Twister Stepper!

Yes, I hate, loathe, despise working out. The word "gym" makes me shiver in terror. The idea of churning up a sweat is abhorrent to me.

But I am a walker. Ah, walking. Placidly plodding away, no pulled this, no strained that. During the three-day yontifs, I tossed my giddy nephew into the carriage and circled my neighborhood for two hours. We were both happy, never mind his parents. 

Studies have shown that it is primarily what and how much you eat, and to a lesser extent how much one exercises. To clarify: No, marching about for 180 minutes did not magically melt away my belly. But I did feel as though it helped mitigate some of the effects. 

According to an article by Gretchen Reynolds, in regards to the heavy eating associated with the holidays, exercise is able to blunt some of the physiological damage of the seasonal binge. Meaning, there are times when we overeat. When we do, exercise can help "recovery." 

As a walker, it would seem I am an ideal candidate for the treadmill, which my parents purchased when I was in high school. I used it religiously then (not that it particularly had an effect on my weight until I examined my diet) but it was a bit awkward. For one thing, it's pretty boring to be on a treadmill, unless one is watching something, but the treadmill faced the wall and the television was on the side, plus the treadmill made a racket so I couldn't hear the dialogue . . . You get my drift. 

After ten years of disuse, a local Chabad organization cheerfully carted it off. But when weather was bad and I wasn't able to clock in my usual walking, I browsed Amazon for other options. 

The Sunny Health & Fitness Twister Stepper was my salvation. It's not powered by electricity, so there is no loud motor. It's small and light, so it can be tucked away anywhere, not taking up any space. It has adjustable tension, so I can keep it in the range that's comfortable to me. 

Going on it initially, it can be a little stiff, but then it warms up in no time. After a few months, one of the steps began to squeak, but after pinpointing which screw it came from, a little shpritz of WD-40 shut it up. 

It has a dinky little pedometer of sorts on the bottom, but I don't think it's particularly accurate when it comes to calories burned. After all, depending on weight, people burn calories differently. The heavier a person is, the more they burn. I don't take it too seriously. 

It comes with two exercise bands that can be clipped to the machine, and while I find them too short for my use, I give them a tug every once in a while for upper body stuff. 

For those out there who can't (or won't) commit to a tri-weekly trek to the gym (like me), this is a cheaper, more convenient option.