8 Present Day Fitness Fads That Aren’t Any Better Than Your Grandma’s
By admin
Yet, boy have we come a long way.
Or have we?
I first watched the video above months ago. At the time, I remember thinking it needed a blog post yet like many other things in my days, it slipped past the cracks and I forgot about it until just earlier this week when I saw it posted on a friend’s Facebook page.
While we all laugh and give praise that we aren’t subjected to such ridiculousness, the question remains…
How has the fight against the bulge changed?
The Start Of The Fight
The 1940s was a huge decade for women. Men were off fighting in the war and women were left behind with growing responsibilities. With growing responsibilities meant growing confidence.
Suddenly ladies were showing off more of their bodies with pride.
This all sounds great, right? Yet, this increased body image also lead to increase self-criticism and lack of body confidence which would follow us for the next 75 years and I’m sure we can all agree, onward.
For more on the women’s figure over the past decades, make sure to read, “The Evolution Of The Ideal Body”.
Because today, let’s talk about the fight.
The Slenderizing Salon
In the 1940s, Life Magazine did a piece of the hottest fitness trends in the country. The top being the AMAZING Slenderizing Salon.
The idea was that a machine would roll out the trouble areas of a women’s body without exercise by causing the muscles to contract.
This one was believed to help slenderize the stomach and thighs. Clearly, the model felt it was working.
Oh more for fun…
The “Wooden Barrel Massager” was used to roll and flatter areas of the butt and waist.
I’m not sure about you, but it looks more like something to roll out pasta with. Ooo, pasta.
I could keep sharing pictures from the 40s, but let’s allow the past remain in the past and instead focus on more modern fitness.
After all, as hilarious as initial fast fixes of the 40s were, I’m thinking that we are not much better off now.
8 Present Day Fitness Contraptions That Aren’t Better Than Our Grandma’s
At the end of the day, we are still suffering from the same mindset. Looking for a quick fix answer that requires little work.
We know that to lose weight you have to eat less and burn more calories. Right? We know that a mix of both cardio and weight lifting is #1 for delivering fat burning, muscle toning results.
Yet, new versions of the Slenderizing Salon keep popping up and people continue to think, “ahh, that’s it! That’s what I’ve been looking for.”
Of course only to be left disappointed and weighting for the next great option to roll around instead of just taking the slow and steady route that works.
Let’s look at the evidence…
Oh, one last things: these items are available on Amazon should anyone be interested (that’s a joke, please don’t buy them).
1. Shake Weight
This baby is supposed to help tone your body simply through shaking the weight up and down. I think Ellen demo’s it the best…
My gym had one of these just a few years ago! Looks awfully similar to the 40s gear above right? Shake that fat right on off your body.
I’m not sure if the gym still has this baby, but I really pray they don’t.
3. Sauna Suits
Now you and your man can look smashing in these matching sauna suits. Just imagine the weight you will lose by cooking yourself during your next workout.
Sounds like a fabulous, genius idea!
You’re not losing fat here, ladies, you’re sweating away hydration, electrolytes and energy.
If you want to see what it looks like to lose weight fast and gain weight faster, go for it. Burn off some sweat, drink a few glasses of water and Voila… the weight is back!
Insane.
4. Red Wine
A study recently published that drinking A GLASS of red wine mimics the effects of an hour of exercise due to the resveratrol.
Things that make you go hmmmmm….
Sounds amazing. Sounds too good to be true. Well, let’s get real, it is.
The only way to increase prolonged metabolism is to build muscle, the only way to do that is with exercise. As for endurance and cardio improvements… again, exercise.
Sure, there may be some heart healthy benefits and your body may love your wine habit (which the study promotes drinking just 1 glass a day), but you’re not going to get the body of someone that works out every day for an hour.
Sad day for us winos.
Remember when these were all the rage?
The ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen and I can’t tell you how many clients walked in wearing them for boot camp and I had to ask them to take them off.
Not exactly ideal for jumping, running and doing stability moves with. You know?
On top of that, studies revealed that these miracle shoes don’t help wearers tone their legs, burn more calories or improve their walking abilities.
Not everyone has heard this report since the nurse I had this past weekend was sporting a pair. She was too nice for me to correct.
Another throwback to the 40s. It seems we just haven’t learned our lesson. What you can work your abs while sitting at a desk doing nothing?
No, no you can’t.
Toss this baby away and go do some leg raises. It won’t take long and you’ll feel loads better.
No one likes being known as the one that always takes short cuts, right?
We all remember this and chances are we knew someone that had one. My best friend’s mom had one but all I really remember it being used for was to collect dust and hold our pool towels in their backyard.
It promises to tone the midsection, decrease love handles and transform your body but unfortunately there is no research to back it up but plenty so support the fact that there is no such thing as targeted training.
It was a really nice towel rack though.
Really? I can’t even comment on this. But I can bust out laughing extremely loud which is why I saved this for last.
Oh man, oh man.
The Truth About Fads, Fitness & Results
Wanting fast results for little work is clearly nothing new. Since we first gew self conscious of our bodies, we were sent running for a quick fix.
But they don’t work.
Will we ever learn? Or will we forever be dumping money into As Seen On TV products and items that simply are too good to be true.
Results don’t happen from sitting on top of your washing machine vibrating, if they did, Golds would have been out of business a long time ago. As would I!
Results come from pushing this crap aside and embracing the idea that you may not look different tomorrow but give it time with training and healthy eating and the results will come!