Every day we are bombarded with brands trying to convince us that their latest product will transform our lives. Anything and everything from nappies to the latest technological gadget. Radio churns out just as many corny jingles like the one with its annoying opera singer hell bent on ruining your day whilst trying to convince you to use a certain price comparison site (as if driving to work wasn’t bad enough).
The fitness industry is no different in the emotional appeal of its ads for the latest and greatest inventions to aid fitness courses. Whether it’s a quick fix and amazing results you’re looking for there’s bound to be something out there that has the power to change your physique forever. But buyer beware; if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true.
There has been some truly crazy fitness gadgets designed and marketed in the last few years for group fitness classes. They are primarily the invention business people who have no intention in making a difference to peoples’ lives other than to make them poorer by taking their hard earned pennies for products which serve no other purpose than to make you look like a prize idiot!
[B]Shake Weight[/B] - [LINK "http://www.buyshakeweightformen.com"]
Take the shake weight for instance, an outdoor bootcamp product that guarantees you incredible results in six minutes a day. I’ve attached a link for you to see how the shake weight aims to “kick your butt!” The shake weight is a vibrating dumbbell which has reported to make your muscles contract an incredible 240 times in one minute during fitness courses. It retails at around £18 but why waste your money when you can jump on a vibrating double-decker bus for under a fiver, get from A to B and experience a workout at the same time. The Shake Weight amazingly is a genuine product. As you can imagine spawned a few spoof viral videos just look for them on You Tube. Worse still, Alex Gerrard wife of Liverpool and England footballer Steven Gerrard endorsed this product when it came on the market a few years ago. Anything for a buck, silly WAG.
[B]Free Flexor[/B] - [LINK "http://youtu.be/H6uNTpYtacw"]
The Free Flexor is designed by fitness professionals; well I’d be ashamed to call myself ‘fitness professional’ if I’d put my name to this comical bit of kit.
These products look like a recipe for repetitive strain injury. RSI is more commonly found in speed typing challenge competitors!
[B]A better investment[/B]
Working out regularly, regardless whether you do group fitness classes like Zumba, indoor circuits or a BMF outdoor bootcamp it is hard on the body. The stress you put muscles, joints and ligaments through can sometimes become too much if you don’t take care of yourself. But a great way of improving your ability to recover is to get a sports massage once a month after your outdoor bootcamp.
A sports massage can help with the following:
- Improve circulation and lymphatic flow
- Assist in the removal of metabolic waste
- Sedate or stimulate nerve endings
- Increase or decrease muscle tone
- Increase or decrease muscle length
- Remodel scar tissue when required
- Assist in mental preparation for sporting participation
[B]Self-myofascial release[/B]
However, in these times of austerity a regular sports massage may be out of some people’s financial reach, so I have some great suggestions on how to use tools such as a golf ball to achieve some of the benefits from the list above.
[B]What is self-myofascial release?[/B]
Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat dysfunction, resulting in pain and restriction of motion. Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. This soft tissue can become restricted due to overuse, trauma or inactivity, often resulting in pain, muscle tension, and corresponding diminished blood flow. Although fascia and its corresponding muscle are the main targets of myofascial release, other tissue may be affected as well, including other connective tissue.
Self-myofascial techniques are very simple to learn. To perform self-myofascial release you will need a golf ball, tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or softball. One way you can get your feet feeling better after fitness courses is to use golf balls. Place them in a sock and put them under your feet while sitting at your desk or while watching television. You can also put tennis balls in a sock and place them under your back or hip while you are lying down on the floor or sitting on the couch. If you find tender spots, just place the tennis ball on that area until the tenderness dissipates. It shouldn't really hurt when you do this. You might have heard the term "good pain" - it should feel good and feel like it is relieving the pressure and tension in the area you are massaging.
Tennis balls are very cheap to buy, but you can buy some specific tools for the job. There’s a product I bought about a year ago and I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love it because it gets results; I hate it because it can be so darn painful. This WILL as the ad promise goes...’kick your butt!’
The items come from [LINK "http://www.triggerpointuk.com"] they are not cheap but offer great value for money. The pack even comes with an instruction booklet and DVD. Tissues to mop away those good pain tears are not included though ;-)
So, rather than invest all these weird and wonderful fitness gadgets for group fitness classes and their empty promises why not add some real value to your life. Just get some self-massage tools and join us at a BMF outdoor bootcamp for a real workout then see and feel a real difference.