Veteran singer Cher has revealed that she’s shaping up for her forthcoming Vega residency by working out on a Power Plate vibration platform.

Speaking to USA Today, Cher revealed that her “beloved” Power Plate machine is part of her workout regime and that she’s also planning on taking up that other celeb fave Yoga again. The thought of putting on a gruelling live show at the age of 61 would make most people think they’d be better off putting their feet up with a nice cup of tea but the Californian singer is having none of it. She’s getting ready to perform 200 shows at the famous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Cher’s been in showbiz since the early 1960s. She found fame as one half of the husband and wife duo Sonny and Cher but subsequently went on to become one of the most famous and successful female solo singers in the world. She is rumoured to be one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world.

Photo credit : johanferreira15

The DKN Pro Vibration Trainer is a light commercial grade vibration platform at the break through price of £799.

With a better spec and more configurable options than equivalent Power Plate machines and at a lower price too, the DKN Pro Vibration Trainer is an ideal home vibration platform for the discerning user.

This simple to use machine features a console with buttons to adjust the time and/or intensity of the workout and easy click programmes which allow you to focus on a body area. It even gives you an illustration of the poses you need to adopt on an LED screen.

Specific programmes are included to target : upper body, lower body, abdominals or the whole body. There’s a manual option as well to define your own personalised workout.

The DKN Pro is available with free mainland UK delivery for just £799 from Sweatband.

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Forty-four year old Elle is quoted in OK magazine as saying : “Even after only two weeks I could see a difference in my legs and stomach. It really works – everything seems so much firmer…”

The six foot tall model, who has been featured in Sports Illustrated’s swimwear special a record-breaking  five times, is also using the Power Plate vibration platform to help her prepare for upcoming ski breaks. She says:  “I am just about to begin my ski conditioning program, and the Power Plate will be a major component of my training for conditioning my core and legs as well as increasing my dynamic stability”.

Australian born Elle has been a model and actress during her career and recently launched her own brand of lingerie. Recent rumours suggest she is dating art curator Vito Schnabel – the 21-year-old son of Oscar-nominated director and artist Julian Schnabe

The “former porker”, as the Daily Mirror somewhat cruelly calls him, is reported to be using his vibration platform whilst performing a series of “resistance moves” at the end of his gruelling aerobic workout.

Widely credited as the creative genius behind Take That’s success, Barlow has also had solo hits and penned chart successes for the likes of Delta Goodrum and Christina Aguilera. However, Gary was never widely accepted as a “heart throb” as his fellow band members were and was often unfairly criticised in the press for his less athletic form.

But with the help of plenty of gym time and his Power Plate vibration training Gary is looking good and ready for more hits and success with his band.

Thirty six year old Gary and the reformed four-piece Take That are nominated for four 2008 Brit Awards.

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UPDATE: Take That won best British live act and British single at the Brits

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Scientific research conducted in the US shows that vibration or “acceleration” training can help build bone density and also help to reduce the frequency of falls in osteoporosis patients.
Osteoporosis is a bone condition which can lead to an increased risk of fractures. Most common in post-menopausal women, it leads to a “thinning” of the bones as bone density is reduced which leaves them likely to break.

Treatment

Traditionally treatment has consisted of medication, nutrition advice and weight-bearing exercise. But recent research into the effect of whole body vibration training appears to show that bone density can be increased through a simple programme of 3 x 30 minutes sessions per week.

Whole body vibration (also known as acceleration training or vibration training) involves standing on a rapidly vibrating platform whilst adopting certain positions to focus the vibration on the correct muscles. As the muscles rapidly contract and relax to counter the vibrations so they are exercised and toned. Research published in the American Journal of Bone Mineral Research has shown that vibration training also leads to an increase in body density similar to that achieved by the weight-bearing exercises normally prescribed for osteoporosis. The whole body vibration programme also has the advantage of delivering results in much shorter sessions than would be required with a conventional exercise programme.

In addition to the increase in bone density the research also showed that the acceleration training led to an improvement in postural control and balance. These effects can help to reduce the risk of falls and therefore reduce the risk of broken bones in osteoporosis patients.

Risks

Whilst osteoporosis is most common in women beyond the menopause it can also affect younger women and men particularly as a result of a hormonal condition or treatment with high dose steroids. Smoking, execessive alcohol consumption and eating disorders are also all risk factors in developing osteoporosis.

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Power Plate is the most widely known brand of whole body vibration training platform but is it the best? Celebrities certainly seem to choose Power Plate and the brand name is synonymous with vibration training in general but there are so many other models to choose from what’s so great about Power Plate?

The company pride themselves on being “the gold standard” in Acceleration Training which they say is down to the “extensive academic and independent scientific research” which they have conducted. Power Plate retain a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board consisting of ten doctors and academics to aid the development of their whole body vibration platform products.

