Can You Dress Your Way to a Better Workout?

Allure Daily Beauty Reporter
Courtesy of Zaggora
Courtesy of Zaggora

Lexi Novak, Allure magazine

First, there were stomach belts that promised to tighten your abs. Then came the bulky toning sneakers. And now come workout tights that claim to boost weight loss: Zaggora HotPants.

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According to their website, HotPants are made with Celu-Lite (cute, eh?), a "fabric technology that harnesses the body's natural heat during exercise to help you burn more calories." In one study, participants wearing the HotPants burned an average of 11 percent more calories than those wearing standard exercise clothing.

Geralyn Coopersmith, national director at Equinox Fitness Training Institute, says the pants may increase your energy expenditure by making you sweat, since "your body is working harder to keep you cooler." But that's not necessarily a good thing. "The body is working to dissipate heat, and if it's unable to do that, it compromises the cardiovascular system and people begin to feel ill," she says.

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If the thought of torching more calories with zero extra effort is still tempting, consider the numbers: "Let's say the average workout is 500 calories per hour. That would mean that you're burning an additional 55 calories, which is really nothing-that's less than a cookie," says Coopersmith.

So it looks like our dreams of a superquick, effortless slim-down are on hold-at least for now.

What about you-would you try HotPants? Or any other gimmicky weight-loss tricks?

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