More power to you!

Jan 20 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

More power to you Katy!

IF it’s good enough for Madonna…

Power plates are the new celebrity fitness craze to hit gyms on the high street. Up and down the country, men and women are jumping on vibrating plates in a bid to tone up and lose inches. Digital reporter Katy Gordon went along to try it out in Perth...

WHEN I first heard about Powerplates, I’ll admit I had misconceptions. I assumed that you stood on the machine and it jiggled the fat away. That, to me, sounded great: Working out with none of the sweating and effort. Probably, I reasoned, why the Queen of Pop, Claudia Schiffer and Colin Montgomerie used it as their exercise of choice.

It turned out to be more involved than that.

All of the instructors at Perth Leisure Pool have to be trained to teach people how to use the machine. There are even classes for those too timid to go it alone. For an exercise newbie like myself, it is reassuring to know you are in safe hands.

I was told by my instructor that the point of Powerplates was to send vibrations through my muscles, so that they expanded and contracted much more quickly than during normal exercise. This means that half an hour of Powerplates can have more of an effect than half an hour of toning exercises.

And that point was soon hammered home, as the instructor got me onto the machine and squatting (like I was sitting on an invisible chair). Then the machine started, and I had to hold that stance for 30 seconds.

The strangest sensation during my Powerplates session was the feeling in different parts of my body. Initially I would get the vibration feeling in one part, then after about 10 or 15 seconds, I would get a secondary feeling in the muscle being targeted by the exercise. And the great thing about Powerplates is that it was so intense, the feeling that it was actually working came soon.

One point that was stressed, however, was that Powerplates alone is not a full workout. A cardio routine would have to be included in any exercise regime, as Powerplates alone wouldn’t do the job.

Because of the various intensities of the work outs, Powerplates is suitable for most ages and abilities, and the creators claim that using the machine for just 15 minutes, three times a week will reduce cellulite and improve blood flow.

Twenty minutes later and I was onto the cool down, which involved me lying down with my legs on the plate and relaxing. I was weary and slightly sore from the work out. Ten minutes after that I was done, and it felt as though I’d been using weights for hours.

And the deciding factor that Powerplates was a success? My legs were aching the next morning!

lFollow Katy Gordon’s weight loss exploits on her new blog, Thin Girl Inside, at www.thingirlinside.co.uk