
Not only is it “the fun way to exercise,” but apparently (according to the label), it’s also “great for party fun and games.” This vintage exerciser will help you keep fit and work your waistline in just one minute a day!
Probably one of the most fun exercise-gadget fads of the era, the Twist-Away Twister was a device sold by Jack LaLanne and inspired by the 1960 Chubby Checker dance craze called “The Twist.”
Manufacturers put together the simplest machines imaginable, made of rotating pieces of pressed particle board, and gave them fun brand names like Slim-Twist Exerciser, Twist Board, and Gyro Slim ‘n’ Trim Exerciser. You could put on a rock‘n’roll 45 and twist your waist away with a li’l less effort than simply doing the dance.
Video of the device showed the user holding onto a string (the “isometric cord”) while twisting their hips back and forth.
The Twist Away Twister was promoted as “something to tone and firm and to exercise and condition practically all the 600 muscles of the body.” Unfortunately, users were unable to continue long enough to burn any significant amounts of fat or lose pounds. Because there were no weights involved, it also didn’t provide enough resistance to build muscle. The primary benefit was to improve people’s balance… while moving in a twisting motion.
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