Doctor says his $15,000 machine takes the work out of working out.
By: Kara Fitzpatrick
MONTGOMERY In the amount of time it takes to change into your gym clothes and lace up your sneakers, Paul Bahder, a local doctor who practices preventative medicine and homeopathy, says you can have a complete workout.
Dr. Bahder is part-owner of a new business called The Four Minute Workout, which employs a ROM Range of Motion machine at its Montgomery Professional Center location.
The ROM, which has caused quite a stir in recent years, particularly among celebrities due to its $15,000 price tag, operates on the principal of using more muscle fibers through a greater range of motion.
By requiring more muscle cells to mobilize, Dr. Bahder said, less time needs to be spent working those muscles. The machine, Dr. Bahder said, engages the three aspects of fitness aerobic, strength and flexibility. It is the equivalent of 20 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, plus 45 minutes of weight training, topped off with 15 to 20 minutes of stretching, said Dr. Bahder.
It is the only machine of its kind in the tri-state area available for public use, the doctor said.
Because the ROM, which is sort of like Superman’s version of a combination stairstepper and rowing machine, inflicts such an intense workout, "you can have a very short workout," Dr. Bahder said.
The machine, which the doctor describes as looking like a "cross between a middle-age torture machine and a Harley Davidson motorcycle," has two stations one that works the upper body and the other the lower body.
Too good to be true?
That’s what many say when they first inquire about the ROM machine.
"People are skeptical, because they say, how can you get an aerobic workout in four minutes. But, an aerobic workout has to do with how much oxygen goes into your bloodstream," Dr. Bahder said, making the ROM extremely effective.
And some investigations seem to back up the doctor’s word.
A study conducted by the University of Southern California that observed groups that worked out for four or eight minutes per day on the ROM for eight weeks concluded that the results were "really quite impressive" and noted there "was a trend for an improvement in body composition."
The study continued, "Based upon the results of our study, we conclude that untrained subjects can improve their cardiorespiratory fitness levels by training as little as four minutes a day, five days a week, over a two-month period."
Other studies conducted at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports Research as well as at Laval University in Canada show positive results for the ROM.
For effective exercise, Dr. Bahder recommends two four-minute sessions, using both stations, three times per week or one four-minute session on each station five times per week.
The machine is suitable for all ages, said Dr. Bahder. "It will adjust to your fitness level automatically."
Dr. Bahder not only talks the talk, but he also walks the walk. He uses the ROM machine regularly.
"I’ve been doing preventive medicine for more than 20 years," he said. "This is a very effective way (to exercise), and it’s relatively painless."
Those brave enough to jump on the device seem to agree.
Mary Grace Carroll, a Ewing resident who works in Montgomery, decided to give the ROM a shot as her regular exercise method and join The Four Minute Workout.
"My husband has heard about it for years," said Ms. Carroll of the ROM, adding that she decided to try out the three free trials that Four Minute Workout, which operates on a membership basis, offers new customers. "After I took those three sessions, I enjoyed it," she said.
Ms. Carroll said after using the machine for about six weeks, she has noticed some physical benefits. "I don’t get out of breath as much and I feel a tightness (in my muscles)," she said, adding that before her membership to Four Minute Workout, she hadn’t regularly exercised in years.
The ROM, Ms. Carroll said, makes exercising easier, simply because of the many minutes it shaves off of a normal workout. "The time commitment is nothing," she said.
Dr. Bahder said the fact that the workout takes a mere five minutes from the shutting of the car door to completion is its most desirable trait.
"Most of us don’t exercise, because it’s time-consuming and it’s boring," Dr. Bahder said. "I feel like (the ROM) will be the future, because doing things faster is the American way."
The ROM is completely safe, Dr. Bahder said, adding "you do have a bit of soreness the next day."
The doctor said Montgomery seemed to be a perfect spot to debut a ROM.
"There’s a lot of professionals who live in this area," he said. "There’s a lot of educated people who understand it is possible to get a workout in four minutes and a lot of people who have a busy lifestyle."
For more information about The Four Minute Workout, which costs $50 a month for unlimited access, call (609) 924-2282 or visit www.thefourminuteworkout.com. Montgomery Professional Center is located at 10 Vreeland Drive, Suite 106, in Montgomery.