Fitness concious folks recognize that to stay fit and healthy is a lifestyle choice not just a 4-6 week program. It takes proper diet choices, daily exercise and an all around attitude towards staying active each and every day. Sure there are pieces of fitness gear you could own that will help you lead a healthier lifestyle such as treadmills, stair climbers and resistance training machines, but how do these abdominal belt fitness gadgets fit into the mix.
At first glance, especially if you’ve seen an infomercial for one of the popular brands such as The Flex Belt or Contour Abs, these products appear too good to be true to say the least. There are toned fitness models wearing the devices and talking about how great they work, but lets face it, those models looked that way before they ever put on an ab toning device.
So do these products have a place in your home fitness routine? Lets dig a bit deeper to find out.
It turns out that the technology these devices use, known as electornic muscle sitmulation (EMS), has been around for over 50 years. It’s been used in the training of elite athletes and also the rehabilitation of injured individuals and those suffering from muscle atrophy.
In a home fitness situation the same technology (EMS) is used to emit slight electronic impulses through the nerve endings surrounding your core and abominal muscles. These pulses cause your abs and obliques to contract and relax. Sessions last anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes and are done 5 times a week.
Wearing an abdominal exercise belt has been proven to strengthen your mid section and improve your abdominal endurance. Several popular brands have even been cleared by the FDA as OTC (over the counter) EMS devices. This tells us that they meet this departments strict guidelines for medical grade electronic muscle stimulators.
So if the technology is solid and the FDA has cleared these devices maybe we’re onto something?
Well not so fast.
The issue is that we, as consumers, get the wrong idea about what these devices can do for us. When we see slim and toned individuals on an informercial we connect the dots in our mind thinking “If I use this device, then I’ll look like that”. While the reality is more like “If you follow a weekly exercise routine and eat a healthy diet then this device can help you look like that”.
Ab belts are not a weight loss device. To lose weight you still need to follow the old fashioned process of cutting out junk food, drinking more water, watching your portion size and eating more fruits and vegetables. Combine that with a weekly exercise routine and you’ve got a recipe for weight loss success.
Even popular industry websites like the Ab Belt Report will say that “Ab belts primarily work as adjuncts to physical exercise such as swimming, running and jogging. To help in muscle development, the ab belt should be combined with a healthy diet.”
So do ab belts have a place in a regular fitness routine?
It’s unfortnuately not a black and white answer. Recreational atheletes such as runners, swimmers, tri-atheletes and bikers will probably find some success using abdominal belts. Why? Because stronger abdominals and core muscles will improve their performance at their given sports.
Individuals who are already following a healthy diet and exercise regularly will likely also achieve some good results. I wouldn’t count on looking like a fitness model after six weeks, but you will likely notice your abs feel harder and there is more definition.
The person who doesn’t exercise now, isn’t willing to make any lifestyle changes but wants a push button solution to look and feel better should probably keep their credit card in their wallet because these devices just aren’t going to produce the results you’re expecting.
**This post was provided to Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!**
