Avoid Fitness Gimmicks

Fitness has exploded and everybody is trying to monetize on this booming, lucrative industry. It's kind of like the Internet but good for you:)

Having more and more people involved with active living and healthy eating is great, awesome, exciting etc. However, there are a lot of people out there trying to sell you on products that are really, REALLY ineffective and for a lack of a better term, crappy!

I want to discuss general rules for products and services NOT to buy.

Tips To Steer Clear of Gimmicks

1. Ask yourself, is this new? The newest, hottest and trendiest product is your first warning sign. Don't get me wrong, I don't think humankind has invented everything good for your health. Still, if a company has to sell their product or service by hyping it under the guise of it being the hippest, trendiest fitness craze and they don't say much more than that, then there may be a problem. Be especially wary of the products on infomercials. The reason a lot of that stuff is on the shopping channel is because it is privately funded and has not been around long enough to be officially tested, approved and picked up by trusted stores and companies.

2. Does it only work one body part? Any product that claims to make you look model-esq but only works one muscle group (abs are a good example of this) are lying. No exceptions. Sitting in a chair that wiggles around for an hour (see photo of the "hula chair" above) will not tighten and tone your body. It will make you dizzy!

3. As for nutrition any diet that excludes food groups or only focus on one food group, (cabbage, grapefruit, cookie diet etc) is a complete waste of your time. These diets may show you results at first. This is usually attributed to starvation and dehydration due to nutritional deprivation! The weight WILL come back. So don't bother.

4. Any workout program that claims you only need 2-5 minutes of exercise 1-2 times a week for amazing results, is bogus. You need 20 minutes of consistent effort to improve heart health and at least a couple good sets per muscle group to increase strength and size. Unless the person doing this workout is Superman, it's not worth it.

We live in an instant gratification society. People want results as fast as possible. The only true, lasting results are from consistent effort and hard work. Once you have that down it's actually quite easy to reach your goals.

As a general rule, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. So don't get sucked in by promises to get quick results with barely any effort on your part. For the body you are looking for, a balanced fitness routine consisting of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training as well as a healthy diet will do the trick.

In conclusion put your money away. Unless of course, it's to buy running shoes and healthy groceries:)

Shop Smart!