fitness and transportation craze or obesity supporter?

While having a conversation so to speak, with myself, I was thinking about the whole “Hoverboard” craze. Is this just the newest fad craze? Most of us remember when scooters and roller shoes came out and people where riding them in and out of doors. Is this a viable mood of transportation for some, barring they don’t blow up while riding the thing? Then I wondered, is this a continuation of breeding more laziness, obesity and sedentary life styles? So I looked up. “What muscles are use to ride a Hoverboard”.

Here is what I found. Most legit manufactures state the weight of a rider should be between 45 and 250 lbs, yet on the flip side say that for safety, riders should be 13 and over. I figured in this case, this is more about decision making and judgment while riding. There are warning about possible injury, as like most things, there is a learning curve to proficiency. Of course there is the issue of the boards’ combustion. Some people don’t find this as a deterrent.

The big picture for me from a health and wellness issue is, if the boards provide at least some exercise while on them? Really what are they? Transportation. Fitness apparatus. Bragging rights. Fad. It appears that operation of a Hoverboards utilizes the rider’s core, calves and feet.  Yet, unlike a scooter, since the range of motion is limited, the movement is isometric as opposed to concentric (contractive) or eccentric (lengthening). That being said, for fitness, the Hoverboard rider will need others forms of exercise to get a complete workout. I know, how about walking, with free weights at a brisk pace. Your risk of spontaneous combustion is low and the cost of entry is very cheap. By the way, for transportation and fitness, a skateboard or scooter is still a better way to go.