Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: @thekelseyrose_ on Instagram, @samanthabanwer on TikTok

It’s somehow still January, and my algorithm won’t let me forget it. But amid all the posts trying to convince me this will be the year I start bench-pressing and taking protein shots, some people are taking a different approach to their 2026 fitness routines. My feed is suddenly full of women who swear by jiggling their bodies on vibration plates.

A vibration plate is basically just a platform that you stand on to rapidly shake your flesh and muscles. Machines like the Power Plate — which Serena Williams has said she uses to help with recovery after intense workouts — have been in gyms for years. Now, influencers are raving about the benefits of adding a vibration plate to your morning routine and sharing affiliate links to at-home versions, which cost anywhere from $70 to more than $3,000.

According to believers, vibration plates can help with everything from weight loss to stress. Gary Brecka — a self-proclaimed longevity expert who has worked with Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber — says standing on one can help improve bone density and circulation and support lymphatic drainage. On Instagram, women say they’re “addicted” to their vibration plates as a way to reduce bloating and puffiness. Some vibrate to decompress while wearing a red-light mask, while others are using their plates to supercharge their workouts. The biohacker Dave Asprey claims that lifting weights on a vibration plate is a shortcut to building muscle, and fitness influencers are filming themselves doing squats and planks on them. On TikTok, one woman struggling with depression said that using a vibration plate changed her life by helping to regulate her nervous system. Others claim sitting on one in the morning can help keep you regular.

Standing on a device that jiggles your body does seem more fun than going to the gym. But when I called up Lauren Colenso-Semple, a muscle-physiology researcher at McMaster University, she advised me to save my money. Most of the hype around vibration plates is focused on the idea that they support lymphatic drainage — and therefore will make you look slimmer. But unless you have a serious medical condition or are recovering from major surgery, your lymphatic system is probably working just fine, says Colenso-Semple. While a vibration plate can help increase blood flow and circulation, all exercise does that. In general, moving your body has well-documented mental-health benefits, and light movement can help with recovery and muscle soreness. “The vibration plate isn’t doing anything unique,” says Colenso-Semple.

And it’s definitely not a replacement for your typical workout. Ultimately, the calories burned by standing on a vibration plate are negligible. “It’s not a weight-loss hack by any means,” says Colenso-Semple. If your goal is to increase muscle or bone density, you’ll get more bang for your buck by lifting heavy weights than trying to balance on a wobbly board. That’s not to say that vibration plates are totally useless. But according to Colenso-Semple, they’re mostly beneficial for helping improve circulation and stimulate muscle for people who, for a variety of reasons, are physically unable to do traditional exercise. The rest of us are probably better off going for a walk.

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