Ellipse by LegXercise (aka Ellipse One)

If your New Year’s resolution was to exercise more, chances are you already gave it up weeks ago. But what if you could bounce back with a product that provides the benefits of exercise without any of the actual effort?

Enter Ellipse by LegXercise (aka Ellipse One) – a motorized device that automatically moves your feet and legs in a circular motion, allowing you to purportedly work out without having to leave the couch. Just “plug it in, place your feet, select your speed and relax. Ellipse does all the work,” the company says in the ad above, which also appears on its website.

TINA.org looked into the marketing of the device after receiving a consumer tip. According to IntelliBrands – the manufacturer of Ellipse, which is currently listed for about $250 – using its device is similar to taking extra steps or doing therapy, and effectively burns calories, strengthens legs, boosts circulation, loosens stiff joints, reduces swelling, calms restless legs, alleviates cramps, increases flexibility and more. You’ll be so happy, you’ll be clicking your heels in excitement.

But consumers should know that IntelliBrands has a history of making questionable health claims about passive leg exercise devices.

In December 2023, the National Advertising Division determined that IntelliBrands could not substantiate – and therefore should discontinue or modify – a number of health claims for LegXercise, including that the device soothes leg pain, increases circulation, reduces swelling, calms restless legs and more. Sound familiar?

NAD’s conclusions were consistent with TINA.org’s findings earlier that year regarding the company’s marketing for its LegXercise Pro. (TINA.org reviewed the same company-sponsored study NAD determined to be “unreliable.”) Of note, the company has also been the subject of numerous consumer complaints, and its history of making unsupported health claims may go back as far as 2019.

As for Ellipse, IntelliBrands doesn’t reference or provide any studies on its website to support the health claims it makes for the device. And the company did not respond to a request for comment seeking substantiation.

The FTC states that advertisers must be able to back up their health claims with “competent and reliable scientific evidence” and cautions against exercise devices that are advertised to “do all the work.”

The bottom line

Consumers should be wary of any product that claims to offer fitness results with little or no effort. Always do your research before trusting a company with your money.

Read more of our coverage on health and wellness.