It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. —Cicero

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.  —Plato

It’s early in the new year, so there's a high likelihood that your resolution to exercise more is intact, but if you’re anything like us, historically these vows have had the shelf life of an un-watered orchid.

Most of our day would be put to better use exercising, unless you're an emergency room doctor or crossing guard. Exercise is a truly wonderful thing and though, like us, you may not engage in it as often as you’d like, we all know the value of a good sweat.

Sweat is a particularly odd currency, when you think about it. It signifies effort and resolve, commitment and sacrifice, tenacity and perspective. It’s one of those unique things like hard work and baking – the latter shows our hand as far as our new year’s resolutions are concerned - that is a reward in itself.

Sweat means you care enough about something to fight your own limitations for it.

So, that said, we’re either ready to go for a jog or throw in a copy of Rudy.

Advertisers are aware of the motivating power of sweat. They know it sells. Can you think of a commercial for a sports drink or a new shoe line where the volume of the little bulbs of sweat peeling off athletes isn't identical to the water off a sheep dog that has recently come out of a lake?

Here’s what the advertisers know: hard work is inspiring and contagious. That kind of commitment deserves our admiration and if we happen to buy a pair of shorts and pick up an energy bar along the way, so be it. But any effort so unbridled demands that we acknowledge it and, in the best of situations, we might even mimic it.

That said, we just put Rudy on pause and jogged over to the closet that's become a graveyard for our infomercial peddled exercise equipment and grabbed the nearest dusty item that, were it not for the fluorescent plastic, looks like it belongs in a medieval dungeon.

The only thing about this ‘sweat sells’ knowledge is that the counterfeiters are aware of it too. In fact, all they require to throw together some sort of sham version of a legitimate item is that it fits in the aforesaid phrase: “______ sells.” If it sells, it's going to be counterfeited, and if it is counterfeited, there are dangers that follow. And while they can’t counterfeit sweat, they can copy the items designed to stimulate its production, like the large quantity of fake exercise equipment – the Ab Coaster - recently seized by U.S. Customs in Long Beach, CA.

Customs is cautioning would be consumers to be wary of purchases made on Craigs List and online. Fake exercise equipment can lead to serious injury because the construction and the materials are of a lesser quality – they may work the wrong muscles and in the wrong way. And be wary of the stories that sellers may provided to give the fake item a hint of authenticity. The only way you’re sure to get a legitimate product is to buy from the manufacturer or a licensed dealer.

Make an informed purchase. And with all this talk of sweat, let's not lose sight of how those exploited by the counterfeiters toil in miserable conditions to produce the fakery.

We won’t tire of this fight. We’ll expend ourselves to win it. and we encourage you to do the same.

Photo Credit