Teleshopping Exercise Machines - Are they a con?

placeholder · 16 Jan 2013 at 12:33

Hi folks,

Currently off work with a virus so ive been watching more tv than is good for me! As part of this ive seen loads of these Teleshopping channel ads for various exercise machines that promise you the earth and have various members of the American public who claim to have lost half their body-weight without getting out of bed (OTT but you know what i mean!).

Now i know that the ads are not realistic in any way and there are no short cuts but thats not really my question.

Since Xmas ive started eating better and ive cut out booze and as expected the results have been very encouraging so far. I also have a treadmill which i'll be making use of once ive got over this virus.

However i have a dodgy back, i know no medical threads are allowed so i wont go into detail but it makes me wary of doing exercise that puts a lot of strain on my back/spine. With that in mind is there any value to "The perfect sit-up" machine that supports your back as you use it or is it basically a con? Im not looking for magic results but it would be a bonus to be able to add in these types of exercise which id dismissed before due to my back.

In short, if you ignore the hype in the ads for all these machines, and you are using them as part of healthy eating etc do they have a value in my circumstances or am i just watching too much tv and clearly need to get over this virus and get back to work?

Morba · 16 Jan 2013 at 13:34

If you have a dodgy back but still willing to exercise then do something proper. Sit ups will do bugger all for you tbh.

What's up with your back?

placeholder · 16 Jan 2013 at 14:32

I intend to do other things, i was just wondering if this was a way to get round the back issue as i had previously dismissed this type of exercise for that reason.

I have a degenerative back issue which includes the bone at the base of spine being in two bits instead of one and having arthritis in the gap that shouldnt be there.

Morba · 16 Jan 2013 at 14:34

That's beyond my capability to recommend anything, there are a few S&C coaches and a doctor on here who might be able to point you in the best direction to start though

placeholder · 16 Jan 2013 at 14:46

Morba said:
That's beyond my capability to recommend anything, there are a few S&C coaches and a doctor on here who might be able to point you in the best direction to start though

Cheers

Dont get me wrong though im not looking for any medical advice or direct exercise recommendations for my condition.

Im really asking about the validity of these type of exercise machines. I know they are marketed as being an "easy out" for people who cant be arsed actually exercising and i know that thats obviously nonsense in that respect but its probably what gets them easy sales. The whole "do the perfect sit up" routine which looks a lot easier than doing an actual sit up (and variations on these types of exercise) etc etc. What im asking is from an exercise POV do you get the same benefit from these machines as you would from the normal exercise as they claim?

Somnambulist · 16 Jan 2013 at 15:04

Most of the health and fitness industry as a whole is a con.

With things like teleshopping products, it's selling a dream which people buy into, with the a lot of people knowing that they'll never use the thing or it's rubbish but pushing this to the back of their mind; the act of purchasing provides the fulfillment rather than using it.

mrthingyx · 16 Jan 2013 at 15:36

placeholder said:
I intend to do other things, i was just wondering if this was a way to get round the back issue as i had previously dismissed this type of exercise for that reason.

I have a degenerative back issue which includes the bone at the base of spine being in two bits instead of one and having arthritis in the gap that shouldnt be there.

Do you mind me asking what the condition is called?

placeholder · 16 Jan 2013 at 17:27

mrthingyx said:
Do you mind me asking what the condition is called?

I dont really know to tell you the truth.

To cut a long story short i hurt my back a couple of years ago and was being treated for having a disc out of place. Unfortunately even after physio and lots of exercise it just wasnt getting much better and i ended up getting referred to a specialist. I was about to be sent for an MRI but he ran some X-rays first. It was on those that they discovered that the bottom bone of my spine was actually in two bits when the norm is one longer bone. As a result of the two bits i had arthritis in the gap between the bones and the bones were wearing and the pain i was suffering was jarring one of the bones. Basically i was told that it will get worse over time (im in my early 30s just now) but they wouldnt touch doing anything to it right now as its not having a dramatic impact on my day to day life and mobility and obviously anything invasive involving the spine carries a fair bit of risk. However it does make me very wary of straining my back or the like and i do have to be careful about various things.

