Is the Sanddune Energy Stepper Well worth the Hype?
Some health tools is price your cash; others are gimmicks that ought to keep on the shelf. It’s not all the time straightforward to know which is which. For instance, at first look, the Sanddune Energy Stepper is a squishy platform that, for $280 a pop, leaves you questioning why you may’t simply run and leap on flat floor.
In fact, you may, however as Muscle & Health’ Zack Zeigler and Frank Sepe not too long ago discovered whereas touring The Power Membership (positioned in New York, NY), the Sanddune is a energy coach-approved instrument for decreasing joint impression and bolstering stability. And that, of us, is why M&F’s Health club Excursions sequence exists—to find out about new coaching instruments that we (and also you) would miss out on in any other case. Hold studying for extra in regards to the Sanddune.
What’s it?
The Sanddune Energy Stepper is a foam field that mimics the texture of shifting on sand. It options two particular person platforms, so your toes and arms work independently of each other. Each platforms are additionally barely angled to position your arms or toes on a decline or incline.
You’ll be able to run, leap, and push off of the Sanddune, which supplies extra cushion to your joints whereas additionally difficult your stability. It’s usually used as a warm-up and conditioning instrument. Frequent actions on the Sanddune embody excessive knees, strolling in place, vertical jumps, and push-ups.
What We Like
- The Sanddune is joint-friendly. It mimics a sandy floor, coaching on which has been proven to scale back muscle soreness and stress. A research printed within the Journal of Human Kinetics in contrast the outcomes of seaside handball gamers, half underwent regular preseason coaching; the opposite half added plyometrics carried out on the sand to their protocol. Within the textual content, the researchers write, “A sand floor is related to a better diploma of shock absorption and decrease stress to comfortable tissue and bones on the decrease limbs throughout plyometric train.” (1)
- It’s a superb warm-up and conditioning instrument. The Sanddune’s inherent instability supplies advantages to your conditioning and warm-ups which can be onerous to copy on secure floor. For one, the stabilizing muscle groups surrounding your ankles, knees, wrists, and shoulders will fireplace constantly whereas utilizing the Sanddune. Consequently, your muscle groups ought to turn into extra secure over time. You’ll additionally enhance your capacity to stability and produce extra pressure.
- It has a small footprint. The Sanddune is 26” large, 22” lengthy, and weighs 12.5 kilos, so it doesn’t take up a lot house in your health club. Whereas it received’t match comfortably in your bag, you may simply toss the Sanddune in your automobile and haul it into your native health club.
What to Think about
- It prices $280. That’s a reasonably steep value to pay for a bit of kit that we’d hardly name important. Think about the Sanddune a nice-to-have, assuming you already personal free weights, a rack, and a weight bench.
Its purposes are comparatively restricted. You’ll get essentially the most mileage out of the Sanddune leaping, squatting, and working on high of it. That’s about it, which is ok when you routinely carry out plyometric exercises. There are just a few different makes use of for the Sanddune, however they aren’t widespread information. For instance, you should utilize it as a knee pad for Nordic curls or lay on it for dumbbell pullovers. By itself, the Sanddune is an adjunct, so take into consideration the way you prepare and the way usually you’ll use it earlier than clicking “purchase now.”
