Total Body Enhancement Planet Fitness. Cellulite reduction. Wrinkle removal. All you need to do is stand motionless. Does this seem too good to be true? Planet Fitness' Total Body Enhancement machine promises all of these claims, plus more. And my gym-loving, science-nerd self (who also has some cellulite and wrinkles) wanted to test whether these promises were true.
So I conducted study while simultaneously immersing myself in the machine for several months. Here's my narrative and what I learned about the Total Body Enhancement Machine.
Total Body Enhancement Planet Fitness Actually Work:
So, it all started with social media.I was going through Instagram stories, which has become my favorite distraction lately, despite my dissatisfaction with the platform's impact on the writing business.
As I read through the daily Instagram "story" of an elite endurance athlete I like, my (brief) attention was drawn to a boomerang video of her on a red light treatment bed.Immediately, my mind turned to the "Total Body Enhancement" machines at my local Planet Fitness.
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But Heather, I Thought You Hated Planet Fitness:
Let me try again.As it turns out, Planet Fitness isn't as bad as I had expected.Deep down, I continue to wholeheartedly support locally owned, tiny gyms that do not operate under a "no judgement" double standard. If you've known me for a while, you've probably seen one of my rants about their "lunk" marketing campaigns and the fact that they have a reputation for singling out and shunning fit people; kicking you out if your outfit is too "intimidating"; and getting rid of squat racks and heavy free weights because only bone-head "lunks" use them. I've also made snide remarks about their headquarters being right next to a Chuck E. Cheese for years (we passed it on the way to Portland, Maine several times a year).
I'm sorry Planet Fitness.I was mistaken. About a year ago, I joined the Myrtle Beach PF circuit as a black card member so that I could work out with some pals.And, guess what?It is not awful.My neighborhood gym in Myrtle Beach is always clean, staff is nice, and the "no judgment zone" welcomes individuals of all fitness levels, even those wearing tights and sports bras.The equipment is always functioning, and what about the first Monday of each month?They give you free pizza.
You may talk all you want about pizza in the gym, but THIS ultra runner thinks it's totally awesome.There is absolutely no shame in my pizza game.All of this, and I may invite my husband (or anybody else, although he is my favorite) as a "guest" as many times as I like for $20 each month. I will take it.
But I digress.Return to the Total Body Enhancement Machine. So this Instagram Elite athlete (Amelia Boone) reminded me that my Planet Fitness black card membership includes free hydro massages (yeah), free tanning (no skin cancer), and free usage of the Total Body Enhancement machine, which I've never used.I knew it had red light therapy bulbs, but that was the limit of my understanding.
About the Total Body Enhancement Machine:
The Total Body Enhancement machine, also known as the "Beauty Angel RVT 30", is simply a booth that combines red light therapy bulbs (non-damaging, non-UV rays) in conjunction with a vibration plate to magically enhance you.What purpose does that serve for you?Well, nonscientific, non-reputable sources (aka, I searched) returned the following possible benefits:
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Potential Benefits of the Total Body Enhancement Planet Fitness:
- Stimulates the release of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), providing you additional energy before your workout.
- Stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis, which increases skin suppleness and reduces wrinkles and stretch marks.
- Reduces cellulite.
- Brace yourselves for this one. Burns microscopic holes into your fat cells (?), releasing the fat into your body, allowing you to burn it off more easily.
- Stimulates blood flow to the muscles, serving as an excellent warm-up before an exercise.
- Helps decrease inflammation in muscles and joints.
Is Total Body Enhancement Too Good to be True:
I discovered scientific and credible statements on the benefits of red light treatment, including:
A study evaluated the effectiveness of red light treatment for reducing abdominal obesity.Using three distinct wavelengths of red light treatment resulted in 100% abdominal girth reduction in all patients. Montazeri, et al., 2017.
A research demonstrated that both red and white light-emitting diodes significantly reduced wrinkles in skin by Week 12 compared to baseline. Although the red LED group improved somewhat more, there were no statistically significant changes. (Nam et al., 2017).
maybe my favorite little bit of information that this runner stumbled upon: "Photobiomodulation (the use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate, heal, and regenerate damaged tissue) can increase muscle mass gained after training, and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in muscle biopsies"Ferraresi, et al. (2016)
The Total Body Enhancement machine may provide advantages for athletes with tired muscles, additional buttock cellulite, and stretchmarks.The concern, of course, is whether the wavelengths employed in the research correspond to those released by the Total Body Enhancement machine's bulbs.Your estimate is as valid as mine.
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Total Body Enhancement Review:
After doing what every social media savvy athlete does in 2018 (asking strangers in a Facebook group if they had ever used the machine), I decided to test the Total Body Enhancement machine myself.After signing in at my local Planet Fitness, the front desk clerk allocated me a room for my Total Body Enhancement session. She walked away after giving me only "room 13" as instructions.
Conclusion:
Do I believe the Total Body Enhancement machine helped modify the makeup of my body. No.A resounding No.I promise you it was and will continue to be the outcome of behavioral adjustments (nutrition) and hard effort in the gym.I understand that's never the response anyone wants to hear.As a fitness trainer, I spend my days educating individuals that the only genuine way to long-term weight loss is through good food and exercise.
I appreciate using the Total Body Enhancement equipment and would happily share my experience.It's a pleasant 12-minute mood booster that I add to the beginning or finish of my exercise (depending on the day, and there's no rhyme or reason for which time I select).I sincerely think that health comprises not only our physical body, but also our mental and emotional well-being.And damnit, for whatever reason, it makes me smile.
So, if you came to this page expecting to read about how the Total Body Enhancement machine helped me lose weight, inches, and cellulite, I'm sorry to disappoint.It didn't. To attain your gym goals, you'd be better off spending more time on the weight machines and cardio equipment.
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