As a result while im happy to use a treadmill and once i get a bit fitter though that i'll have the use of my mates gym and be doing some sparing and boxing with him ive been reluctant to tackle anything sit-up related because of my back. However those sit-up machines - while obviously marketed at people who will put them in a cupboard and never use them - seem to offer the benefits of sit up type exercise while giving back support which would obviously be ideal for my situation. However given the cynical way they are marketed in the first place it makes me kind of doubt whether they give the benefits they say it does even when used as part of an overall programme of exercise and healthy eating. Im not expecting major results or anything but if it allows me to do a type of exercise i otherwise wouldnt be able to do then in my case it may have some merit!

Thats really the story!

Azza · 16 Jan 2013 at 18:34

Book to see your specialist and ask him? I assume by bottom bone you mean your coccyx, and by "split in two" you mean it's some of the vertebrae that make it up are not fused together?

mrthingyx · 16 Jan 2013 at 18:43

Azza said:
Book to see your specialist and ask him? I assume by bottom bone you mean your coccyx, and by "split in two" you mean it's some of the vertebrae that make it up are not fused together?

And go and see a decent physio because I strongly suspect you could be doing a lot more than you think.

placeholder · 16 Jan 2013 at 19:06

Azza said:
Book to see your specialist and ask him? I assume by bottom bone you mean your coccyx, and by "split in two" you mean it's some of the vertebrae that make it up are not fused together?

My understanding of the whole thing is actually fairly sketchy to be absolutely honest. I was always happy to take the explanation at face value - where everyone else has one longer bone i have two bones and the initial issue was caused by one of them moving where it naturally wouldnt as it would be part of said longer bone. Added to that is arthritis in the gap where there shouldnt be a gap!

mrthingyx said:
And go and see a decent physio because I strongly suspect you could be doing a lot more than you think.

Yes i may well actually do that, want to get my general level of fitness up first anyway as its fairly shocking. Weight loss already seems to be being underway by cutting out booze and eating fruit for breakfast and lunch rather than skipping meals. Main meal has always been a pretty sensible effort. Quite surprised at the effect its had in two weeks just doing that simple thing.

Im really looking just to start in a small way, its more of a lifestyle change rather than one of these New Years resolution things that start with unrealistic targets tend to die after a week. I just happened to be stuck in bed with this bloody virus for the last two days and saw the Teleshopping ad and while i normally pay no attention to them i just wondered if they actually had any merit if used properly given my understanding that shouldnt do anything to put pressure on my back. That question is still one i wouldnt mind answered if anyone knows but maybe the best idea is to get some direct professional advice about what i can and cant do. The whole thing only popped into my head today, literally the first thing i did was post on here but maybe i'll take it a bit further once im up and about again properly!

Azza · 16 Jan 2013 at 19:18

Well there's no point getting into anything while you're ill and to be honest I wouldn't go taking advice of people from the internet with regards to exercise given your back condition (even if certain people have had spinal surgery themselves

).

If I was you I'd speak to the specialist / consultant who ever they are and get their advice, they'll probably tell you just to do basic stuff and then refer you to a physio. Though you could go to a private physio once you have the full proper details, instead of possibly waiting a while to see one via the NHS if you are on the route. Obviously it all depends on your back and the pain you get from it, obviously if you don't get any pain day to day then they might say you could dive right into something other than just simple strengthening exercises.

mrthingyx · 16 Jan 2013 at 19:39

Azza said:
Well there's no point getting into anything while you're ill and to be honest I wouldn't go taking advice of people from the internet with regards to exercise given your back condition (even if certain people have had spinal surgery themselves ).

If I was you I'd speak to the specialist / consultant who ever they are and get their advice, they'll probably tell you just to do basic stuff and then refer you to a physio. Though you could go to a private physio once you have the full proper details, instead of possibly waiting a while to see one via the NHS if you are on the route. Obviously it all depends on your back and the pain you get from it, obviously if you don't get any pain day to day then they might say you could dive right into something other than just simple strengthening exercises.

Private physio is the only way, really, as the NHS ones will give you the advice you need on a piece of paper, without a real consult, and only to stop you from locking up.

A decent physio will be able to help you with your mobility and strength, and - if and where possible - work to return to a properly active lifestyle. It might cost £60 or whatever, but it could well be one of the best investment you'll make in this regard.

