Rio SLIM GYM

I have owned one of these for a few years and I can honestly say that it really works and is fabulous for toning muscles.

I have suffered from fibromyalgia for several years and from time to time I suffer from disabling fatigue and just don't have the energy to work out. At such times, providing I have the energy to set the machine up (and it is fiddly and time consuming) then this is a really good way to stay in shape at times when I'm too fatigued to participate in demanding sports.

It is also useful to use when I'm in good condition and just want that extra boost to my fitness and muscle tone I often use this in the early morning on a day of demanding martial arts practice as it helps me feel stronger during the day. It is also useful to use if I have a sports injury that prevents me from participating fully in sports.

The first time I used this I could only manage 10 minutes at a very low intensity, it just felt horrible. However I persevered and before long could manage up to an hour on full intensity with no problem. In fact I find that the low intensity settings deliver a rather unpleasant tingly, stinging feeling, but when you can manage the higher intensity settings it actually feels rather nice! It feels like someone grabbing you and giving you a firm massage. You can also see your muscles clenching and relaxing, which is very satisfying.

I would advise anyone buying one of these to not give up if it doesn't feel right, just persevere and your endurance will be rewarded eventually.

The main problem with this item is the fact that it can take 15 minutes or so to set up in the first place, so you need patience and perseverance to get the results.

The areas I find it works best on are; inner thighs, especially just above the knees, the buttocks and the lower abdomen, all of which I find difficult to tone with normal exercise. I also use a Slendertone Max belt and this is great for the upper and mid abdominal muscles but the Slim Gym can access the very low abs that otherwise can get flabby and are extremely difficult to tone, well at my age anyway. I often lie down and relax for an hour or so using my Slim Gym, my Rio Arm Toner and my Slendertone Max Belt. I emerge from the mass of straps with a toned and firm body!

The intensity control on the Slim Gym, is designed well so that if you turn the machine off on the max intensity setting, when you turn it on again you have to reset the intensity. This saves you from getting a nasty shock that has you jumping in the air and screaming like a banshee, a problem I encountered with earlier models.

Finally, a good tip that a friend told me is that you can buy cheap tubs of hair gel for 99p and that these work well as a the much more expensive conductor gel. I've been using hair gel for years with no problem and saving myself a fortune.

I bought my last Slim Gym on ebay for £40 a coupe of years ago and its still going strong. I would recommend this product to anyone