Activ5, Exercise Gym In Your Pocket

The full picture

Samuel Maddock

Leading Healthcare Professional and Health Technology Researcher

Editor - Well Professor?

In this review...

• Introduction
• What Is Activ5?
• How Does Activ5 Work?
• 5 Benefits Of Activ5
• The User Lab Test
• The Verdict...Well Professor?
   

Are you active enough? Or are you too busy to get to the gym? Do you desperately want to keep fit and lose weight, but spend too much of your day sitting down? You’re probably well aware by now of the many pitfalls of inactivity, given just how many studies have documented the negative effects.

The Get Britain Standing campaign is one such example, highlighting the fact that sedentary office activity is now as dangerous to your health as smoking. Scary stuff. You may not be aware though that also takes a whole hour of exercise to eliminate all the toxins that build up whilst you are sitting so that high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout on the way home from a day stuck in the office is simply not enough. Concerned? Well, we have just the solution for you. And it will only require 5 minutes of your time. Interested? We thought so. 

What is Activ5?

Activ5 is a portable fitness device that fits neatly into the palm of your hand. It is small, sleek and when paired with the Activ5 workout app, comes to life and can be used for a variety of strength training exercises. Activ5 is based on the many established benefits of isometric exercise, and enables you to get a whole body workout in as little 5 minutes. It has also been shown to lead to an astonishing 30 per cent reduction in body fat when used three times a day, over six weeks.  It sounds easy. It sounds too good to be true. We’ve tested it, and it isn’t.

Activ5 packaging and unboxing video

How Does Activ5 Work? 

Activ5 is very easy to use. Just switch on the Activ5 exercise app, power up the device, and press start. Then follow the instructions through the workout. That’s it, exercise made ridiculously simple. Activ5 covers all the exercises you would expect, including planks, squats and lunges. And you can also target your core, or work on your upper and lower body to build strength. In fact, there are over 100 isometric exercises to choose from. Not bad for a device the size of your phone.

Activ5 can be used at the office, at home, or even on the train

What is Isometric Exercise?

Activ5 uses isometric exercise, which involves tensing and contracting muscle groups as much as you can, and then holding that position for a set time. With isometric exercise no movement takes place. Imagine pressing both legs together as hard as you can and holding, or pushing both hands together with arms outstretched as hard as you can, and holding that. Both of these are examples of isometric exercise.

In these examples, the Activ5 device is what you squeeze, it measured the force you apply and then asks you to vary this upon demand during the workout. There may not appear to be much going on at the surface, but underneath that muscle is being pushed to the limit. You do this many times during an Activ5 workout, and it is not as easy as you think. In fact, it’s mighty hard work. Extensive research has highlighted the many benefits of isometric exercise, with the most significant benefit being weight loss. In fact, the Journal of Applied Research found that some participants lost as much as 22 pounds over a 4 week period of isometric exercise. 

Activ5 is small but very strong and well built

Why can Isometric Exercise help with weight loss?

Isometric exercise works muscles hard and this can burn a lot of calories. It also leads to an increase in muscle strength and bulk. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and weight you lose.

There are many possible workouts to choose from on the Activ5 app, from squats and lunges, to crunches, press ups and planks. The choice is yours, and the workout is serious. In fact, Activ5 is as effective as working out at the gym, according to the research. 

Activ5 has over 100 isometric exercises to chose from

5 Benefits of Activ5

1. Anytime, Anywhere. Activ5 fits in your pocket so you can take it wherever you go and experience the benefits of a full workout on your terms, whenever it suits you.

2. You Only Need 5 Minutes. Activ5 keeps you active. Experience highly effective, enjoyable and convenient workouts in just 5 minutes.

3. Tone Up. Activ5 workouts can provide full body toning, whether you are sitting or standing. It also coaches your progress and tracks your results to help you reach your exercise goals.

4. Boost Strength. Activ5’s more challenging isometric workouts have been designed to help you increase muscle size and even boost your strength by as much as 30%.

5. Strengthen Your Core. Activ5 workouts are designed to strengthen your core, helping to maintain the health of your back and pelvis. A strong core is also crucial for everyday activities involving lifting, twisting, bending and carrying, plus pushing your body to the limit in competitive sport.

Take the Activ5 Challenge 

Exercise for five minutes, three times a day for six weeks and take note of the results. You’ll likely be surprised. Activ5 uses in app games to make working out fun. As you progress, you can increase the difficulty of the challenges you take, so it never gets too easy. You’ll most likely lose weight too. A lot of it. Those who took part in the Activ5 research challenge, increased strength by 30%. And over 70% of reported weight loss was in body fat.

The User Lab Test: 

Set Up. Set up is very simple. Just download the workout app, switch on the Activ5 device, connect up via bluetooth, and you are then good to go. That’s it, exercise made ridiculously simple. Activ5 covers all the exercises you would expect, including planks, squats and lunges. In fact, there are over 100 isometric exercises to choose from. Not bad for a device the size of your phone.

The App. The Activ5 exercise app features 5 minute workouts, broken down into Upper Body, Lower Body, Get Strong, Get Toned, Yoga/Pilates, Awesome Abs, Butt Burner, Watching TV, Office, hotel or Car/Plane/Train. Alternatively, you can sign up to the six week Activ5 challenge, and the app will set you a 5 minute workout for morning, daytime and evening. Each workout contains approximately 12-18 moves, which are repeated in sets of 3-4 different exercises. Each exercise involves using a different part of your body to apply pressure to the device. This could mean holding a sumo squat with the Activ5 underneath your foot, or completing a set of crunches whilst squeezing it against your chest. 

Each move begins by setting your 100% strength capacity by squeezing as hard as you can whilst performing the intended exercise. Activ5 then guides you through a routine using 60-80% of your maximum strength for each move. 

User Experience. Trust us, it is hard work. You are quickly taken out of your comfort zone and it is a very demanding 5 minute workout. But that is the point, and that is why it is so effective. Because Activ5 measures your own strength level first, the workouts are achievable because they are personalised to you. That is the clever part, and it is a simple yet impressive feature.

Activ5 app has several games to keep the exercise fun

Gamification. Like many of the new breed of health tech available, Activ5 uses gamification to great effect. You can workout your way through a variety of games, competing against yourself or others. The games are then converted into the equivalent amount to weight lifted and displayed for you to see. This way, you are always challenging your personal best. 

I must say I have been mightily impressed by the ability of Activ5 to give me a really challenging workout no matter where I am. It takes no time to set up and it is suprisingly easy to integrate in an effective exercise habit"

Steve Harper, Well Professor Health Tech Guru.

The Verdict...Well Professor?

Pros:

• Easy, Effective Exercise 
• Use On The Go

Cons:

• No Groundbreaking Technology
• Could Be Slightly Cheaper

Activ5 is not a groundbreaking innovation in exercise. And we’ve tested far more advanced pieces of health tech. But it is effective and it does make exercise very easy, which is just what many of us need. For this reason, the Activ5 portable fitness device has got our attention. If you are stuck at home, in the office, or travel away and you are worried about your activity levels, it is just what you are looking for. Activ5 doesn’t need to replace your gym session, although it could do. It keeps you active in between and research shows this is the most important part, if you want to live a healthy life. 

1 Reviews

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Nadine Tews

Since I received my Activ5 device I have been using it almost every day with astonishing results. Currently, I'm doing a routine with alternating heavy and quick workouts and I feel amazing.

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