There’s been a lot of buzz (pun intended) lately about whole-body vibration (WBV) machines. They’re new, improved takes on the “jiggle belt,” a weight-loss and fitness gimmick from the 1950s, 1960s and even 1970s. You remember the gadget—a stand with an attached belt that you braced yourself against while the machine jiggled you around. Compared with jiggle belts, WBV machines have sleeker designs and don’t include belts. Some designs consist of a platform (sometimes called a “power plate”), and some consist of a platform with an attached stand or a handrail. The user stands on the platform while vibrations continuously pulse from the platform up through the feet to bones and muscles.

Word is that WBV machines effortlessly tone muscles, whisk away weight and get rid of cellulite in minutes per day. In short, like old jiggle belts, these gadgets promise to replace regular exercise.

It sounds too good to be true, but research shows that some of the health claims made by manufacturers of WBV machines are indeed true. But before you invest in a machine, which can range in price from $100 to $18,000, you ought to know what it actually can and can’t do.

WHAT WBV MACHINES CAN DO

We do know from current research that WBV improves balance and coordination and increases the strength and mass of muscle and bone in a way similar to traditional muscle-strengthening exercises, such as weight lifting. Weight lifting, as well as walking, stair climbing, jogging and dancing, put stress on muscles and bones, which stimulates them to grow stronger. The vibrations of WBV machines seem to have a similar effect—so much so that they are now being used in physical therapy and in sports training.

So far so good. Now for the cons…

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT FROM WBV MACHINES

Whole-Body Vibration Therapy A major claim of both old jiggle belts and purveyors of many state-of-the-art WBV machines is that they can help you lose weight and cellulite. To clear the air about this and other questionable claims, I spoke with Harold Merriman, MPT, PhD, a physical therapist and associate professor in the department of physical therapy at University of Dayton, Ohio. He told me that WBV has no direct effect on cellulite or weight loss. However, because muscles burn body fat for fuel when they are being worked, you may shed a pound to two while a WBV workout is strengthening and toning your muscles.

As for whether WBV can replace regular exercise, clearly, no. “WBV will never replace aerobic exercise, such as walking, stair climbing, jogging and dancing, because it does not give your heart a workout,” says Dr. Merriman. “It can’t completely replace weight training because WBV focuses mostly on your lower body and only somewhat on your core. You need to do regular weight-training exercise to fully work your core and upper body.” Some physical therapy programs use WBV machines combined with other traditional forms of exercise to enhance strength and balance with less effort.

Although manufacturers of WBV machines say that 15 minutes a day at a frequency of three times a week is all that’s needed to benefit, Dr. Merriman says more research is needed to determine how much time should be spent on a WBV machine and that it probably differs from person to person depending on age, fitness and health status.

SAFETY CONCERNS

Home WBV machines generally are safe as long as they are used according to the manufacturer’s directions, which include limiting daily use, said Dr. Merriman. It is known that headaches, nausea and neurologic symptoms, such as tingling and numbness, can occur in people who have jobs that expose them to repeated and prolonged vibration (forklift-truck operators, for example). Therefore, Dr. Merriman advises people to limit initial WBV use to five or 10 minutes a day and then to continue at a moderate pace. To minimize the chance of side effects, physical therapists instruct users to stand on the WBV machine platform with knees slightly bent. Doing so works as a shock absorber, Dr. Merriman said.

So, although WBV may not get you out of “real exercising,” it can be a useful muscle-toning and strengthening add-on to traditional aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise routines.

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