Does the Air Climber Work for Losing Body Fat?

The Air Climber is a piece of home exercise equipment designed to burn body fat and increase lean muscle mass. The construction of the Air Climber simulates stepping in place and comes with a body cord for simultaneous upper body training. The Air Climber may burn body fat, as long as you commit to the right duration, intensity and frequency of exercise on the device.

How it Works

The Air Climber is a portable piece of non-motorized home gym equipment constructed of fiberglass-filled resin. The device is 19 inches wide, 24 inches long and 11 inches high and weighs around 13 lb. -- making it easy for you to move the device from room to room. The Air Climber is similar to other mini-steppers and uses your body's weight and motion to push air through the device's bellows, simulating walking up stairs. However, your feet remain stationary on the device's pedals, just as they would if you were using an elliptical machine.

Air Climber Claims

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Fitness expert and exercise video star Brenda DyGraf endorses the Air Climber. This machine doesn't just burn body fat, but can chisel your abdominal muscles and melt fat away from problem spots such as the thighs, hips and buttocks when you use the workout programs that come with the machine. Exercising on the Air Climber gives you a "no impact" workout, similar to one you might get on an elliptical machine. Exercising on gym equipment such as the elliptical machine, which utilizes a similar leg motion, puts less stress on your knees, hips and back.

Effective Exercise

Regardless of which piece of home exercise equipment you use for weight loss, it's vital to consider how much time you need to devote to your fitness program when weight loss is your goal. The manufacturer of the Air Climber claims that an effective workout can take just 20 minutes. However, the American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM, has a considerably different view on how much you'll have to exercise for weight loss. You'll see the best results when you get more than 250 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise every week. This means using the Air Climber for more than 35 minutes a day. The ACSM states that you might need an hour of moderately intense exercise each day -- or even an hour and a half. Intensity may be difficult to gauge, if you've just started exercising. Your rate of respiration and heart rate increases during moderately intense exercise, and you will break a sweat. However, you shouldn't be exercising so hard that you can't carry on a conversation.

Considerations

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The Air Climber can burn body fat as long as you put it to good use. The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, advises you to realistically assess the probability that you'll use a piece of exercise equipment before you purchase it. And remember that the durability and quality of construction of your exercise device is linked to how much you pay for it. The price of a $2,000 treadmill might deter you. However, high-end cardiovascular equipment often comes with a year-long warranty, as well as in-home repair. As of May 2011, the Air Climber was priced at $120 and came with a 60-day warranty.