Power plate technology may have been used by Russian cosmonauts in space, but folks firmly based on Mother Earth will also find this device provides health benefits for them, too.

Vladimir Nazarov, a Russian scientist who studied the benefits of activating muscles through vibration, was the catalyst for this health-enhancing technique. His discoveries helped Russian space travellers to strengthen muscle and bone tissue during missions carried out in almost zero gravity environments. Without the resistance provided by gravity, cosmonauts found that muscles were more likely to atrophy, and that bones lost some mineral density. To counter this effect, the Russians used technology similar to power plate to strengthen their bodies.

Here on earth, the aging process also weakens muscles and bones. Weak muscles and bones can also contribute to the risk of falling, and to losing coordination, balance and endurance. But power plate works to counter these problems.

Power plate is built as a platform with a vibrating base. This base, broad enough to accommodate a person exercising in a deep squat, moves up and down some 25 to 50 times in one second. A conventional workout can gain intensity with an individual exercising on a power plate machine; the added tension contributed with the power plate can result in better muscle definition, tone, and power.

Even those individuals not actively looking for a better looking body can gain from power plate therapy. Those seeking help after a stroke can gain health benefits more quickly, and will probably find that their balance, gait, and core stability are enhanced. This enables patients to stand and to walk sooner than they might otherwise have.

And since the human body naturally becomes stronger when challenged, power plate technology can contribute to better balance and more endurance. As the body is challenged with a combination of vibration and strength training, it comes to adapt itself to the new work load. This means that power plate users can come to expect less fatigue and higher energy levels.

Power plate technology also feels good because the vibration of muscle tissue works to increase blood flow. When exercised, muscles pump in fresh oxygen and micro and macro nutrients, and work to cleanse themselves by shedding the byproducts carbon dioxide and lactic acid. An increased blood flow to muscular tissue means this process can happen even more efficiently.

Given all these health benefits, it's easy to see why power plate can help you to feel—well, out of this world.