Whole-body vibration platforms are one of the latest fat-fighting trends being promoted by gyms, but some experts say old-fashioned exercise may be the safest route to good health.

Matt Jordan, a trainer at Calgary's Canadian Sport Center, says the machines are effective for high-performance athletes, but he cautions that non-athletes risk injury if they're used incorrectly.

Matt Jordan at the Canadian Sports Centre in Calgary: stick to the basics.
CBC

"I actually wouldn't use it with [the] general population; I say stick to the basics, stick to exercise [and] good diet," Jordan said of the machines, which gently shake the body, prompting the muscles to work as if going through exercise. "There is a real risk to using this platform in the wrong way."

Benno Nigg, a professor of biomechanics at the University of Calgary, says if people feel better because of the machines, they should continue with them. But, he says, the science behind the vibrating platforms is largely inconclusive.

"What the optimal potential frequencies are and the amplitudes that we should use, that's not well understood. At the moment, I think the training is more based on the experience of the applier than on scientific knowledge."

Brenda Videnoff, of Spice Wellness Systems in Calgary, disagrees, saying people will trim their abdomens and hips.

"[A] 10-minute treatment is going to provide them with the equivalent of an hour of strength training and core conditioning in the gym," she says.

At Spice Wellness, you need a membership to use the machines. A one-week membership is $75 for three visits.

Platforms developed by Soviet space program

Vibraslim, one manufacturer of vibrating platforms, says the machines were created by the Soviet space program to help cosmonauts maintain bone density and muscle tissue in zero gravity conditions.

The company says NASA has incorporated its machines into its training program, and they are commonly used by celebrities and sports teams.

Adam McCabe, a long-track speed skater, says he frequently uses the machines as part of a larger training routine.

"It helps me wake up my legs so I can perform better in the weight room, which helps me on the ice with more power."

The makers of the machines warn that they should not be used by people who are pregnant, epileptic or using a pacemaker.