Attach electrodes to the body, turn on an Electrical Muscle Stimulation device, and let a machine get you in shape. That s right, if you believe ads for the newest fitness equipment being hawked on infomercials, you don t have to leave the comfort of your home or even the couch. The machine sends electrical pulses to the body, contracting your muscles for you.
Researchers insist it s all a farce.
You can t get abs of steel while curled up on the couch downing Ho-Hos. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, studied whether the devices benefited college students who used them three times a week for eight weeks. Not only were the devices ineffective and even painful, they were time-consuming to boot. In the time it took to attach the electrodes and do the stimulation, says investigator Dr. John Porcari, the subjects could have easily completed an effective cardio or strength-training workout. So much for making life simpler.