AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, May 13, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- If used properly,
vibration plate exercise machines may help people lose weight and reduce belly
fat, researchers in Belgium said.
Dirk Vissers, a physiotherapist at the Artesis University College and the
University of Antwerp in Belgium, said overweight or obese people who regularly
used the equipment in combination with a calorie restricted diet were more
successful at long-term weight loss and shedding the fat around their abdomen
than those who combined dieting with a more conventional fitness routine.
"Our study, the first to investigate the effects of vibration in obese people,
indicates it's a promising approach. It looks like these machines could be a
useful addition to a weight control package," Vissers said in a statement.
Vissers and colleagues studied the effects of the Power Plate in 61 overweight
or obese people -- mostly women -- for a year. The intervention lasted six
months, after which the scientists advised all the volunteers to do the best
they could with a healthy diet and exercise regime on their own for another six
months.
The vibration group lost about 18.8 square centimeters of visceral fat during
the first six months and still had a loss of about 18.8 square centimeters at 12
months.
The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
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