With fitness gadgets boasting the ability to change how we work out and improve our health, only some follow through on that promise. It can be a little overwhelming with all the devices out there promising sci-fi designs and over-the-top features that play minimal roles in helping you achieve your goals.
Sure, technology can improve how you work, but some gadgets are just a waste of money with no real benefit. Here are ten fitness gadgets that will likely lighten your wallet at the expense of your body. Knowing why these products are sometimes perceived as gimmicks can help you make less misleading decisions when paying for your ideal fitness plan.
Ab Stimulators
Ab stimulants, such as ab belts and electronic muscle stimulators, promise to tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles using electrical impulses. However, little evidence shows they significantly affect muscle strength or body fat loss. The only way to achieve well-defined abdominal muscles is through a healthy diet and high-intensity workouts that directly affect the abs, like planks and crunches.
Toning Shoes
Toning shoes: Everyone has seen the commercials; these bad boys have curved soles and promise to work more leg muscles as you walk, thus providing better balance, posture, and calorie burn. However, there is little reason to believe these claims, and such products might do nothing or even raise the chances of injury. Instead, wear the appropriate athletic footwear to support your feet and provide the correct cushioning.
Vibrating Foam Rollers
Foam rolling is among the most popular methods for preventing sore muscles, and it has become widespread over the past few years. Doing so combines the benefits of foam rolling with the power of vibration therapy to help alleviate muscle soreness and offer a deeper tissue massage than regular rollers. Vibration technology can make all the difference, so athletes should invest in a vibrating foam roller. Yet, few studies have directly compared the benefits of vibration foam rollers to conventional foam rolling tactics. Vibrating foam rollers are more expensive and may not offer much value over a standard option.
Smart Water Bottles
Among the latest examples of what Panasonic calls “smart health products” is the HidrateMe water bottle. This connected drinking cup keeps track of your daily hydration levels and reminds you to suck down more beverages all day long. Staying hydrated is critical to good health. There’s no debating that, but you don’t need an expensive water bottle to help you along the way. Even a simple tally of how many glasses of water you drink can be just as helpful in guaranteeing that hydration happens.
Electric Muscle Stimulators
Like ab stimulators, electric muscle stimulators promote themselves as a solution for enhanced muscle tone or strength through electrical stimulation. However, research has demonstrated that these gadgets might do more harm than good, as they can overwork your muscles and put you at risk for injury. RATHER, maintain good form and, over time, ramp up the volume of your training with this ultimately EXERCISE CONCEPT in mind that muscles get stronger when subjected to high intensity.
Electronic Fitness Trackers
Nutrition and fitness blogger Jennifer White calls them “some of the smallest trackers.” So, while these devices might sound great for their all-rounder features and can be expensive, they can eventually deliver the most unreliable data. Also, they can lead to a slightly unhealthy obsession with the numbers instead of how you feel during and after your workouts.
Waist Trainers
Compression devices, waist trainers, or waist cinchers promise to shape your middle into an hourglass figure; even with those devices, that does not lead to weight loss or permanent change in how our bodies are shaped. They are so damning that they can cause pain, impair respiration and even crush internal organs. Eat well and exercise more: the long-held wisdom of sustainable weight loss over the quick-fix mantra.
Muscle Stimulating Belts
It is a belt that is supposed to firm areas of the body by intermittently flexing muscles while zapping them with brief electrical impulses. However, as with other products on this list, it is not supported by scientific evidence and is more for show than function when it comes to one’s overall fitness.
Infrared Sauna Blankets
Infrared sauna blankets promise all the relaxation and detoxification of a regular outdoor sauna in one portable package. Nonetheless, they are expensive and may not offer the same therapeutic benefits as an authentic sauna. Additionally, uninsulated blankets prevent proper ventilation and pose a hazard; they can easily cause overheating. Choose regular exercise and remain hydrated for a natural detox.
Electric Monitoring Scales
These devices are advertised to monitor body composition, such as total fat percentage and muscle mass. But they are unreliable, and you can also be thrown off by hydration levels or the times of day. Stop getting caught up on the number on a scale and do it by how you feel, or use other measurements like waist circumference or progress photos.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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