In my younger days, I was anything but athletic. I was not good at sports and could not even run 1 block without getting winded. Six years ago (36 years old) I began to change that. I took up cycling (rode a bit in high school, but life took over) and found a charity to ride for every year (this is a whole different story) and this began my fitness journey. Obstacle course races began to become popular and I wanted to give one a shot, so I began to train myself to run. Now I run a 5k almost every week...for fun! In 2019, I crashed my bicycle. I was flown to a trauma center and found out I had fractured 3 vertebrae in my neck and back. During my physical therapy, I learned that training your core helps to relieve lower back pain, improves balance and could even help with my running and cycling.
Now, I had seen the Stealth ads in the past and thought it would be a great way to push myself to doing planks. I have always hated doing any kind of ab workout, sit-ups, crunches, planks, etc. Over the summer of 2020, the ads started popping up for me again. I was in the middle of a fitness challenge through work and first prize was $100! I vowed that if I won, I was getting myself a Stealth! I got my Stealth in mid-November and began using it on Nov 20, 2020. I played the free games that came with it and incorporated those into my weight-lifting routines. It was everything I expected and more! Planking CAN BE FUN! I missed using my Stealth a couple days at Christmas time and restarted my "streak" on January 1st. I joined the Stealth Nation Facebook Group for a month-long challenge. The fitness trainer (Matt) shows us new moves (freestyle moves) each day that we can do with our Stealth to help work our core without playing the games. Every day is a new and different workout! Since the first of the year, I have been using my Stealth every day. I actually look forward to it! This thing not only works your core, but also your whole body! Stealth is meant for doing dynamic planking rather than static. The moves you can do with Stealth give you a full body workout, all while engaging your core muscles.
Have I seen results after the past 2 months? YES! I can feel my abdominal muscles engaging all of the time now, not just when I am exercising. When I used to run, I would always get cramps in my chest, now it feels like my core muscles are absorbing those cramps and are non-existent now. My posture is better, and my lower back pain has decreased. I have even seen some of my upper ab muscles begin to show. I am not one of those people who can plank for long periods of time, but I can now do and average of 3 minutes at a time without pain or getting bored.
What you get when you buy a Stealth is much more than just the Planking platform as advertised. You get a whole group of people on the Stealth Nation Facebook page who help encourage you to keep going, congratulate you on your accomplishments, hold you accountable for your goals. This page even has a personal trainer to show you how to use your Stealth properly and help you with your form. They also have the Lean Core Program if you are looking to adjust your diet and eat healthy to really slim down the belly.
-Joel Biller