Slim like Cheryl
Wednesday 03 June 2009
Too tired to drag yourself to the gym? Don’t feel like going for a run? Now there are machines that will do your workout for you!
The news that Cheryl Cole has splashed out a whopping £36,000 on a ‘wind tunnel’ exercise bike caught our attention in a big way, so we thought we’d check out the other machines on the market. Beware, though, as these machines come with a hefty price tag!
Hypoxi S120
The Hypoxi S120 machine, as favoured by Cheryl Cole, is designed to mimic high-intensity exercise with less physical exertion. It was created by the brilliantly-named Vacunaut scientists, who invented the suction technology that burns fat.
To feel the benefits, you simply step into the machine, which contains a spacesuit-type costume, and pedal on the in-built exercise bike. The machine then creates a wind-tunnel effect, which pulls and compresses the fat on your body, encouraging it to be burned more efficiently during exercise.
Sound complicated? According to representatives of the company, it isn’t. “While you gently pedal, the vacuum sucks the blood flow into your lower regions, which concentrates the breakdown of fat in those areas,” a statement from the manufacturers reads.
There are all sorts of stipulations attached though - you can't eat carbohydrates after a session, and you can't eat food after 7pm - which all seems like effort for a £36,000 machine (or a £450-a-month treatment).
Laser Liposuction
Want to tweak your problem areas without going under the knife? There’s a new machine that can make the process of liposuction non-invasive, and therefore a lot safer.
The process involves having small pads strapped to whichever area of fat you’d like to minimise – thighs, stomach and ‘bingo wings’ on the arms are all popular – and the area is then zapped with lasers that cause the fat cells to change their shape and release water, which the body can then dispose of.
Although the fat is removed from the body, it’s up to you to make the effects long-lasting, as a change in lifestyle will stop you gaining the weight back. It’s not the most cost-effective way to lose inches, though – one session will set you back £150, and it’s recommended that you have eight sessions to gain the full benefits of the treatment.
PowerPlate
This was the ‘it’ workout equipment last year, and doesn’t seem to be any less popular in 2009. It looks like a set of weighing scales, but it actually has high-tech vibrations built in, which cause the muscles to contract while you do exercises.
Expensive as it is, though, the PowerPlate seems to be one of the gadgets that actually work. A study at the Artesis College of Antwerp found that the PowerPlate actually helped formerly overweight people maintain their figures as well as those who undertook a daily workout. The fact that the machines help build up muscle also meant that participants kept the weight off, as maintaining muscle means your metabolism burns more fat.
However, anyone who finds working out on a PowerPlate easy is likely to be doing the exercises wrong – the reason you only do exercises in 30-second bursts is because they put your muscles through hell and back!
If you fancy toning up with one of these, it’ll cost you a pretty hefty sum, with models ranging from £1,495 to £7,995. However, finding a gym that offers access could be grounds for a membership – just be prepared to queue!
Endermologie
One of the strangest-looking treatments we’ve seen is endermologie, which is a giant piece of apparatus that works in a similar way to laser liposuction, only it targets cellulite instead. It’s massaged into problem areas (usually the hips, thighs and bum, which is where cellulite tends to form) while lights stimulate fat cells in the skin. The machine rolls, pulls, suctions and massages the skin.
For Endermologie to work, you need to drink a lot of water to prevent your skin from becoming dehydrated, and take regular exercise to tone the muscles directly under the skin. To us, it sounds like a lot of effort (not to mention the fact that 12 sessions will set you back around £450!) for something that takes a lot of maintenance – a gym membership might be a better option!
If you do fancy a treatment or two, don’t expect major results – remember the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There’s no substitute for a healthy lifestyle – when these products were tested, most of the candidates were also undertaking a calorie-controlled diet.
There’s something a little off with your logic if you think that shelling out for a machine to exercise for you is better than just doing it yourself – but these treatments could be useful if you need to lose an inch or two before a big event, or if your normal exercise routine becomes a little dull.
You know what they say; there’s nothing like cycling in a wind tunnel to brighten up your workout…
Have you ever used a weight-loss machine? Would you?
By Amy Bangs