Pittsburgh consumers who bought exercise resistance cords from Target because they were looking for a quick and inexpensive way to improve their fitness should beware – there have been reports of the cords malfunctioning and, for some users, causing grave injuries that are going to be anything but quick and inexpensive to treat.

Target has recalled 447,000 exercise cords after the devices malfunctioned and caused at least two people to permanently lose their sight. Given how serious the injuries reported thus far have been, it certainly seems these bands may be an unreasonably dangerous product.

The cords are thick rubber bands which people use for resistance-based exercises, like stretching. The Embark Resistance Cords and Cord Kits included a thick rubber cord with handles on one end. The other end was attached to an anchor which is meant to be fastened to a door. The user then pulled the cord back and forth. The band's resistance was meant to improve muscle tone and condition.

The problem is, the door anchor was evidently poorly designed and can release without warning and strike the user. At least two people went permanently blind when the door anchor suddenly came undone and struck them in the face. A third serious injury has also been reported, though that incident thankfully did not blind the user.

The exercise cords were sold in Target stores and on Target.com from July 2009 to August 2011. They were sold for between $10 and $20 and came in a variety of colors.

Source: Consumer Reports, "Target recalls 447,000 exercise resistant bands – injury hazard," Sept. 9, 2011.