An Alexander Innovation Wizard (AIW) product, the Hula Chair is exactly what its name implies. This chair simulates the motion of a hula hoop in order to exercise your abs and midsection. According to the manufacturer, the Hula Chair incorporates traditional Chinese medicine, improving balance and coordination as it gently aligns your spine and improves blood circulation.

Besides its fitness purpose, this chair is useful as, obviously, a chair. It is sturdy and comfortable with its swiveling padded seat, padded back rest and attractive cherry-wood arm rests.

The Hula Chair comes in three pieces, and it takes just minutes to assemble. Weighing about 50 pounds, this item is no lightweight. It stays firmly planted on the floor, even while twisting and turning your stomach muscles into shape. You'll need an area that is at least 21 inches deep by 26 inches wide. Despite the hula motion, the Hula Chair is impressively quiet, so you can watch TV or carry on a conversation while you are exercised.

There are three recommended Hula Chair exercise positions: sitting, lying on the floor with your legs raised up on the chair and sitting on the floor with your arms draped over the chair. Each position targets a certain area or areas of the body.

A touchpad control panel located on the inside of the right arm rest contains START and STOP buttons, as well as up and down arrows to adjust the speed and/or duration of your exercise session. Starting the Hula Chair at its default settings engages the swiveling motion for about 1 minute, then the chair reverses direction for a more balanced workout.

We're not doctors or fitness experts, so we can't say whether the Hula Chair actually has fitness or medical benefits. However, after several sessions, we noticed a bit of soreness that indicated that our muscles had indeed been exercised. The Hula Chair works as a stand-alone routine (you can set the time up to 20 minutes) or as a muscle warm-up for a more rigorous workout. You can even incorporate free weights to work your arms while sitting or lying on the ground.

As a fitness device, the Hula Chair is fun and very easy to use. The only drawback to the chair is its size and weight, making it difficult to move from one location to another.

Be aware that there is a $19 shipping charge, so this raises the final price somewhat. Available at www.gadgetuniverse.com, the AIW Hula Chair is a lot of fun for kids and adults, especially anyone who has lost some mobility or flexibility.


Pros: Sturdy construction, quiet operation, fun to use
Cons: Bulky and difficult to move, shipping charge raises final price considerably