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Whole-body vibration still shaking things up

Posted: Nov 29th 2007 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Fitness

I stood on a whole-body vibration machine recently. Didn't like it. Couldn't wait to get off the darn thing, in fact. For those who like shaking about on a platform designed to enhance fitness and promote weight loss, though, maybe this vibrating thing is wise step in the direction of overall health. Or is it?

There's no definite evidence that whole body vibration provides any fitness or weight-loss benefits, says Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward Laskowski, M.D. It may even be harmful for people with certain medical conditions, such as low back pain, or women who are pregnant.

Manufacturers of vibrating platforms claim that training sessions of only a few minutes twice a week can produce measurable effects. How can this be? How can merely standing still while your body shakes be effective? It can't, says Laskowski, who reports that we can't get the benefits of physical activity without doing any of the work. Passive exercise via vibration just isn't an effective means of increasing your endurance, flexibility, strength, or stability. Maybe, just maybe, it's possible to burn a few extra calories but if you're looking for any measurable weight loss or fitness gains, nothing works as well as good old-fashioned exercise.

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