"Many years ago, my brother-in-law was renovating an 18th-century house in New Orleans. As I spent the day searching through piles of moldy copies of Peanuts comics, I found a (still working!) 1950s-style fat-jiggler machine. From the Remington Beltmaster to the classic Shake Weight, many gimmicky fitness devices over the years have tried to capitalize on the concept of dynamic inertia to help us get toned and lose weight."
"Most human beings don't like to move, even though moving is how you maintain your muscle mass and, you know, how you stay alive. A vibrating device offers you a mystical promise: You can trick yourself into exercising while staying absolutely still, as long as you're standing on, near, or holding something that's vibrating! Violently! Anyway, this is a long way to go about saying that for a few weeks, I have been vibrating myself while watching Train to Busan and other zombie movies."
"If you've never seen or heard of a vibration plate, don't worry, you will. Every mildly fitness-interested person has gotten served ads for these. Right now, I'm using the Merach vibration plate. (I used to have the EZLife HitGo ($100), but it inexplicably stopped working a month or so ago.) The Merach version feels sturdy and is incredibly easy to set up. Just plug it in and pop some AAA batteries into the included remote."
Vibration plates use dynamic inertia to transfer movement to a standing or holding user, promising passive exercise. Many gimmicky fitness devices have used this idea, from the Remington Beltmaster to the Shake Weight. Vibration plates can provide modest benefits for maintaining muscle and are convenient for passive use, such as watching films. Affordable models can be easy to set up, include presets and remotes, and support substantial weight limits. Device durability and effectiveness vary across brands, and meaningful weight loss usually requires traditional exercise and broader lifestyle changes.
Read at WIRED
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