Sleek, modern lines

Aside from the scientific and medical expertise which Power Plate bring to bear on their products there’s no denying that the input of their designers also plays a part in the widespread success of their brand of vibration platforms. Power Plates look cool! The sleek, modern lines and stylish silver, white and black colours mean that their platforms look equally good in the gym, office or home.

Technical specs

But what about the technical specifications? The table below shows a comparison of some of the features between the Power Plate my5 and the similarly priced DKN Technology EXC1 Pro. You can see that the DKN model exceeds the Power Plate in terms of some of the specifications particularly the frequency ranges available and the ability to control the length of time each exercise lasts. Power Plates can perhaps be compared to the Apple line of iPods and Macs - favoured by people who appreciate quality, design and simplicity of use rather than having lots of options to adjust.

The Powerplate My5 is the flagship vibration platform designed by Powerplate specifically for home use.
Based on the celeb and professional athlete fave, the Pro5, this smaller, slimmer model is designed to fit more easily into a home environment.

Taking the premium position in Power Plate’s home user range, the My5 packs in more features than it’s little brother the My3. Over thirty visual exercises and audio instructions can be downloaded onto a video iPod for a personal one-on-one style workout. There’s an additional remote control to the make the system easier to control and special programmes for strength, stretching , massage and relaxation. The actual surface area of the vibration plate is also increased on this model over that provided by the My3.

The Powerplate My5 whole body vibration platform is available in three different colours (white, black and silver) and is stylishly designed in a similar style to the Pro5 models so it’s going to look great in any home and with any decor.

Brian Dillman, of Power Plate North America said: “We’ve been thrilled with the rapid emergence of the Power Plate® pro5, and we believe the my5 will bring Acceleration Training to a level of mass acceptance because it provides the benefits of our industrial unit at half the cost.”

The Power Plate My5 is available in the UK from Totally Fitness for just £3495. Various finance options are also available which could mean that you can have a Powerplate My5 in your home for less than £130 a month. Visit the site for more details.

USA - Click here for US supplier of Power Plate My5

Top range vibration platforms are a wow with the celeb crowd but they come with a celeb-sized price tag too. Now vibration training is within the reach of you and me and just because it’s more affordable doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any less effective. The big price tag on models such as the higher priced Powerplates is partly down to the fact that these machines are built to be used day in, day out in busy gyms. A home use vibration plate is probably only going to be used 15 minutes a day so there’s really no need to fork out for a commercial grade machine.

The Carl Lewis Fitness Vibration Trainer (CEA001) is available from Amazon for just £99.99 and that includes free delivery too. It features sixteen speed levels and three programmes to enable you to develop at your own pace. It also has a height adjustment feature to suit taller or shorter users and is small and portable enough to be used in the home and then easily stored away.

Also available at Amazon is the Body Sculpture Power Toner (BM1501) which is also reduced to just £99.99 including free delivery. Three automatic and three timed programmes are supported at nine different speed levels.

Writing in a blog posting on the BBC Radio 2 website Chris said :

“You don’t sweat, you don’t have to get changed into gym gear. Elederly people can use it, Man United use it - apparently. It’s a miniature miracle. How it works, I have no idea but my giddy aunt, does it work ? yes it does.”

Chris, once famed for his all day booze sessions with then wife Billy Piper, is taking a more prosaic attitude to his well-being since turning forty. He writes:

“Aerobically I’m still quite wheezie but speaking as a brand new forty one year old I’m looking forward to my toned middle age. Buff oh yeh.”

Photo credit : The_Admiralty. Used under license

A career as the most successful woman in pop, a devoted mother and political campaigner can’t leave Madonna much time for heading down to the gym and yet she still looks amazing. No wonder she became an enthusiastic Powerplate vibration platform user to get the maximum benefit from the short time she has available to work out.

Madonna has been one of America’s most successful and popular exports for over twenty-five years. She’s sold more that 200 million albums worldwide and been a profound influence on female singer-songwriters. She’s also a style and fashion trendsetter to whom many look for guidance on what is going to be in vogue. Perhaps it’s because of this reputation as trend pioneer that so many people took an interest in Powerplate vibration training when Madonna started using one.

Madonna has been turning heads throughout her career with her frequent changes of images but one thing that’s stayed consistent is her toned, slim physique. She obviously takes her exercise seriously and at 47 she looks fitter and healthier than some of her fellow popstars twenty years younger (and we don’t just mean Amy Winehouse!)

And we shouldn’t forget that women in particular are at increased risk of osteoporosis beyond the age 40. Weight bearing exercises and an active lifestyle can help strengthen the bones as can sessions on a vibration platform. Looks like Madonna shouldn’t have too much to worry about on that score then!

Photo credit : annodam used under license