There's nothing like a good infomercial to grab your attention. Consumer Reports tested three infomercial products: Jay Glazer's Perfect Punch; Kymaro Rhythm Rocker; and for women, the CoreBody Reformer.
"We rounded up staffers to try out each product," said Consumer Reports Editor-in-Chief Kim Kleman. "We called on a fitness industry expert to evaluate each one. We even had our nutrition expert take a look at the diets that came with two of the products."
The $30 Perfect Punch uses mixed martial arts techniques to get you in shape. But Consumer Reports found you can burn roughly the same amount of calories jogging 4.5 miles per hour for 16 minutes. And it was far from perfect.
"It kept rubbing against my shoulder," said one tester.
"One more time those bands come snapping up and hit me in the ears and I was going to rip it in half," said another tester.
Next up: the $99 Kymaro Rhythm Rocker. The Rhythm Rocker comes with several different workouts and a nutrition guide. Consumer Reports panelists tried out the 11.5-minute "dance blast" video. Turns out you burn the equivalent of walking only 2 miles per hour on a treadmill.
"As for the seven-day diet, it's pretty strict so you could probably lose weight, but our nutrition expert said it offered limited food options and no maintenance program," said Kleman.
And finally, the $250 Nautilus CoreBody Reformer for Women combines yoga, Pilates, and dance in one workout. Panelists using CoreBody Reformer found some of the balance exercises tricky, but overall this machine did well in Consumer Reports tests.
"The workouts are well-rounded, and if you're somewhat fit and are looking to improve your strength and flexibility, it might be one to consider," said Kleman.
Consumer Reports says the CoreBody Reformer can also help you improve your balance. And another advantage is the diet. Consumer Reports says it's easy to follow, and you can lose a slow and steady one to two pounds a week.
