10 Of The Funniest Fitness Fads Ever

5. Treadmill Bike

Have you ever looked at two things and thought, I wonder what would happen if we put them together? Well, the bloke who invented the Treadmill Bike did, for the entertainment of us all. The Treadmill Bike is a totally real piece of equipment that protects your sensitive feet from “dirt and other contaminants” while also making you look like a complete fool. They sell for well over $2000. The concept has also been adopted by a Dutch company called lopifit, who call their electric treadmill bike ‘the world’s first walking bike’. The addition of the electric motor makes the entire thing look very surreal.

6. Hawaii Chair

We aren’t sure what’s funniest about the Hawaii Chair. The super tacky aloha theme music, the fact that it’s marketed at people to use in the office, or just the concept in its entirety. With a 2800 RPM ‘Hula Motor’, the chair can sit a person up to 300 pounds and the catchy tagline is “If you can sit, you can get fit”. If we’re being honest, it looks like some kind of hard-line treatment for astronauts, or perhaps the nightmare of anyone with motion sickness. But according to the bloke in the infomercial: “it feels great on my abs”. Probably feels great for your humility as well.

7. Prancercise

Prancercise sounds like something that horses should be doing in a field, and that’s because it’s exactly what the concept is based on. Prancercise is, according to its creator Joanna Rohrback, a fitness method that is based on the “springy, rhythmic way of moving forward, similar to a horse’s gait and ideally induced by elation”. Rohrback claims to have modelled the program after the strength and beauty of horses, but the only thing we can think of when watching the video is “neigh”.

8. Leg Magic X

An exercise machine that marketed itself as a solution for the ageing populace’s worries on staying active, there are a lot of big promises in this one we aren’t sure are being fulfilled. Creators of the odd-looking machine claim that it “engages muscles more effectively than walking” by using the body weight to create resistance. Even better, you only have to do it for one minute at a time, a few times a day. Based on the infomercial, using the Leg Magic X will help the elderly dance better (or so they say), and even live better.

9. Twister Rave

The Twister Rave Skip-It was originally an 80s and 90s toy that was recently re-released for a 21st century audience. It’s basically a fitness game for kids, except it looks less like a game and more like a torture device set in an underground club. The process of using it is like a skipping rope that only one part of your body needs to jump over. The other part of your body can’t participate in the jumping because there’s something heavy and plastic tied to your ankle. Looks comfy.

10. Horse Riding Fitness Ace Power

It’s always nice to know that fitness fads are something people get caught up in all over the world. If you don’t believe us, you obviously haven’t seen the Horse Riding Fitness Ace Power, a Korean product designed for horse riding lovers. Well, at least that is the tagline. The product claims to be for those who “like to ride the horse in front of TV and in home comfort of their own space”. There’s quite a bit of somewhat NSFW hip movement, and lots of very enthusiastic titles in this infomercial.

What’s the weirdest fitness fad you’ve ever seen?