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Feel the burn

Consumer Reports tested which exercise machines burn fat or just a hole in your pocket .

January 6, 2008 at 10:26PM

If only burning belly fat and toning muscle mass were as quick and easy as the infomercials make it look. Crunch your abdominals with the Ab Lounge or the Ab-Doer, melt away butt and thigh fat with Leg Magic professional, and rev up your cardio with the Urban Rebounder.

Consumer Reports put more than 10 exercise devices and more than 30 treadmills and ellipticals to the test in its February issue. The exercise devices such as the Bean, the AirClimber and the Easy Shaper range from $50 to $300, but the magazine didn't duplicate any of the devices' amazing claims in its own tests. The same or better results can be achieved through simple exercises requiring little or no equipment, according to the magazine.

Chris Freytag, a local certified fitness instructor and columnist for Prevention magazine, has personally tested many of the machines in the magazine's report. She said that a combination of hand weights, resistance bands and stability balls can achieve the same results for less money.

Freytag stresses that new exercisers should be careful about proper form to minimize injury and maximize the benefit. A diagram isn't as helpful as a video. Hiring a personal trainer for a couple of sessions can also get newbies on the right track. Attending a couple of group classes is another option for learning good form.

While spending $300 or more on equipment might motivate some people to keep up their program, dig deep to find out what it is that will make you change, Freytag said. It takes persistence and consistency for about 60 days to find a groove. "Think of it as a habit you're teaching your child," she said.

From potty training to belly burning, it doesn't happen overnight.

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com. His articles are online at www.startribune.com/dollars.

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about the writer

about the writer

John Ewoldt

Reporter

John Ewoldt is a business reporter for the Star Tribune. He writes about small and large retailers including supermarkets, restaurants, consumer issues and trends, and personal finance.  

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