Abandonment issues

From exercise bikes to fat-loss patches, here are 10 fitness gadgets we bought in hope and discarded in despair

- Dipanjan Sinha

1 Waist trainer.

Hooks, stretch resistant fabric, boning and compression join forces, hoping you’ll keep it on all day, or at least long enough for the body to learn to keep it snatched in. The Kardashians love it, so no wonder their fans do too. Do they work? Not at all. Instead, core muscles stay unused, getting weaker, and users complain of being short of breath, just like if they were in a corset.

2 The vibrating belt.

Vintage ads show that it was a hit in the ’70s and ’80s. Even Utpal Dutt uses one in the 1979 film Gol Maal. The claim: Vibration stimulates fat cells and the jiggle burns it away. Of course, it doesn’t work. Life is never this easy.

3 The Bullworker.

Was your uncle swayed by photos of muscly dudes crushing it on this rod-and-bow-style isometric gadget? The home version had its heyday in the 1980s. It’s still a good strength-building tool. The hitch: You must already be fairly fit to start with.

4 The Bowflex.