Power plates, the new fitness craze, with apparently 20 machines being sold every weekend in Harrods, it's the new way to work out.

On Home-Gym-Fitness-Equipment, we looked at and reviewed the power plate machine in an earlier article, and decided to take another look the machine that seems to be "shaking up" the fitness equipment industry.

With the likes of Madonna, P-Diddy, Claudia Schiffer and Natalie Imbruglia all claiming to own a power plate machine and use it in their fitness routine it's certainly creating a quite stir. Many gyms here in the UK are actually charging people for session on this machine as well as regarding it as a revolution in fitness equipment.

Manufacturers of the machine claim that the vibrating platform offers the same benefits of an hour long workout in just 15 minutes!

As with all these things I think that user interaction is required, if you're just going to stand on the thing and expect to shed pounds and get the body of a Greek god, I'm sure you'll have another think coming.

I agree the item in theory works as the machine was originally developed by Russian scientist Vladimir Nazarov, where whole body vibration training was used to prevent astronauts' muscles and bones wasting away when they were in space, but as with everything in this market it's to be taken as a part of your current exercise routine rather than giving up all exercise to sit on a power plate 3 times a week.

Instead of jogging or power walking, users are instructed to do gentle exercises like squats or stretches on the platform, It's very much like constant stability exercise combined with isometric contractions, which you can do at home for free. But it does offer users a varied exercise routine and anything that promotes exercise can't be bad!

As long as these sorts of thing are used in conjunction with regular exercise then you'll certainly develop your fitness program, if you're looking to stand on a vibrating plate, watch TV and get the body you've dreamed of, I don't think it's for you. If you are looking for a new exercise machine to add to a varied routine then this may be right up your street!

You can find and buy power plate machines at very reasonable prices and rather than signing up to classes at a gym maybe you could look into getting your own power plate machine.