Exercise Gimmicks – Vol. 6: The GymyGym

Posted By elissa on Feb 15, 2011 | 1 comment

It’s been a while since I profiled a goofy fitness gimmick… but after taking a gander at the “GymyGym,” I figured it was high time to make up for the lapse.

So what’s a GymyGym? It’s billed as “The World’s First Ergonomic Exercise Chair.” Now, I don’t have an issue with the “ergonomic” part – as someone who sits for long hours in front of my computer, I can certainly appreciate the value of a well-designed chair! And I also understand the potential toll that prolonged sitting can take on one’s health… in fact, I’ve written about it myself.

So what’s the problem? You can see it for yourself in the GymyGym videos.  Here’s a sample:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80qfxM4zxc]

The alleged benefit of buying this particular chair, is that you can do a range of exercises while sitting in it. But here’s the deal: the GymyGym workout is based on simple, inexpensive exercise bands – which are readily available in any sporting goods store (or department store with a sporting goods section). Needless to state, you don’t need the chair to do resistance band exercises. And it’s not like you’re saving time by doing them in the chair, either – it takes only moments to, y’know… stand up and step away from your desk (something which would offer a psychological benefit as well).

So is using an ergonomic chair a good thing? Sure.

Is it also good to break up a marathon session at your desk with “mini” exercise breaks? Absolutely. You don’t even need to use exercise bands, either. You can do pushups, wall squats, or hoist a couple of dumbbells (no reason why you can’t keep a pair tucked away under your desk or in a corner).

But you certainly don’t need to plunk down close to $600 for a GymyGym, sight unseen. For starters, ergonomic chairs aren’t “one size fits all.” You should always try before you buy. And you certainly don’t need your chair to be threaded with exercise bands – particularly since the point of taking a mini exercise break is to get out of the chair in the first place.

The GymyGym is a perfect example of what Paul calls “crapitalism.” I got a laugh out of this comment on the thing from Wired:

You know what this chair will actually be used for? A nerd torture device. With all those bungees, it will be ideal for tying up the new guy on his first day and descending upon him, Nerf-guns loaded.

Too true.