You Don't Actually Need a Vibration Plate, but TikTok Disagrees

Woman in gray tank top and gray workout pants sits on yoga mat and stretches bent arms behind head while twisting — Getty Images For Unsplash+

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Who wouldn't want an easy way to accomplish all their health goals while doing… basically nothing?

All of us, that's who. And it's a promise we've been chasing after since the dawn of time – or, at least since the 1960s, when exercise belts came into fashion. The dream is to be able to relax, without a drop of sweat breaking out on your face, while watching your favorite show or scrolling TikTok, and the whole time, you're improving your own health. And that's exactly what vibration plates promise — tons of benefits with almost zero effort. But do they deliver on that promise?

Starting in 2024, yet still ramping up their sales pitches today, TikTokers have been selling vibration plates as the latest fad. They look an awful lot like Wii Fit boards, which provided a childhood of fun to an entire generation. But instead of pretending to jump from a ski slalom or playing Balance Bubble, today's kids will be getting the benefit of sitting still while buzzing at high speed.

There are plenty of touted benefits to vibration plates. All you have to do is stand or sit on it for a while, and your muscles react to the constant vibrations. Surprisingly enough, they may help people burn fat, help heal and build up muscles after a workout. You might improve your cortisol and bl**d pressure levels, lowering your daily stress levels, and assisting with lymphatic drainage.

One of their benefits is for older folks, who can perform balance and strength training on it — some evidence suggests that these things can be good for osteoporosis treatments. For those with a sedentary lifestyle, using this plate could offer numerous benefits just by getting their circulation up. So while it might not greatly benefit a 35-year-old woman who runs 15 miles a week and eats a Mediterranean diet, it might be worth it to buy one of these things for your 95-year-old Grandpa, who can rest his legs on it while watching his shows.

In order to show off the benefits of the latest trendy workout tool, TikTokers got creative with it! Some performed beauty routines while buzzing at 20-60 vibrations per second on these vibration plates. Other people discovered that their pets couldn't get enough of these plates. And of course, you can find a bevy of reviews, too, both positive and negative.

Tiktoker @elinayael_ applying mascara while on vibration plate

Photo via @zenithmoonco

Photo via @catsareblessing

While these plates are certainly on-trend at the moment, you may think twice before spending a ton of cash on them. There’s a huge price range, from about $50 (from brands like Shein) to as much as $3000+ for high-end models.

TikTok seems like it always has at least one miracle health device at any given time. The Ninja Creami is another of these things. Its appeal is that it can turn almost any smoothie or ice cream ingredients into perfectly-textured ice cream or sherbet. The options are endless! Much like the vibration plate, your health results will vary. If you only use the Creami for ice cream, you won’t see the same benefits as if you’re making kale-carrot-celery-pineapple sherberts. If you only use the vibration plate a few times a year, or use it while otherwise having an unhealthy lifestyle, the benefits just might not appear for you.

I could also mention another product that’s been frequently advertised on TikTok – a suspiciously inexpensive Pilates reformer board. No tea or shade to any particular brand. I just don’t trust the flimsy, cheap versions of this thing not to crumble into a pile of sharp plastic upon first use. It also comes with resistance bands which again, I do think would snap me into the next dimension if I ever tried to use them, but we’ll call that a potential user error rather than a product issue.

That’s the issue with a lot of TikTok products, isn’t it? The app is great for inspiration, but if you buy the cheapest of any of these health products, you might just wind up with an expensive pile of garbage that breaks after the first few uses.

TikTokers love to discover and promote their newest health products, but rest assured, you can get most of the same benefits elsewhere. No need to pay hundreds for expensive health stuff that’ll just rot in the back of your closet after a few months, or pay like $10 for a cheapie version that is no good. The choice is up to you. But if you do decide to hop on the bandwagon, at least there are dozens, if not hundreds, of TikTokers leaving reviews for us all to decide for ourselves.

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