The Fitness Trends You Don’t Want To Follow

Toning Shoes

Manufacturers promise that by wearing their specially designed “Toning Shoes” every day , whether you’re walking, doing chores, training in the gym, or just hanging around the house, you’ll get leaner, more defined legs, and a tighter but. They work on the theory that by providing an unstable surface when walking, the stabilizing muscles in your lower body have to work harder, which strengthens and builds the muscle, and makes your legs look more toned.


However, there are two main problems here.

Firstly, the shoes do nothing for burning fat . To get your legs in top condition, not only do you have to build the muscles, but you also need to burn the fat on top of them. The calorie burn while wearing toning shoes is no higher than in regular shoes, so for fat burning purposes, they’re no better than what you usually wear.

Secondly, the idea behind the increased muscular activation is debatable to say the least. All the studies supporting the notion were carried out in manufacturers’ laboratories, yet the only independent study, done by the American Council on Exercise, found t here was no advantage to wearing toning shoes at all .

Finally, the elevated position you’re put in while wearing them can be detrimental for your core strength and posture.

Vibration Belts

These are most commonly used around the mid-section and abdominals, and send hundreds of tiny electronic currents through the muscles, helping to tighten and tone.

The main issue here is the same as with toning shoes – while the muscle may get slightly stronger, there is no increased fat burn, and the currents only work the top muscles of the stomach, not the deep core muscles , which are important for posture, and core strength. An advert for a leading brand of toning belts claims that 10 minutes per day with a belt is the same as doing one hundred crunches. Seeing as crunches predominantly work your hip flexor muscles, not the abs, and are a high risk exercise for your lower back, you shouldn’t put too much hope in it!

Weight Loss Pills and Powders

This comes down to the old saying “ If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. ”

The only way to lose weight effectively is through a strict diet, and structured training plan. Pills and powders will do virtually nothing, and there isn’t a supplement that can magically strip fat, despite what the labels may claim.

Supplements can be useful in a diet, but only when your eating plan is already perfect . In this case, supplements can provide a tiny boost to increase the effectiveness of your diet, but are certainly not miracle workers, and aren’t necessary for 99.9% of people.

Vibration Plates

Vibration plates make the list due to their obscene cost . The advertisers’ claims of increased muscle contractions and core activation when doing exercises like squats, planks and dips on vibration plates does appear to be true, from the scientific research carried out. However, the effect once again is minimal, and certainly doesn’t justify their extortionate cost.

Also, many gym beginners can’t perform basic exercises correctly on a flat surface, yet feel the need to use the plate, which is designed for more advanced trainers, leading to poor form, and drastically increasing the risk of injury.

Celebrity Products

Not all celebrity endorsed products are bad, but the vast majority aren’t particularly effective , and most are very similar in design, so once you have one or two DVDs or books, there’s no need for any others.

You must remember too that celebrities are just that – celebrities. They’re not trainers, exercise scientists, coaches or dieticians, so you shouldn’t put too much faith in what they say or sell.

There you have it – five of the worst fitness trends that will take your cash, and deliver poor results. You’re far better off avoiding these fads, and sticking to the basics.