Christmas has come and gone (sadly). Presents have been unwrapped (and possibly returned) and friend and family have probably returned home. Sigh…
If you are like me (and most people), chances are you overindulged during the holidays. It’s only natural. Who can resist the plethora of cookies, cakes and candy canes.
New Year’s Eve is coming up in just a few days. Most people will make resolutions. One of the most popular is loosing weight (especially the holiday weight gain) and exercising.
“Diet” and “exercise” are probably the two most cringe-worthy words to think about.
I’m good when it comes to making better food choices. I’m still obese, but slowly I’m losing weight. What I have a problem with is exercising. I hate it. I truly do.
I run around a lot at work, walking up/down six flights of stairs at home (we live on a top floor condo), and I park far from stores I have to shop in just to squeeze a little more exercise into my day. I used to get 10,000+ steps in daily. These days I get a lot less, only because my job is different (less running around).
I have always said that if I had equipment in our condo that I would exercise more. I would LOVE a treadmill and/or exercise bike. Sadly, those types of equipment is very expensive.
I was recently introduced to an ingenious product called KICHGO.
Famously known for being Jennifer Lawrence and Kesha’s secret weapon, there’s nothing better than having celebrity trainer, Kit Rich, by your side. With her new product, KICHGO, a big gym in a little bag that weighs less than 2 pounds, you can whip your body into shape in no time. The bag packed full of tried and true equipment that can be used for Pilates, Circuit Training, HIIT, Tabata, and Yoga routines. In addition, customers receive 20 downloadable videos of varying lengths and styles. KICHGO makes fitness attainable for everyone, by keeping it simple and helping everyone achieve consistency with their workouts ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE.
I was sent a KICHGO bag to review.
I was a bit worried about taking everything out of the bag. I was afraid it was going to be like a puzzle to get everything to fit back together again inside the bag. I was wrong. The contents are easily removed and put back inside the bag.
First and foremost, I love that I can get different pieces of exercise equipment, which allows me to perform a wide variety of exercises, in one small, compact bag. Everything fits inside a draw string bag and it can be easily tucked away under a bed, behind a dresser, in a closet or simply hang the bag from a door handle. I find it better to keep it in sight so that I am encouraged to use it. If it was in my closet or tucked under a bed it would be “out of sight, out of mind.” That is NOT something you want to happen.
The KICHGO bag comes with the following pieces of equipment.
- 2 resistance bands: light and medium
- 1 set of resistance band handles
- 1 set of resistance band ankle / booty strap
- 1 set of dual-sided sliders
- 3 resistance loops: light / medium / heavy
- 1 inflatable Pilates Core ball (with inflation device)
- 1 jump rope
- 1 door anchor
I didn’t receive the jump rope, but I did receive a branded workout towel.
I had been wanting to try out the resistance bands. I see them a lot on social media, and it looks like you can do (and achieve) a lot with them.
I like that the bag comes with different “strength” resistance bands, so novices, like me, can start off with the easiest one and work my way up to the harder band. The medium band is not even the hardest. Even with the lighter band, you can still get a really good workout.
The bands allow for a variety of exercises to work out most areas of your body. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of exercises that can be done with them. I feel it the most in my arms after I use them, which is a good thing. I have flabby arms and I have been wanting to get rid of some of the flab and tighten them up.
The resistance loops that come with the KICHGO bag REALLY give you a workout. You wouldn’t think that these giant rubber bands (that is what they look out) can give you a great workout – but they do. WOW! Do they ever! So far, these I’m having the hardest time with. I have little energy and the strength of a butterfly (LOL), so it takes a lot to stretch the elastic bands out. I can do it, but it takes a lot of effort, which is a good thing. It means that I am working out my muscles by providing them with a lot of resistance.
My favorite piece of equipment in the KICHGO bag are the sliders. They are simply little pads that you can put under your feet or hands to enable you to smoothly glide across the carpet or floor. I know that doesn’t sound much like a piece of exercise equipment, but trust me, you can do A LOT with these. Just Google “exercise sliders” and check out the various exercises you can do with them.
My favorite exercise to do with the sliders is to put them under the ball of my feet and put my hands on the ground. Then I move my legs back and forth, as if I am running. I can’t do it for long (I’m obese, so it’s hard for me to stay in that position for too long) but I CAN do it, and I can feel it working out my legs, buttocks, and arms. It’s a good exercise for the various parts of your body.
Mine didn’t come with a jump rope for some reason. We live on the top floor condo and jumping up and down not only makes the stuff on our walls vibrate and shake, but it can do the same things in our downstairs and next door neighbor’s walls. Oh the joys of living in a condo (I mean that sarcastically of course). It’s OK that I don’t have the jump rope. I wouldn’t really use it anyway.
The Pilates Core ball is not one of those huge ones that you can sit on and bounce around. The one that comes in the bag is much smaller, but there is a lot you can do with it. Admittedly I haven’t use it that much, but I have tested it out with the included (and much appreciated) pump to inflate it.
The KICHGO bag is available on it’s own, or you can purchase the bag AND the online exercise videos. The videos utilize the equipment that comes in the bag.
The videos you get with the bag and video purchase include;
- 5 Circuit Fusion Videos: Approx 30 mins
- 6 Pilates Videos: Approx 5 mins – 30 mins
- 4 Gentle Yoga Videos with Instructor Rachel Grant Jackson: Approx 10 mins
- 5 Focused Strength/Circuit Videos: Approx 5 mins
I have dabbled in most of the videos. It’s not easy for me to watch them on my laptop and follow along with them (there is not much room near my desk to exercise). I have tried to follow along, but mostly I watch the videos, make notes (and mental notes) on what to do and then do them. If I have any questions I refer back to the video.
The videos are also available WITHOUT purchasing the KICHGO bag.
Overall I think that this is a great bag. I love that it takes up very little room and that you can do A LOT with the pieces that come with it. I also like that it’s small enough to take with you when you travel. It wouldn’t take up much room in a suitcase.
If you are interested in learning more, visit KICHGO.com. I found the brand on Facebook, but I am not sure of any other social media accounts they might have.
What do you think of KICHGO? Does it sound like something you need in your life?
What are YOUR New Year’s resolutions? Is exercising one of them?
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.