5 Fitness fads to avoid in the new year

Skip the shake weight, ladies

Shoes that help you lose weight? A weight that shakes you to fitness? Here are a few fitness fads to avoid in the new year.

We've all seen fitness products and diets advertised on television and in stores. They promise drastic results, which is usually the first clue in spotting a fad. While getting your body moving is a good thing, there are a few fitness fads you may want to avoid, and here are a few reasons why.

Eating one ingredient

A diet based solely on eating cookies? A lettuce-only lunch? Just grapefruit — all day? It's obvious when a diet has you eating only one food or ingredient, it's a bad fad. Your body needs a variety of foods, including grains, healthy fats and protein to thrive. Eat real food and avoid diets that have you skipping out on entire food groups.

Miracle toning apparel

From shoes that help you tone as you walk to sports bras that burn fat as you wear them, it's clear that nothing you wear can help you shed pounds. The shoes may help you activate different muscles, but you can't rely on them to lose weight or really increase your fitness level. Hop on the treadmill with your good ol' Reeboks — it'll work much better.

The shake weight

Aside from laughing hysterically watching the television advertisements, this device can't replace regular exercise. True, you do move the weight (it doesn't just vibrate you to better health), but it can't be relied on for a good upper-body workout. Sorry, you'll have to stick to chaturangas, push-ups, and back rows to build up your upper bod.

Strip aerobics

It's true that aerobic exercise is essential for staying fit and losing weight, but doing it in the buff? OK, while some of these fads are just "strip-tease" aerobics and don't involve going naked, how likely are you to stick with this program? It's something you could only do at home, and with that much energy — and that kind of energy — it's likely wasted doing it home alone in front of the TV. We're not saying there's anything wrong with a regular striptease if that floats your boat, but it's not a good idea for a standard fitness routine.

Cleansing

It sounds legit — you temporarily cleanse your body eating only a few foods or following a cleanse formula. But the truth here is that your liver and kidneys already do a great job detoxing your body. You can lose water weight during a detox, but you can also lose muscle mass due to a lack of nutrients. Your metabolism can take a beating and your fat storage can actually go up. We prefer eating foods that flush your system so you don't need to be "cleansed."

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