Klytus · 16 Jan 2013 at 19:41

Sounds most like Spondylolisthesis going from your description.

Even if not, if there's arthritis in there you want to limit the impact stuff. Just start with loads of core strengthening and core stability exercises and then when you get to see the physio they can assess you and give you something more specific to you.

Edit : Just a FWIW I completely disagree about mrthingyx's comment about NHS physios. There are pro's and cons of NHS Vs private physios but the main factor is the skills/ability of the practitioner irrespective of where they work.

mrthingyx · 16 Jan 2013 at 19:43

@OP: just in case you were wondering, delbuenno is our resident medical practioner.

Azza · 16 Jan 2013 at 20:20

delbuenno said:
Sounds most like Spondylolisthesis going from your description.

Even if not, if there's arthritis in there you want to limit the impact stuff. Just start with loads of core strengthening and core stability exercises and then when you get to see the physio they can assess you and give you something more specific to you.

Edit : Just a FWIW I completely disagree about mrthingyx's comment about NHS physios. There are pro's and cons of NHS Vs private physios but the main factor is the skills/ability of the practitioner irrespective of where they work.

That's what I've got or had, I guess technically still have though :confused:

but any way because he said bottom bone split into two and I assumed his coccyx I didn't really think it would be that, but it could well be and since he didn't seem to be really paying attention, maybe he doesn't have a spine at all?!

You're in for a world of pain placeholder...

placeholder · 17 Jan 2013 at 11:43

Guys, thanks very much for the advice and taking the time to reply to me, i appreciate it. I didnt really want to make my back the focal point of the question because of the whole "medical advice" thing but everything you have said is right. Before i do anything that will potentially impact on it i think i'll run it past a professional to see what they say first. Lets just say exercise wasnt high on my list of priorities in the past so it wasnt a question id asked before!

While im here though maybe you guys would be able to offer me some more general advice, ignoring my back for the moment? Sorry if this post drags on a bit but i need to give a bit of background.

Over the last couple of years (really since the back issue) ive piled on the pounds. I have now ended up with what is essentially a beer gut. Id got into the habit of sinking a few cans on a friday and saturday night even if i didnt go out and maybe a few glasses of wine on a sunday with lunch/dinner. That coupled with taking NO exercise and the outcome is inevitable. The drinking wasnt extreme (i dont have a problem or dependancy or anything!) but had just become absolute routine - ahh its Friday end of the working week time for a beer type thing. Didnt touch the stuff from Monday to Friday tea time. My diet wasnt too bad but id tend to skip meals during the day. What i actually ate wasnt bad though, like the odd bag of crisps but not fussed with chocs and not many takeaways.

Anyway as i said previously, ive decided to make some changes as i own a pile of expensive clothes and suits i cant fit into any more and im pretty disgusted with what ive become. Im not into diets or unrealistic expectations but im making sustainable changes that will hopefully sort me out.

First to go is the booze - 2 weeks so far, and making sure i actually eat meals even if its just fruit. In the two weeks ive been doing this ive noticed a surprisingly large difference on my jeans already which has motivated me no end to press on. I do think i lose weight quite easily and i feel if i add in any exercise whatsoever it will make a huge difference as well.

The crux of my question is that i have a treadmill and im starting from absolute scratch so can anyone link me to a programme or offer any advice as to how to start from basically zero fitness to a realistic time frame and progress to doing something half decent? Im looking at maybe starting at 20 mins a day or so? I really am not sure where to start and find the happy medium between doing too much too soon and not doing enough for it to be effective. As i said im quite motivated and i do feel that if i start the right way i will get into it i feel sure i will end up wanting to do more and more. I will have the use of my mates gym and be doing some sparring and stuff with him further down the line but i want to build up to that and im realistic enough to know that im in no condition to just jump straight into anything.

Can anyone offer any tips or links for the treadmill or any other basic beginner "chubby guy coming off the beer with no fitness levels" type exercises that could get me started? Im not into swimming and i wont be joining a gym at this stage, i just want something that will get me used to the idea of taking exercise again but i dont just want to randomly switch on the treadmill for 20 mins and walk/jog with no coherent plan.

Once again any advice is much appreciated and sorry for the long post, feel free to totally ignore it!