on it and twist in the opposite direction to the way it's turning.
The aim is to tone and condition muscles and you can really feel it working your tummy and waist. There's four different speeds and an automatic setting and there are a range of different exercises on it ranging from beginners level to advanced. Adverts of it show people using it while watching the TV, talking on the phone and it's certainly something you wouldn't want to do in public!
Upsides: Easy, fun exercising which is good for a laugh.
Downsides: It makes you look a bit like a lap dancer and for $900, you've got to use it!