While we were researching the fitness methods of some Olympic athletes we discovered that two top British athletes use underwater treadmills. Running through water allows an athlete to increase resistance while reducing impact. It is a good way to work the muscles harder and build cardiovascular fitness. Both the Brownlee brothers and Mo Farah have made use of underwater treadmills. Of course, they require a lot of space and are hard to maintain, so something only for professional athletes, right?
Well, this week we learned that there is a new fitness product on the market – underwater exercise bikes. The new product is called a FitWet Jet Bike and it is essentially a stationary exercise bike housed inside a hot tub. As with using an underwater treadmill, an underwater exercise bike has several health and fitness benefits, but the FitWeb Jet Bike takes it one stage further – it uses jets of water to help massage your muscles while you exercise.
According to Fit-Web.com the main benefits of a FitWet Jet Bike are:
- Massaging action reduces cellulite
- The waist refines
- The buttocks and legs are invigorated
- It burns 300 to 500 kcal in 25-35 minutes
- Activate the blood circulation
- Fight water retention
The FitWet Jet Bike has 12 water jets and is ergonomically designed for comfort and safety.
Fit Wet Advert
Will It Work?
Regular use of a FitWet Jet Bike will help people to get fit and lose weight. However, any form of regular exercise will get a person in shape and both cycling and swimming provide an excellent way to get in shape without the high costs of a FitWeb Jet Bike.
Although running on a treadmill underwater may give some advantages to pro-athletes, it is unlikely that an average person will benefit from the same method. The same is probably true for underwater exercise bikes.
“30 minutes of Jet Bike equals 2h of standard bike, sweating less.”
Exercising in water, i.e. swimming, is a great way to exercise without the discomfort of getting sweaty. Many people chose to swim instead of go to the gym for this reason alone. However, in the demonstrations the upper body is above the water level at all times, so it is likely that you will still sweat heavily.
At the time of review we are not aware of any scientific research that has shown that cellulite can be reduced with water therapy. Some studies suggest that cold water may help treat cellulite, but this would mean exercising in temperatures close to zero degree Celsius, not in a hot tub.
Where to Buy a FitWet Jet Bike
FitWet are based in Florida, USA (full address: 1160 Kane Concourse, Suite 301, Bay Harbor Islands, FL 33154. Tel : +1 (305) 600-2243). However, there is currently no information on their website (fit-wet.com) about where these can be bought.
It is still described as a concept which suggests that it is still a long way from actually hitting commercial production – assuming that the whole concept is not a joke. Some cycling forums feel that it is just an elaborate hoax. They have a Facebook page, but it currently only has 4 fans which seems rather suspicious too. Hopefully we shall learn more soon.
This is a joke! Can’t believe you published it. It would be funny if it was April Fools Day.
You may be right. Hopefully we will learn more soon.
I read your blog, Its so nice blog and also provide good knowledge. I really like it and thanks to write this blog.
Why, thank you!
I love that kind of exercise. It sounds cool.
Really? I think it is pretty silly to take a perfectly good form of exercise like cycling and then immerse it in water. Whatever will they think of next? Putting wheels on a fish?
When I shattered my kneecap from a mountain bike accident, my physical therapist said one of the best exercises for me to do was to strap on some ankle weights and start walking in a swimming pool. It helped me recover pretty fast, and it was far less painful than trying to walk on the road.
So my point is, I could see the benefit of doing something like cycling underwater, and sure I’d try it if my gym offered one, but no way would I ever buy one.
Yeah, for rehab underwater exercise can work well. The Brownlee brothers also have an underwater treadmill for their triathlon training. But, exercise bikes have variable resistance built in. The only extra resistance the water would provide is the lifting of the thighs, but if your feet are strapped in and the resistance high, is it water really needed? Even if there was one in the the gym, it is not like you can warm up on a bike before hitting the weights – you’ll be soaking wet!