New cardio machine is "like running on a beach"

Love running but hate the wear and tear on your knees? Try the Sproing, a brand-new cardio machine designed to recreate the feeling of running on a beach.

Launching this week at IDEA World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles, Sproing is a new trainer that comes with two interchangeable, impact-absorbing surfaces: one dubbed Sproing Beach Runner, which simulates running on a beach, and another called Sproing Air Runner, which aims for a running-on-a-cloud effect.

To use the machine, you wear a vest attached to bungee resistance cords and get moving, or more like hopping - the combination of surface and bungee resistance keeps you bouncing on the balls of your feet instead of pounding your heels on a treadmill. The end result: a reduction in impact to your knees by 50 percent and back by 41 percent compared to treadmills, claims the company.

Sproing CEO and cofounder (and former CEO of America's Bally Total Fitness) Paul Toback told Relaxnews the idea for Sproing was dreamed up during a jog on the beach. He adds that it is the first new piece of major cardio equipment to hit the gym since the elliptical trainer and fills a need in the market "for something new, effective, fun, and challenging."

"Sproing is good for all ages," he adds. "We have had users in their 70s who love it for its self-pacing and soft surface, and my six-year-old son loves it for its bounce and fun."

Sproing aims to arrive soon at a gym near you, but for at-home exercisers with deep pockets, you can contact the company about purchasing one for yourself. MSRP is $5,999. Toback adds that he projects the device will be available via Internet retailers by early 2012.

Prefer a stationary bike? Power Plate converts might want to check out the brand-new Power Plate powerBIKE, which combines Power Plate vibrations with a stationary ride. The bike emits vibrations to your muscles (stimulating up to 2,400 muscle contractions per minute), which the manufacturers say means you work harder, burn more calories, and get a more efficient workout in a shorter amount of time. Plus if you need a break from the vibrations, you can switch them off at any time.

Learn more about Sproing: http://sproingfitness.com

See the Sproing in action: http://vimeo.com/21143068