Many fitness gadgets are marketed toward women, pitched as a way to get fitter without going to the gym.skynesher/Getty Images
For nearly as long as we’ve had gyms, we’ve had gadgets that promise to minimize our time spent there.
North Americans find few things sexier than the promise of a quick fitness fix, from the vibration belts of the 1930s, to the Shake Weight of the early 2000s, to today’s weighted vests. Until the next fad comes along.
The first piece of trendy fitness equipment I remember coveting was the Ab Roller. This tool, I was certain, would be the key to achieving a perfect figure like all the people in the infomercial. It wasn’t, and it ultimately sat in a corner of my bedroom as a laundry rack.
“There’s a reason that we have this image of these devices in a closet gathering dust,” says Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a historian and the author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession. “Because that’s the graveyard of broken fitness dreams.”
These gadgets often feel irresistible because they are positioned to remove the bulk of the work from working out. Instead of driving to the gym, you could try to sculpt the legs of your dreams with the Thigh Master while watching Days of Our Lives. What if you could finally see some definition in your biceps by wearing weighted bangles while vacuuming? Perhaps you could even burn a few extra calories while walking your kids to school by slipping on a pair of toning sneakers.
Why do some people gain more muscle than others?
If it sounds as if these products are marketed toward women, that’s because they are. Women have long been sold the idea that you don’t have to exercise because sweat and exertion were seen as unladylike, Petrzela says. Many of these tools were pitched as a way to become more conventionally attractive requiring less time and less effort than going to the gym.
“There’s this endless consumer appetite for the device that’s going to make that easier to achieve,” she says.
Today, social media has made it significantly harder to resist the latest fitness trend. But before you rush to buy the next greatest thing, Petrzela suggests looking up product reviews and studies.
Next, she says to ask yourself what the product will enable you to do that you can’t do already. If you have access to basic gym equipment, the answer is likely nothing.
Here are a few of the most popular fitness devices of the moment and whether they can really live up to their promises.
Vibration plates
Vibration devices have been around for more than a century. In the early 1930s and 1940s, you could hook a vibrating belt around your waist in a “slenderizing salon” and relax while the machine did all the hard work. In the early 2000s, vibration plates, originally developed to preserve bone density and muscle mass in Soviet cosmonauts, popped up in gyms with the promise of making basic movements, such as pushups and squats, more intense by forcing your muscles to reflexively contract.
Research on vibration plates has shown mixed results.Henadzi Pechan/Getty Images
In the past two years, similar technology has reappeared and exploded in popularity (and price, with some vibration plates costing several thousand dollars). Proponents say it can help with everything from weight loss to bone health.
But the research shows mixed results. While one meta-analysis showed some fat loss in subjects who used a vibration plate, it wasn’t enough to meaningfully affect body composition. A 2011 study of 200 postmenopausal women (a stage associated with increased bone loss) found that after 12 months of daily 20-minute sessions on a vibration plate, there was no significant effect on bone health.
Standing on a vibration plate might feel relaxing and to that end, you’re not harming anything other than your wallet. But it should not be a substitute for a strength or cardio workout.
Blood Flow Restriction bands
Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) is primarily used as a rehabilitation tool in clinics to allow patients recovering from certain surgeries or fractures, or those who have osteoarthritis, to build strength while working out at a lower level of intensity. You wrap a band around your limb (often the upper thigh or upper arm), allowing blood to flow into the muscle but restricting it from flowing outward. This leads to muscle fatigue, which the body reads as intense exertion, triggering fast-twitch muscle fibres that are typically only used during heavy lifting, even while working out with lighter weights.
Blood Flow Restriction is primarily used as a tool to help with rehabilitation.SDI Productions/Getty Images
In the past several years, BFR devices have become more widely available. But not all devices are created equal and some work better than others. If you’re recovering from an injury, it’s best to ask a medical professional or physical therapist if BFR is right for your rehabilitation process.
BFR may be a useful tool if you’re short on time, only have access to lighter weights or just want to change up your routine. But if you have a blood-clotting disorder, cardiovascular disease, existing unhealed injuries (such as open wounds in the area where the cuff would be placed) or if you’re pregnant, BFR is likely not a safe option for your training and you should consult your doctor.
Mini stepper
Imagine the StairMaster at your gym if it was just the two foot pedals and a base. The mini stepper, the ubiquitous 1980s at-home cardio device, is making a comeback. On Instagram and TikTok, users (mostly women) are posting videos of their 30-day challenges and before-and-after body transformations.
The machine has a low barrier to entry, both in its ease of use and cost (around $65 on Amazon), which assured its current virality. To get started, you step on the foot platforms and begin moving by pushing one heel down and then the other, falling into a rhythmic motion. Some machines also come with handles at the ends of elastic cables attached to the base, so you can add a lightweight arm workout while stepping.
Mini steppers have been making a comeback.Михаил Руденко/Getty Images
Much like the walking pads that have been all over social media in the past two years, the mini stepper is a great option for getting your steps in while doing something else (think answering e-mails on your phone, making calls, catching up on your favourite shows).
Stair climbing is associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cancer mortality, according to a large-scale 2021 study in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and Muscle (though this study used actual stairs). You can change the resistance on most machines to scale up the level of difficulty, making this a versatile piece of equipment.
If a mini stepper is within your budget and you’re looking to add more cardio to your workout routine, it’s a solid option.
Alyssa Ages is a journalist and the author of Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength. She is also a strongman competitor and endurance athlete, as well as a former personal trainer and group fitness instructor.
