I subscribe to Shop Smart, a fantastic magazine put out by Consumer Reports.  I never make a major purchase decision without checking out their reviews and recommendations.

This month’s magazine reviewed some of the best new home treadmills and ellipticals.  One of the machines they mention in a sidebar is the Ab Circle Pro.  I’ve seen the commercials for this product and was curious about it.  The commercial claims that, by using this machine for just 3 minutes a day, you can lose weight and get the “flat, washboard abs and sexy ‘V’ shape that you’ve always wanted.”  The claims sounded a bit preposterous to me, but what were Consumer Reports’ findings?

Well, it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought … they did find that it works the abs, and if you stay on it long enough, you can get an aerobic workout about equal to a brisk walk (no one can get an aerobic workout in 3 minutes, with or without machines). Some of the testers said they felt like the machine worked their arms more than their abs and half said they felt little muscle fatigue at all.  A few even complained of back and knee pain.  The Ab Circle Pro comes with a strict nutrition plan … you’d probably lose weight just from following the diet.  The cost?  $200.  The conclusion?  Skip it!

This got me wondering about some of the other infomercial machines and their effectiveness.  The ads always claim the workouts are easy and fun and promise amazing results.  But do they really deliver what they promise? For a review of 10 of these fitness devices, check out Infomercial Fitness Devices Put to the Test .   By the way, these products aren’t cheap … the cost,  if you bought all of them, would total $2,355, which is about the price of a really good treadmill!

Out of the ten, one item did get a good review and that was the Urban Rebounder.  This is a mini-trampoline, with a removable support bar.  The testers found that they could burn about as many calories as they would jogging at about 5.6 mph, that it was easy to use and a nice change from typical aerobic exercise.  (And one point that wasn’t mentioned about rebounders is they give you a low impact workout, so they’re easy on your knees, hips and lower back.)

Bottom line?  The machines were fairly costly, cumbersome, uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous, and (except for the Urban Rebounder) mostly ineffective.  So, if you’re thinking about investing some money in fitness equipment, be sure to do your research before spending your hard-earned dollars.

Personally, I think you can get just as effective a workout with an exercise mat, a couple pairs of dumbbells, a set of toning tubes, and an exercise ball.  And they take up way less storage space!

If any of you have purchased infomercial fitness apparatus, please share your experiences, good or bad.  I’d love to hear about them!

Ever wonder why you’re gaining weight as you age?  It doesn’t seem like you’ve changed your eating habits, so what’s the story?  Yes, you know you should exercise more, but you’ve never exercised regularly and haven’t had a weight problem before.  So why have you slowly been gaining weight? And why is it so hard to lose?

One of the reasons we gain weight as we age is because our metabolism, the rate at which our bodies burn calories, slows down.  It’s estimated that metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after age 30.  But why does our metabolism slow?

As we enter our 30s, muscle mass naturally begins to decline and that decline picks up speed as we grow older.  Because lean muscle burns more calories (about 35 a day per lb, while fat burns just 2 calories a day per lb) our metabolic rates begin to slow as muscle mass diminishes. So we require less food to fuel our bodies. Since we continue to eat as we always have, the calories that aren’t used are stored as fat and we gain weight.

Aerobic exercise, of course, will burn calories and help you lose weight, as will dieting.  However, aerobic exercise doesn’t build muscle.  And when you diet without exercise, you not only lose fat, but you lose muscle as well.  So, you still have the problem of losing muscle mass.

There’s only one way to rebuild muscle (or prevent its loss in the first place), and that is with strength training. The good news is that anyone at any age can start a strength training program and begin rebuilding muscle. No, we’re not talking “Arnie Schwarzenegger muscles” … that’s bodybuilding and we’re not going there!

As you increase your lean muscle mass, the speed at which your body burns calories will increase.  Your body will utilize the food you take in more effectively, you’ll find that you can eat more without gaining weight and your muscle to fat ratio will improve, giving you an overall leaner, stronger appearance.  Additionally, resistance training lowers blood pressure, increases stamina and improves balance. Simple daily tasks will become easier. And, for many post-menopausal women, bone density will increase.

Strength training doesn’t require big, costly weight machines or gym memberships. Push ups, squats and lunges are basic strength training exercises that will build muscle and you can do them anywhere. You can use common household items like soup cans or filled water bottles. Dumbbells and toning tubes are inexpensive options for strength training at home.  But if you’ve never trained with weights, you may want to consult with a trainer to get you started with a basic plan and to learn proper form.

A well-rounded fitness program should include aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility exercise.  Aim for about 30 – 45 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least 5 days a week (it can be broken down into smaller increments and still be effective), resistance training 3 days a week and include stretching after all your workouts to maintain flexibility.  Vary your activities to keep from becoming bored.  Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you’re over 40, or have cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.