The Power Plate

Anne Barlow sits in the wheelchair she's occupied for several years, the result of multiple sclerosis. Patty Davis, Midvale Athletic Club general manager, places Barlow's feet on a 2-foot-by-3-foot platform, adjusts some dials and steps back. Immediately, a vibration runs through Barlow's feet, up into her legs, her hips, clear to the top of her head.

She's exercising, using a device called Power Plate. Based on the principle of whole-body vibration, the machine, produced by Power Plate North America LLC, has captured the attention of professional athletes, people with various mobility impairments and folks who simply want a little help to complement their normal workouts.

She says she feels stronger than before she started the several-times-a-week sessions. It's easier for her to shift herself from her wheelchair to bed at night. She sleeps better. And she can even stand for a very short time and lift first one leg and then the other, hanging onto the edge of her dresser. That's something she'd lost the ability to do.

Like a normal, vigorous workout, it leaves her both energized and physically tired, she adds. She hopes that it will help her achieve a big goal — one day being able to walk again.

Power Plate is based on the theory that by disrupting stability in a minor way, both large and small muscles get a workout so overall muscle strength is improved. It's also touted as a way to improve flexibility and range of motion, lose weight and reduce pain, especially in the lower back. It's said to improve blood circulation and reduce joint and ligament pain.

It looks like a big scale, with a pole and handles similar to those found on some treadmills. Athletes can hang onto the handles and do a variety of exercises while it vibrates 30-50 times a second, depending on how it's set. Typically, one schedules 10-minute sessions about three times a week, according to Susan Hardy, owner of the Midvale Athletic Club, where this Power Plate's located.

It's not disruptive, but there's a mild sense of instability. The body seems to respond automatically to try to correct it. And that's the magic, proponents say. On a basic, neural level, all the big and little muscles work to counter the vibration.

Barlow is Hardy's mother. And though she's not the reason Hardy got the device, both mother and daughter are convinced it may change Barlow's life. Davis says it's reduced swelling in Barlow's legs and overall water retention already.