My mother always sends me this funny quarterly household gadget shopping catalog for a Japanese company called Nissen. The fall 2010 edition has this odd half-page section on low-impact dieting contraptions. I've never tried any of them before, but since they're kind of fun and silly I thought I'd share them with you.
At top right is a brand new thigh-slimmer. It's basically a cushion with strategically positioned contours that keep your thighs from spilling out. It claims to tighten the area around your butt while you're sitting on a stool. It's about $23.
Next to it is the beautiful ass and posture cushion. Similar concept, but designed to instantly force you to sit straighter. Also $23.
The ham-like thing around the woman's legs in the photo on the bottom right is aimed at keeping the pelvis fit. Just insert both calves in the holes and twist the thing side to side while lounging on the floor and watching TV. The woman in the corner is a Canadian-trained yoga instructor who claims to this tool is frequently used in yoga classes in western Japan. $23.
Last but not least, you can work your abs by breathing into this little mouthpiece-slash-whistle 30 times a day. Who knew? This one's only $14.
While the beautiful ass cushion is a tempting alternative to my IKEA desk stool, I'm a firm believer in real exercise. Not even this fun little catalog can convince me that twisting my legs around in a fake piece of ham can substitute for a run or a yoga class. On a side note, I think it's interesting that these dieting toys are all very pink.
