Sunpentown Giddyup Core Exerciser dual motor
Product: Sunpentown Giddyup Core Exerciser dual motor<br /><br />As an equestrian, I must say this first; this product does not mimic or even come close to mimicking the movements of a real horse at a walk, trot, etc... I purchased one because I thought it might help me improve my posting (I don't have access to an indoor during the winter months to ride my horse - so was looking for something to use indoors at home). Because of the uneven, odd, or even violent "jog" of the exerciser, it makes it nearly impossible to make any attempt at posting because there's no constant rhythm to the movement that you would normally feel on a real horse. Okay, enough about that.<br /><br />What it's for?<br /><br />This device is meant to work your abdominal muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings by way of counter-balance; this is a type of exercise that is meant to develop muscles by constantly putting the rider in a state of being off-balance and the muscles used work to keep the rider upright and "in the saddle".<br /><br />Does it do this? Kind of. The first time I sat on the core exerciser for the 15 minute session, I could feel the muscles in my abdominal region working to keep my body centered. To increase the usefulness of the device, I practiced upper body movements that I learned during my Classical Dressage sessions with my trainer, keeping the upper body quiet and "separate" from my seat, or what would be called developing an independent seat. I did notice that my back was a little sore after each use. (see the video on YouTube: look-up giddyup core exerciser)<br /><br />How it looks<br /><br />What you see is what you get. The device looks exactly like the photo. It has a basic "saddle" shape, more like a giant bicycle seat than a saddle for a horse. It has two grab straps: one in front, one in back. These can be used as hand holds for those who need them or to pick up and move the device (though - I suggest getting someone to help move it rather than lift it by the handles). The model I have had two tone blue and gray materials on the seat and a dark gray base. The exerciser does not come with a foot rest of any type and would definitely benefit in a future design to apply stirrups.<br /><br />How it functions<br />Plug the device into a normal wall outlet and turn on the power switch (located on the back of the base). A very simple control panel is set into the pommel or front section of the "saddle". You can select the amount of time you want to exercise (base time is 15 minutes and cannot be changed once you start without hitting reset or powering off the unit) and select the speed of both the front/back action and the Figure-8 action (dual motor version of device). Push start. It's that simple. It comes with a DVD that can be found on YouTube: (see the video on YouTube: look-up giddyup core exerciser)<br /><br />Pros<br />* Easy to use<br />* Relatively Small foot print<br />* Different speeds<br />* Can somewhat randomize the two different motions (figure 8 and front and back)<br />* Front and rear grab straps<br />* No pain or stress to the knees<br /><br />Cons:<br />* No stirrups<br />* Doesn't move like a real horse<br />* Not for really tall people. It seems that it is more suited to people in the height range of 5'-0" to 5'-6". Taller folks may have an issue as to how to place their legs. If you place your feet on the base (not recommended by manufacturer) or on the floor it may defeat the purpose of the exercise.<br />* Not for people who are prone to motion sickness - ever taken a long road trip and once you stopped, when you closed your eyes, you could still feel the motion of the road? Or walked on a tread mill for 30 + minutes and when you got off, you felt a little "weird", it's the same type of sensation with this device. If you get ill on boats...this is not the device for you.
Rating: 3 stars