Shake off the pounds: Do vibration plates help with weight loss?

The benefits of vibration plates sound pretty darn good: improved muscle strength and flexibility, enhanced circulation, greater bone density, reduced pain, better balance, and possibly even weight loss. 

The best part? Many claim vibration training can act as a viable alternative to physical exercise, meaning all of these gains with minimal effort.

But does the science hold up? Can standing on a vibrating platform really help you build muscle, boost your metabolism, and lose weight? Let’s explore the evidence.

What is a vibration plate?

A vibration plate — a.k.a a power plate or whole-body vibration machine — is a type of fitness device that generates rapid vibrations to stimulate your muscles (although you might have guessed that from the name!).

When you stand, sit, lie, or perform certain exercises on the plate, the vibrations repeatedly contract and relax your muscles, mimicking the effects of exercise.

Vibration plates can be used as a warm-up tool, during a workout, or to assist with muscle recovery after exercise.

The concept might seem quite new-age, but vibration therapy has actually been around for quite a long time — since ancient Greece, in fact.

Hundreds of years ago, the ancient Greeks believed that vibrations could support injury recovery and used carts on uneven surfaces to produce the pulsations. 

Since then, vibration therapy has been adopted by everyone from NASA to the Russian Olympic team, to prevent bone and muscle loss and enhance recovery.

Can vibration plates help you lose weight?

The big question: is there a link between using a vibration plate and weight loss?

Many claim that there is, and that you only need to use vibration plates for 10-15 minutes each day (or even just a few times a week) to lose weight.

The idea is that the small, rapid muscle contractions triggered by vibration training lead to increased calorie expenditure and improved muscle strength.

The result is more muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism and helps you burn even more calories.

All of this might sound straightforward enough, but success with whole-body vibration training largely comes down to the frequency and intensity of the vibrations, along with what you're doing on the plates.

A 2021 study looked at whole-body vibration and calorie burning and produced some interesting results.

Researchers found that standing on vibration plates is the equivalent of going for a slow walk of about 2.2 miles per hour (3.5 kilometres per hour) while doing half-squats on a vibration plate equates to a 6.5 mph (10.5km/hour) run. 

They concluded that whole-body vibration training can be effective at burning energy, but you need to perform an adequate amount of exercise at the same time [1].

In short, standing on a vibration plate and chilling out with your favourite show on the telly simply won’t cut it.

How many calories can you burn on a vibration plate?

Just like any other form of exercise, the number of calories you burn depends on what kind of activity you’re doing on the plate, plus other factors like your fitness level and body weight.

To give you an idea of how calorie burning can vary, that same 2021 study looked at energy expenditure when participants undertook different exercises on vibration plates and found that [1]:

• Standing on a vibration plate with no vibration burned an average of 1.78 kilocalories per minute
• Standing with vibration used an average of 2.02 kilocalories per minute
• Standing with vibration and wearing a weighted vest carrying 20% of the participant's body weight burned an average of 2.32 kilocalories per minute
• Doing half-squats and wearing a weighted vest on the vibration plate used an average of 5.51 kilocalories per minute (participants did 15 half-squats in 30 minutes with a 30-second rest in between)

Using the data from the study as an example, if you were to stand on a vibration plate for 15 minutes, you might use around 30 kilocalories. But if you were to do half-squats in a weighted vest, you could burn up to 83 kilocalories.

Can vibration plates help you burn fat?

At this stage, evidence that vibration plates can help with fat burning is fairly limited. 

A 2019 meta-analysis found that whole-body vibration was somewhat beneficial when it came to fat loss, but not overly effective at reducing overall body fat percentage. 

The researchers concluded that whole-body vibration helped participants lose an average of 0.76kg of fat mass, versus an average of 0.61kg for control groups who either did training only or no training at all. However, the change in overall body fat percentage wasn’t significant [2].

The bottom line? While vibration plates may be somewhat useful, they shouldn’t be treated as a magic weight loss solution. 

