Do you ever wish there was something you could do to help those weary muscles after a long day of golf?  Well, the folks at Slendertone think they have an answer with the EnerVive Muscle Conditioner.

EnerVive uses electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) to soothe and rejuvenate tired muscles.  If you’ve ever done physical therapy for an injury or after surgery then you might have used similar products.  EMS works by stimulating muscles using electrical current to create a massage-like effect.

The unit contains six different recovery and stimulation programs and includes two medical-grade gel adhesive that can be attached to any of seven different muscle groups.

The Good

• The unit provides a wide range of intensity settings.  A single 9-volt battery provides all the muscle stimulation I could ask for.  In fact, I was never able to find out what the max setting is, because I couldn’t tolerate much beyond a certain point.  Well, I could have tolerated it if I really wanted to know, but the point of the thing is to feel better, not to test limits.  OK, I couldn’t stop myself.  Just before I published this, I cranked the unit up.  My preferred setting was about 85 and it went up to 99.  Strangely, after doing 85 for a while, 99 feels good.  I think doing 99 from a cold start would be uncomfortable.
• It gives a nice massaged feeling after completing a program at the appropriate intensity.  For me, I like to turn it up fairly high and feel a nice deep contraction in my muscles.
• I found it to be very relaxing.
• I was surprised at the quality of the gel pads.  They adhere pretty well.  I used them about a dozen times and they still adhere to me well.  Also, removing them isn’t painful for guys with some hair like me, as long as it is done slowly.
• The unit lets you know when the gel pads aren’t situated correctly with an audible warning.
• EverVive is approved for over the counter sale in the United States by the FDA.

The Bad

• The number one obvious down side is the price.  At $179.99 (if you buy direct from Slendertone), that’s a pretty steep cost.  However, the unit is quite well made and in my experience works exactly as advertised.
• The pads have worked well for me over a dozen or so uses, but they do have a limited life and have to be replaced at a cost of $34.99.  They recommend replacing them after 20-30 uses.  I’m somewhere in the 10-15 range and they’re holding up perfectly, but 20-30 uses doesn’t seem like too many before needing replacement.
• Using the unit on the upper back would be difficult without someone to place and remove the pads for you.
• Once you begin a program, moving around seems to throw off the quality of the contact between the gel pads and your skin.  The unit beeps and stops pulsing until you either move to a position that makes the pads adhere better or until you re-apply them.  For instance, I’m using the unit as I type this.  It’s working well as I lean forward on my dining room table and type on my laptop.  But if I sit up straight, the pad contact degrades and the unit beeps.
• There are a number of things you need to be cautious of, since this is electrical current we’re talking about.  The documentation warns strongly against putting the pads on your head or neck or positioning them in such a way that current might pass through your heart (i.e. one pad on your chest and the other on your back).
• The documentation warns that it is not known what the long term effects of chronic EMS are.  That doesn’t mean that there are any, but it’s just not known.  However, EMS has been used by physical therapists and other medical professionals for a long time, so it’s not necessarily an issue.
• EMS causes involuntary muscle contraction.  This isn’t inherently bad, but I found it to be a little disconcerting to use on my quads because they were fluttering uncontrollably with the program.  It just kind of weirded me out a little.

Conclusion

I think I’d have to rate this as a take it or leave it product.  The main reason for that is the price.  In my experience, it works exactly as advertised.  It’s relaxing and feels good.  I’m not sure if there is actually any medical benefit or if it just feels good.

If it sold for $30-$40, I’d say go for it, but the $179.99 price tag makes me hesitant to give it high recommendation.  Really, that’s for you to decide, though.  I’m here to tell you that it does what it promises and it does it well, aside from the critiques I mentioned above.

For more information, visit http://www.slendertone.com

Did you like this post? Get free RSS updates!

Leave a comment | Comment Policy | Trackback URL