22 Ridiculous Exercise Trends - mental_floss List Show Ep. 423 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Treadmill biking, Prancercise, and other bizarre exercise trends are discussed, highlighting their quirky nature and lack of effectiveness.

Key Insights

• 🕶️ Early treadmills had dark origins as means of punishment.
• 👍 Many exercise trends focus on novelty rather than proven effectiveness.
• 🧡 Bizarre exercise trends can range from using unconventional equipment to engaging in strange movements.
• 🖤 People have tried various diets throughout history, some of which lack scientific evidence or have extreme practices.
• 🏃 Exercise fads often capitalize on people's desire for quick and easy solutions.
• 🏃 Historical exercise trends reflect societal interests and sometimes have comical aspects.
• 🏃 It is important to critically evaluate exercise trends before adopting them.

Transcript

hi I'm John Green Welcome to My Salon this is Mental Floss video and did you know that early treadmills were built to punish prisoners with quote monotonous steadiness and it's true one of the biggest complaints about the treadmill is how boring it is that's why there's the treadmill bike a scooter for outdoor use powered by a person running on a t... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is treadmill biking?

Treadmill biking involves a scooter powered by a person running on a treadmill belt, allowing for outdoor exercise without actually moving forward.

Q: What is Prancercise?

Prancercise is an exercise routine that involves mimicking the movements of horses while wearing weights on the ankles and wrists. It aims to provide a bonding experience with pets and exercise simultaneously.

Q: What is doga?

Doga, also known as dog yoga, is a form of exercise that involves practicing yoga with dogs. The dogs participate in simple poses alongside their owners, creating a unique human-animal workout experience.

Q: What is the Hawaii chair?

The Hawaii chair is a rotating motorized seat that mimics the motion of hula dancing. It claims to tone muscles while allowing users to go about their normal workday.

Q: What were air shorts?

Air shorts were a vintage exercise trend that promised to slim problem areas by inflating the shorts using a hand pump. The idea was to provide pneumatic support and massage for weight loss.

Q: What is the Japanese boneless belt?

The Japanese boneless belt is a rubber strap shaped like a giant six-pack soda ring. It aims to divide belly fat into separate blobs for increased blood flow and fat burning, while also emitting a lavender rose scent.

Q: What were athletic wheels used for?

Athletic wheels were popular in the 1930s and 40s, often used for exercises and featured in the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. They resembled hamster wheels and provided a fun form of exercise.

Q: What is the Sleeping Beauty diet?

The Sleeping Beauty diet involves heavily relying on sleeping pills to induce prolonged sleep and avoid eating. It is considered dangerous and not recommended.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Early treadmills were originally designed as a punishment for prisoners, and the concept of running in place on a treadmill is often seen as boring.

• Bizarre exercise trends include treadmill biking, Prancercise, doga (dog yoga), Hawaii chair, revolving hammock, air shorts, and more.

• These trends range from using unconventional equipment to engaging in strange movements and diets, often lacking scientific evidence of their benefits.