This technology sounded really intriguing to me, so I contacted one of the top personal trainers in the Chicago area, Tony Bruno, who will likely be joining our practice and, sure enough, he had some good insights on this. He is an expert on muscle activation techniques.
Tony felt the technology was great and had been proven to improve proprioception, strength and balance and decrease sway in the elderly, ESPECIALLY in rehab to increase circulation. A vibration platform is also useful for athletes as it improved their speed and vertical jump height and decreased their warm up time. He also felt it's a great way to do warm-up sets, as it would cut down warm up time in half and increase a patient's strength and range of motion.
Because he felt that the platform did cause a temporary decrease in joint stability, the only time Tony would recommend an athlete not use it was before an event, as they were going to need to be in top form. But it would be an excellent addition to the training phase of their program.
However, he also felt it was not a good idea to use this all the time, as it may be counterproductive. Overall, it seems like a great adjunct to a comprehensive exercise strategy. Some of the pieces of equipment, as the article mentions, can cost from $5-10K, but Soloflex makes one for under $500.
USA Today December 27, 2006