Instead, your best bet is to combine vibration plates with a solid exercise routine, healthy diet, and lifestyle changes rather than relying on them as a standalone method.

Other benefits of using a vibration plate

Beyond supporting weight loss, vibration plates may deliver a few other upsides. 

Increased muscle strength

Some research indicates that vibration therapy can boost muscle strength, particularly in older adults.

A 2020 review found that seniors with sarcopenia (a condition where you lose muscle mass) experienced moderately stronger muscles using whole-body vibration therapy, along with noticeably improved physical performance [3].

Greater flexibility

There’s also some evidence that vibration therapy can enhance flexibility, with one study finding it significantly boosted hamstring flexibility and another concluding that it can increase mobility without causing injury [4].

Improved circulation

Standing on a vibration plate stimulates circulation, which is why it may support healthy blood flow.

A 2015 meta-analysis found that, depending on the pulsation frequency and position, whole-body vibration was effective at boosting blood flow in certain tissues, particularly the blood vessels and skin [5].

Better blood flow is absolutely a good thing, as it can help with recovery, increase oxygen supply throughout the body, and even improve the look of your skin.

Increased bone density

According to a 2014 study, low-intensity vibration therapy may help enhance bone health.

It can promote bone and muscle growth, as well as fracture healing, potentially making it an alternative treatment for conditions like osteoporosis.

The study mentioned that it could be particularly helpful for those who can’t exercise, as it can mimic the positive impacts of physical activity [6].

Better balance

The same study also found that whole-body vibration therapy improved balance and posture when combined with physical activity [6].

Less muscle soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the pain and stiffness you sometimes get after exercising. 

Some research shows that vibration therapy could help prevent and treat DOMS thanks to its ability to boost muscle strength, enhance lymphatic drainage, and raise the pressure pain threshold (meaning, the ability to tolerate a higher degree of pain) [7].

Reduced stress, anxiety and depression

While whole-body vibration therapy offers many physical perks, it could benefit mental and emotional health, too.

A 2022 study examined the impacts of exercise with whole-body vibration, and exercise alone, on depression, anxiety, stress, and overall quality of life among college students.

Both groups showed progress, but the group using whole-body vibration demonstrated a more noticeable improvement [8]. This could be due to the therapy’s relaxing effect.

How to use a vibration plate

Keen to give vibration therapy a go? You might just find a vibration plate at your local gym, but you can also purchase one to use at home.

Once you’ve got your vibration plate sorted, getting started is easy.

1. Set your speed and duration

Most vibration plates are adjustable, allowing you to choose the right intensity and frequency of the pulsations. If you’re new to vibration therapy, begin on a lower setting to get accustomed to the sensations.

2. Get on the plate

You might want to start in a standing position before trying other poses. Get into a relaxed stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Keep your core engaged so you stay stable on the platform.

3. Try different activities

You can remain standing, or try exercises like squats, lunges, or planks (for that last one, your forearms are on the plate while your feet are on the ground).

You could also sit or lie on the plate with your feet on the floor or on the edge of the platform. Sitting or lying down opens you up to other vibration plate exercises like leg raises and pelvic tilts.

4. Cool down

After your session, make sure to do some light stretching to relax your muscles.

Ease into vibration therapy by keeping your initial sessions fairly brief — around 1-2 minutes long. As you become more acquainted with the machine, you could aim for 10-15 minutes per session (or longer if you’re so inclined!).

Lose weight (and get the 411 on vibration plates) with Juniper

Looking to lose weight? 

Juniper's Weight Reset Programme is a hugely effective and supportive solution, with a comprehensive combo of breakthrough weight loss medication (Wegovy or Mounjaro), an app that lets you set goals and track progress, and hands-on guidance from a team of pros — including dietitians, doctors, and health coaches. 

Plus, if you’re curious about using vibration plates to enhance your workouts, the Juniper team can help get your vibration-powered fitness journey off to a strong start. 

Image credit: Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels