And then we brought it to the office for everyone to test out!

Sitting at a desk in the same position all day is bad for your circulation and can cause fatigue, which is why our Japanese-language reporter and low-rated-product tester Masanuki Sunakoma has been on the lookout for something he could use for a quick, refreshing exercise session during work breaks. Finally, just the other day, he spotted what could be the perfect product on Amazon, and what’s more, it was only 800 yen (US$5.63)!

It was called the “Bi Balance Kotsuban Nejirunba (Beauty Balance Pelvis Twisting Rumba)”, and like many of Masanuki’s Amazon purchases lately, it had a measly one-star rating. But the description said it offered a “new and exciting twisting exercise as seen on TV,” and it came recommended for people who are watching their figures but don’t have time to exercise.

Well, that sounded pretty good for what Masanuki needed, so he decided to buy it.

The box that it came in was pretty stylish, with “NEJIRUNBA” printed in capital letters in the middle of the box. It looked like something you’d see for sale in a department store. No wonder it was featured on TV!

Although…Masanuki had to wonder about the effectiveness of marketing something “as seen on TV” these days. In today’s day and age, people aren’t watching nearly as much TV as they used to. And besides, that always makes him think of ’90s-era exercise videos, like Billy’s Boot Camp, which is clearly very different from this.

After a quick Google search, Masanuki learned that it actually was kind of a famous product. Known as “exercise with just one minute of twisting”, it quickly joined the ranks of popular “as seen on TV” products after just a few times on the air. This information got Masanuki excited. Even though it, for some reason, has a low rating on Amazon, it could actually end up being an excellent buy!

The mat and foot arch knobs that came out of the box were also pretty stylish. The explanation booklet says “Just by climbing on and twisting, you can adjust your pelvis and train your lower body at the same time! Let’s aim for beautiful legs and a beautiful body with this fun rhythmic exercise!”

It’s very simple to use. You simply place the foot knobs on the mat, stand on the knobs, align your arches over the tips, and twist.

The knobs are not fixed to the mat, so just stepping on them made Masanuki unstable. “Is it really safe to twist?” he wondered.  According to the user guide, it’s recommended that you hold onto something like a wall or table when you use it for the first time and that you twist slowly at first.

“Interesting,” Masanuki murmured as he began to twist. Since the wobbly knobs made it extra hard, it seemed like it might take a minute to get used to it enough to balance properly.

It wasn’t exactly fun, but Masanuki surmised it would be better than doing Billy’s Bootcamp, and at the very least, he could do it in between work sessions. So…

He brought it to the office.

The device piqued the interest of our other reporters, who all love to try out new and zany things, and before long, they were all trying it out during their work breaks.

▼ Aim for those beautiful legs!

▼ Do it for your figure!

▼ Your perfect body awaits!

Well, as it turned out, watching other people do it was way more fun than doing it yourself. Masnauki found it hilarious to watch grown men and women desperately trying to keep their balance on the swiveling knobs. Regardless of whether it’s actually effective, the sheer amount of entertainment he got out of it was well worth the 800 yen price tag.

Masanuki rates it 3 Stars: worth it for the laughs, dubious about the effectiveness. It’s way better than Amazon’s lowest-rated perpetual motion machine, anyway!

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