WASHINGTON — New vibrating exercise machines are generating quite a buzz in the fitness world — and that’s not a bad pun.
Vibration exercise products, also known by the brand name Power Plate, is a platform you stand or sit on, and it literally vibrates your whole body.
Sally Squires, who writes the Lean Plate Club™ blog, said it may be new to many, but it’s rapidly becoming an exercise craze.
“It reminds many of us of those old machines that used to be in health clubs,” Squires said. “They used to have a big belt around them and you stood in the middle and the belts would vibrate you as part of your exercise routine,” she said.
However, this new generation of vibration exercise machines use gravity to help maintain muscle strength, increase circulation and to lose weight.
Squires said the platform plate drops down 2 millimeters up to 50 times per second. And when that plate drops, the muscles throughout your body react and contract to each movement. Changing the body’s position while on the platform will intensify the workout and hit different muscles. Holding certain positions for a short period also intensifies the effect.
“It’s very low-impact and that means it could be very helpful for people who aren’t able to exercise easily — such as the elderly or the disabled,” Squires said.
She added that numerous studies have found benefits from vibration exercise. A team at Florida State and the University of Alabama found improved balance and blood pressure readings from a small group of post-menopausal, obese women who used whole body vibration three times a week for 8 weeks.
Another analysis of 12 studies wanted to determine if vibration exercise could increase bone density in women. Squires said seven of the studies found improvement in bone density directly linked to the vibrations and unrelated to any medication.
“This may be a new alternative for people who can’t do traditional exercises — from using a treadmill to riding on a bike — and this could be a way for them to build muscle strength and bone density and help lower their blood pressure in the process,” Squires added.
Unlike tradition weightlifting where only some of our muscles are used, a vibration platform uses about 95 percent of the body’s muscles. Plus, the exercise periods are shorter. Due to the repeated vibrations and shifts of the platform plate, 15 minutes of activity can equal an hour conventional exercises.
Squires said many gyms are adding these machines now, and they are also available for sale for home use.
