Exercise Tools for every home!
Tuesday 25 January 2011
What is it?
Body-Rocka
What’s the story?
Philip Taylor may have missed out on his dream job with Sir Alan Sugar on The Apprentice, but that definitely hasn’t deterred the young entrepreneur. With his great invention from the hit series, the Body-Rocka is “a fresh new approach to the fitness and core training sector by bringing state of the art engineering coupled with the latest material technologies. “
Who’s it best for?
The good thing about Body-Rocka is that you can use it as lightly or as strenuously as you wish, so anyone can use it. Be prepared fro some aching muscles the next day though!
Best bits?
You can tell this is working when you use it well. The Body-Rocka is similar to a fitness ball but is a lot more compact, so easier to store.
Worst bits?
It can take a little getting used to but once you have your balance it’s great.
Rating: 4/5
What is it?
The Ultrafit Swing Stepper 
What’s the story?
A small in home stepper with swings to help build arms as well as legs and burns calories. Also comes with a built in computer and screen so that you can easily read your progress.
Who’s it best for?
Anyone who wants to get fit but doesn’t have the room for a traditional stepper would welcome this into their homes, with the included swings it is also good for strengthening backs, arms and chests.
Best Bit:
No assembly required so you can use it the moment you get it home. Its also good for toning and training lots of different body problem areas so its like an all over work out for the one price. A reasonable £40.
Worst bits:
There aren’t any instructions in English which could prove problematic, however it is simple enough to set up and you can follow what to do in the computer screen in front of you.
Rating: 4/5
What is it? Mini Pedal Exerciser. 
What’s the story?
This is a small set of pedals which can be placed at the foot of a chair so you can tone your legs whilst relaxing or if you’re sat at a desk.
Who’s it best for?
Exercising with the mini pedals feels much the same as cycling so this would be perfect for people with busy lives who don’t have the time to go on long bike rides or trips to the gym to keep fit. Also as its gentle exercise that can be done from a chair it would be great for those who are physically unable to be active but still want to stay fit.
Best Bit:
After pedalling for a while you start to feel it working as though you were riding a bike, but you don’t have to brace the cold weather. Also as its only working your legs and feet its easy to multi task without getting too distracted.
Worst bit:
A difficult shape to store but other than that they are affordable and a great way to tone your legs.
Rating: 3/5
What is it?
wifi bathroom scales. 
What’s the story?
They’re like any other bathroom scale except that they are wifi enabled meaning that you can store all of your information on them and have it sent to your laptop or wifi enabled devices so you can track your progress on the go.
Who’s it best for:
The gadget lovers among us will love this. You do need a wireless internet connection and they don’t come with a usb cable or any instructions which need to be downloaded from the manufacturers website so probably not for the technophobes.
Best bit:
The scales automatically store your weight, fat mass and bmi on an easy to read display so you can check your progress whenever you want. The manufactures also supply a free mobile application for iphone, ipad and android phones so you can keep track with those. The scales also have enough memory to store information for up to 8 people which is handy if you’re family and friends want to use it too.
Worst bit:
It is a pricey bit of equipment, especially if you aren’t going to use the additional features. Also the fact that it doesn’t come with a USB lead is a bit annoying if you don’t have a spare one. As far as the interactivity and ability to check and compare your progress with wifi enabled devices is pretty good though.
Rating: 4/5
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