From a traditionalist’s standpoint, vibration therapy might look like just so much hokum, but some pretty extensive studies have shown that this kind of machine-aided exercise can help prevent bone loss due to inactivity, aside from other possible health benefits under debate.
Vibration therapy was pioneered for the Russian space program.  Studies found that astronauts could stay healthy using machines for keeping muscles working with vibrations.  The practice was exentded to state-side operations and even used later by Olympic athletes and others with a stake in building muscle strength.
Enter the Power Plate, a home vibration therapy machine for giving vibration enthusiasts all the resistance training they can handle!
Dutch Olympic coach Guus van der Meer is credited with the creation of this machine, which has won accolades from the fitness industry, including an “Innovation Award” in a 2002 international FIBO fitness equipment fair, and a Swedish “Anti-Aging Machine” award in 2005.  Now it is being unveiled across the country as a way to get vibration resistance training at home.


Use it or Lose it

One of the main ideas behind the Power Plate and vibrational therapy is that inactivity weakens muscles.  Activity, any kind of activity, strengthens them.  Vibrational activity provides a specific kind of “muscle challenge” where all kinds of body muscles have to react to a stimulus, and over time, this adds up to a lot of resistance training for the body.  Some experts say the therapy can also improve circulation and help bones get strong.

Ways to Use the Power Plate

Some main recommendations for the Power Plate include:
Muscle Strength and Weight Training – the basics of vibration therapy work with muscles for a leaner, stronger result
Stretching – this basic activity has a lot of benefits for long term body health
Massage – the Power Plate also delivers the kind of soothing vibrations that one might encounter in some types of massage therapy
Relaxation Exercises – other Power Plate activities can work to release tension in the neck and back


Check out the manual to see how the Power Plate works, in varying intensities, for yoga poses, basic aerobics, and a whole range of other uses.
Before getting started on the Power Plate, be sure to check with your doctor: the machine’s vibrations may not be complementary to the health of individuals who are pregnant, have just had surgery, have implants like pacemakers, or in any other situation where the body cannot handle some substantial stimulation.  The power of vibrational therapy means there are some health pre-requisites for getting the benefits of this high-tech exercise aid.
If you check out with a good bill of health for using the Power Plate, give it a try: you may be surprised at how this much-researched technique can get muscles into top shape and make your body a force to be reckoned with!