Exercise is clearly the hidden tool that many fail to use to achieve high-level wellness. I have been exercising since 1968 and have been very fit most of my life. I attribute much of my success to being in excellent physical shape.

I am always intrigued with new technology as it applies to health. This technology sounded really intriguing to me, so I contacted one of the top personal trainers in the Chicago area, Tony Bruno, who will likely be joining our practice as an exercise coach. Sure enough, he had some good insights on this. He is an expert on muscle activation techniques.

Tony felt the technology was great and had been proven to improve proprioception, strength and balance and decrease sway in the elderly, ESPECIALLY in rehab to increase circulation.

A vibration platform is also useful for athletes as it improved their speed and vertical jump height and decreased their warm-up time. He also felt it's a great way to do warm-up sets, as it would cut down warm up time in half and increase a patient's strength and range of motion.

Because he felt that the platform did cause a temporary decrease in joint stability, the only time Tony would recommend an athlete not use it was before an event, as they were going to need to be in top form. But it would be an excellent addition to the training phase of their program.

However, he also felt it was not a good idea to use this all the time, as it may be counterproductive. Overall, it seems like a great adjunct to a comprehensive exercise strategy. Some of the pieces of equipment can cost from $5,000 to $10,000, but Soloflex makes one for under $500.

Here's an excerpt of a Vital Votes comment in which Rehab, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach Joshua Rubin from the CHEK Institute in Vista, California adds the following:

"This is an excerpt from Amy Andrews' thesis paper for becoming a CHEK Level 4. This entire paper below is referenced from her research and findings:

"After twelve weeks of steady use once, twice or three times per week with 20 subjects, including myself, I am happy to share with you the very positive effects my clients and I have enjoyed due to use of the Power Plate:

1. Increased endocrine balance ...

2. Increased range of motion ...

3. Improved circulation and lymphatic return ...

4. Rapid growth of lean muscle ...

5. Improved proprioception, balance, righting and tilting reflexes ...

6. Loss of subcutaneous fat ...

7. While my clients hope to see, over time, reversal of bone loss, they have baseline bone density measurements to compare to ...

8. Pain reduction ...

9. Increased energy ...

"Overall, myself included, all members of the trial feel better each time they use the Power Plate."

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