Here's a strange retro item for you. These odd "belt massagers" that supposedly "massaged" weight off were absolutely everywhere in the 60s. Households had them. Gyms had rows of them. There were TV commercials. They were so common back then that I never gave the bizarreness of them a second thought. They seemed automated and "futuristic" to me. People jiggled and massaged and vibrated away. Naturally, nobody ever lost an ounce with these foolish things. People eventually caught on because they faded from usage in the early 70s.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/30/article-2241075-1649F7BB000005DC-793_306x423.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/d6/c7/f3d6c781426fe072030ee7351ee728d1.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/cf/d1/17cfd1f603cc60bdc4b43807c0fcc7f4.jpg

Here's a strange retro item for you. These odd "belt massagers" that supposedly "massaged" weight off were absolutely everywhere in the 60s. Households had them. Gyms had rows of them. There were TV commercials. They were so common back then that I never gave the bizarreness of them a second thought. They seemed automated and "futuristic" to me. People jiggled and massaged and vibrated away. Naturally, nobody ever lost an ounce with these foolish things. People eventually caught on because they faded from usage in the early 70s.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/30/article-2241075-1649F7BB000005DC-793_306x423.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/d6/c7/f3d6c781426fe072030ee7351ee728d1.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/cf/d1/17cfd1f603cc60bdc4b43807c0fcc7f4.jpg


I seem to remember magazine ads for these machines.  Not to mention they were occasionally featured on some of the sitcoms of the day.

I remember these, but do not recall anyone I knew using one, and feel that these belt massagers will not do any good for my back.

Here's a strange retro item for you. These odd "belt massagers" that supposedly "massaged" weight off were absolutely everywhere in the 60s. Households had them. Gyms had rows of them. There were TV commercials. They were so common back then that I never gave the bizarreness of them a second thought. They seemed automated and "futuristic" to me. People jiggled and massaged and vibrated away. Naturally, nobody ever lost an ounce with these foolish things. People eventually caught on because they faded from usage in the early 70s.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/30/article-2241075-1649F7BB000005DC-793_306x423.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/d6/c7/f3d6c781426fe072030ee7351ee728d1.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/cf/d1/17cfd1f603cc60bdc4b43807c0fcc7f4.jpg


They never work cause people back then probably thought that it was an easy way to lose the weight but overall it's not doing a thing to your body and you're not losing the weight.

Here's a strange retro item for you. These odd "belt massagers" that supposedly "massaged" weight off were absolutely everywhere in the 60s. Households had them. Gyms had rows of them. There were TV commercials. They were so common back then that I never gave the bizarreness of them a second thought. They seemed automated and "futuristic" to me. People jiggled and massaged and vibrated away. Naturally, nobody ever lost an ounce with these foolish things. People eventually caught on because they faded from usage in the early 70s.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/30/article-2241075-1649F7BB000005DC-793_306x423.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/d6/c7/f3d6c781426fe072030ee7351ee728d1.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/cf/d1/17cfd1f603cc60bdc4b43807c0fcc7f4.jpg
I'm pickin' up good vibrations...

Hippy Hippy Shake?

Yup. I remember those. I must have been about 5 or 6 when my mother was thinking about joining a health club/gym-whatever they called them in those days-just for women. Since she didn't have a babysitter at the time and I was the only one not in school, I went along with her. I remember all of those machines along one wall of the place. If memories serve there was probably a half dozen or more. As my mother was talking to the woman in charge, I was just watching all these women taking turns using those things. I don't recall how long we were there for but I seem to recall at least one of those machines was in use our entire stay. At the time, I thought they looked really cool and wanted to try it. But then again, I was only 5 or 6.


Cat

My mom had one.  As a kid, I didn't know what it was and one night I went down to the basement where it was and turned it on and got real scared when the belt started flopping around lol

I think I remember an episode of Dukes of Hazzard where Boss Hogg was using one of those machines.  ;D

My mom had one.  As a kid, I didn't know what it was and one night I went down to the basement where it was and turned it on and got real scared when the belt started flopping around lol

What did she think it was?

What did she think it was?


She knew it was a weight loss machine.  I did not.  All I saw was this belt flopping around when I turned it on.  It was the early 80s.  I was a small child.  What did I know lol

I remember these being given as prizes on quiz shows like Sale of the Century. That would have been in the seventies.

I remember these being given as prizes on quiz shows like Sale of the Century. That would have been in the seventies.


You are correct, I had forgotten about that. "Let's Make A Deal" and those kind of shows gave them as prizes and people were excited to get them. Just goes to show the widespread popularity these manifestly useless items once had.

You are correct, I had forgotten about that. "Let's Make A Deal" and those kind of shows gave them as prizes and people were excited to get them. Just goes to show the widespread popularity these manifestly useless items once had.



I think people on those shows were excited to get ANYTHING-including the so-called "zonker" prizes.


Cat

I think people on those shows were excited to get ANYTHING-including the so-called "zonker" prizes.


Cat


There were a lot of "zonker" prizes back in the days.