Fitness Fads = Convincing Ads & Broken Dads
Feb 8, 2008 by Chelsea von Tobel
For moms, kids or just about anybody really. Fitness fads are just that – fads. They claim to work such and such an area or bring you more fun into your workouts but 99% of fads just don’t cut it in terms of real results. The shopping channel is famous for selling useless fitness equipment to poor people who actually believe that the chair they purchased will give them a 6-pack or that the video that only takes you 10 minutes a day will turn you into the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It really is too bad that people are fooled everyday by something similar to these examples but take this advice to heart so you won’t be their next victim .... I mean customer; If it’s not work it is not a workout and if it is too good to sound true it actually is.
But not all fads are easy workouts, some, are still challenging to the body yet are actually harmful at the same time. For example, standing on a swiss ball to the average person seems like a great stability exercise since your core muscles are being used. But this is an unnatural movement for your knees, they are not meant to be held in a bowlegged manner, this is putting pressure on ligaments that are not supposed to be put under stress like this. How is this a functional exercise if it puts you in an unnatural position and puts your body under strain that can lead to injuries?
Heavy lifting exercises use more core strength than most of the so called core strengthening exercise fads out there. A squat or a deadlift will activate your abdominals more than standing on a buso ball any day. The message here is stick to what has worked for ages, in other words don’t fix what is not broken. Put down that bodyblade, bosu ball or thighmaster and pick up a barbell or do some bodyweight exercises to get you into shape safely and effectively.
Chelsea von Tobel
Free Form Fitness – Personal Training Redefined
www.freeformfitness.ca
