Power Plate Exercises

From April 2008 onwards, clients of "Pilates in the Berkshire - Health in Motion" will have the opportunity to benefit from acceleration-, or as it is also called, vibration-technology. Designed in Russia in the 1970s to assist cosmonauts in regaining muscle lost during their time out of gravity, this technology multiplies the impact of any exercise. I am not one easily impressed by any kind of machine but I was really amazed by how deeply this technology helps to work not just your body, but your nervous and lymphatic system and even your brain!
It does not substitute for your own effort and time(nor is it as versatile and fun), but is a powerful enhancement of any workout and particularly useful in the prevention and recovery from injury, in preventing boneloss, and improving circulation. Even some MS patients have found this technology to be extraordinarily helpful.

More about the benefits (and the contra indications) of vibration technology at www.powerplate.com.

The newly arrived Powerplate - March 29, 2008

I am a purist of sort and not really into exercise fads and lots of machines, but I have to say, this piece of equipment does impress me. I put out my lower back badly when moving house a couple of weeks ago, and stretching on the reformer and then letting the vibration of the powerplate work on the spasms in my back made it feel 85% better. Plus, the sensation of having worked at a level you cannot normally get to is just fantastic - deep and as though three times the amount of blood is going through the system.
I am looking forward to keeping experimenting with it!

More about the powerplate, April 6, 2008

I don't know whether it is my excellent new chiropractor (Kristine Olsen in Great Barrington), the power plate or a combination of both, but I am really excited about the changes I am seeing in my body since working with these. I am reading up about the power plate and a lot of the scientific data supports my own experience - more power and endurance doing aerobic exercise (running and cycling) and a lot more flexibility as well (hamstrings in particular).
And it seems my clients can do more push-ups or triceps-dips when they are doing them on the plate than on the floor.

Too good to be true? I am wondering every day and keeping going to learn and find out more. (It does help to know that there is a long history behind this technology and a lot of competitive athletes as well as hospitals are using it....)