WHOLE BODY VIBRATION TRAINING

For fitness fanatics in search of ways to shake up their workout routines, a new kind of exercise may be just the ticket. Whole body vibration training promises to make getting in shape easier than ever.

All you have to do is climb aboard a specially designed platform, which generates vibrations in the range of 35 to 50 Hertz. In response to the vibratory stimulation, your muscles reflexively contract and relax dozens of times per second, without your conscious effort.

Manufacturers of vibration platforms claim that by simply standing, sitting, or lying on the new-fangled exercise equipment for 10 minutes a day, users can work up a sweat while they increase their muscular strength, flexibility, and bone mass. Even better, manufacturers say the machines can shake off excess body fat and shimmy away unsightly cellulite.

Scientific research supports some, but not all, of these claims. Nonetheless, total body vibration training is showing all the signs of becoming the latest, greatest fitness craze.

Although several studies support the notion that whole body vibration can boost muscular strength and flexibility, there's less evidence to suggest that it can promote weight loss or reduce body fat. Most scientific studies performed to date have demonstrated modest, if any, reductions in body weight and fat mass, even after 24 weeks of regular use.

The greatest benefit of vibration training may lie in its potential to increase bone mass. The results of a 2004 study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that a training program that includes vibratory stimulus may reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.