Before you click off, this is not a review of the age-old exercise bikes and step machines…no, we’ve reviewed exercise equipment you’ll actually have a laugh using. At least before the lactic acid kicks in…
iJoyride
The name doesn’t give much away, but it is literally a joy to ride. The iJoyride is supposed to be like riding a horse, as apparently horse riding is a good way to keep fit. You’ll end up with tight buttocks and thighs, and if you follow the workout on the DVD that comes with the iJoyride, you can firm your waist muscles, too. That’s just about every crisis point that a mum could have when it comes to firming and toning.
Apparently spending just 15 minutes on this a day is a great way to get trim – fantastic for working mums who are busy, or use time as an excuse? not to exercise!
Why we love it
It is a bit of a laugh – initially, you feel like you’re using one of those pneumatic bull riding machines that you see in country style films – or in that video American R&B singer Ginuwine released years ago (if you can remember that far!). But once you’ve got over the giggles, you can really get down to some good fat burning.
Find out more – visit www.ijoyride.co.uk
The Slim Girl’s Box of Secrets
This is put together by personal trainer to the stars – Ali Campbell and comes bumper packed with a book, DVD CD and all the encouragement you need to get fit. If you’re a fan of Paul McKenna, you’ll love Ali’s use of neurolinguistic programming on the CD that’s gives positive words of encouragment and helps changes your feelings baout certain foods (the ones that are no good for you!).
Why we love it
Losing weight shouldn’t be about following a fad, or doing it for a couple of weeks to get into that outfit, then reverting back to type. Healthy living is a way of life, and this is the perfect way to address our lifestyles and make positive, lasting changes for the future.
Aside from that, you get to use a top-class personal trainer’s tips at a fraction of what a celeb gets charged – great for credit crunched budgets.
Find out more – visit www.theslimgirlsboxofsecrets.com
iJump
This is one you’ll have to hide from the kids – it’s trampolining for fitness.
We promised we’d make exercising fun, and the iJump certainly makes it fun. Bt don’t think that fun equals poor results…oh no. Trampolining is a great way to get a cardiovascular workout, and even spending 10 minutes on this is enough to start feeling the muscle tone in your thighs!
Why we love it
Although the actual trampoline is big, you can take off the legs so it stands flat and saves space.
Nintendo Wii Fit
This is one of those investments that you just can’t lose with. if you’re one of those people who starts out well when you get a new toy, then get bored and don’t touch it until the next car boot sale comes along, you won’t be out of pocket because if you don’t use it, your kids certainly will.
The Wii Fit is fitness software that works around your strenghts and targets. It comes with a blance bord which kicks everything off by measuring your weight and BMI and uses the information you give it to work out your ‘Wii Age’ (like fitness age).
Having tried this seven weeks after giving birth, I was mortified to find that my Wii age was 14 years more than my actual, that my body mass index (BMI) was far from perfect and that I had 1 stone 9 pounds to lose before I got to my ideal weight, but in a way that’s what a lot of us need – the hard facts in front of us to motivate us to get on with the job at hand!
The Wii Fit lets you do things like aerobic exercises, muscle exercises, yoga, balance games and even a bit of hula hooping to get into shape. The more exercise you do, and the better you get you’re ‘awarded’ with new exercises to try out. Great…
Why we like it
Every time you use the Wii Fit you are taken through your weight and BMI, and get a stamp against the day, so you can see the days you’ve put the work in. The balance board is about the size of two scales put together and is thin enough to slide under a bed and the actual Wii console about the size of a broadband modem, so again it’s a great space saver.
We also like the fact that the Wii Fit is family orientated. It’s about fitness for the entire family, so you and your partner could jog together for example, or you could play tennis against the kids..
Find out more – visit www.nintendo.com/wiifit
