Shake It Up, Baby

Karen J. Bannan

01/01/2006

The thought of a vibrating exercise machine might evoke images of hokey 1950s contraptions, but a growing number of athletes and top executives are considering vibration as a way to shake up their exercise routines.

The Power-Plate, which comes in a $3,500 personal version for home use and a $9,250 commercial version, looks like a large stand-on skiing video game machine. Its manufacturer, Power-Plate North America, says it will not only help build muscle but will also increase blood circulation, improve skin tone, reduce the appearance of cellulite and increase muscle flexibility. It works by exploiting the body’s natural reaction to movement. Simply put, when you are standing on or touching a moving surface, your muscles involuntarily tense up. The Power-Plate vibrates to makes your muscles contract up to 50 times per second.

Exercises are done standing or pressing against the floor of the machine. For example, you would do push-ups with your hands resting on the machine and your feet on the floor. Lunges would be done with one leg on the machine, while the other stays on the floor. Exercises are done for short periods, usually no more than 60 seconds at a time. An entire full-body workout can take less than 15 minutes, according to Sally Imbo, a personal trainer and owner of Casa Spa & Fitness in New York. The sensation is like standing on top of a washing machine during its spin cycle—only more intense. The Power-Plate can also provide an invigorating massage at the end of every workout. The end result is a totally fatigued body. 

There are more than 35 studies that support vibration for various health- and fitness-related uses. Still, there are some questions surrounding long-term use of the technology, and the company itself acknowledges a laundry list of contraindicated conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy, severe migraine headaches, tumors, pacemakers and diabetes, among others.

“Often, the contraindications aren’t because we’ve done research that says it would be dangerous; it’s because we haven’t done the research,” explains John Wilson, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We have a general rule of thumb: Pregnancy and pacemakers aside, we always say if your doctor has released you for general exercises, chances are Power-Plate is going to be beneficial for you.”

“Power-Plate really works you out,” Imbo says. “Top athletes feel sore after using it.” 


Power-Plate
877.87.PLATE
www.powerplateusa.com