The secret stretching aid?

[4711]

I found this while surfing.
I can't tell the date on the article.
Have you heard about this?
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-06-22-olympic-flexibility_N.htm

About the size of a shoebox, with a domed lid and covered in gray vinyl, the device doesn't do anything except vibrate at a particular frequency when it's plugged in.

But when athletes from swimmers to skaters put an ankle, a thigh or a hip to it — or use an adapted rod version that can be rested on a shoulder — amazing things happen to their flexibility.

[Query]

Please don't let me damp your enthusiasm, but one very minor caution:

AFAICT, that isn't the official USA Today website. If you search for that title on the official USA Today website, you won't find anything. Maybe I did that wrong, but it isn't completely impossible that this is advertising hype, mascarading as an official USA Today article.

If such a thing could work, it might just be warming you up - which you could do by simpler and cheaper means.

[4711]

Onion?

Quite possible.

[rachelplotkin]

Isn't the date in the url? 6-22-08

[Query]

What is an "onion"?

It is probably just my overly skeptical attitude, and the lack of skepticism I expect of good journalism, but the article sounded just a little too good to be true.

I just searched again, within the appropriate year, at the USA Today archives

  http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday

I still can't find the article, though I found the author. But it maybe I searched wrong, so I'm not willing to say for certain that it is fake.

So don't let me discourage you. Maybe it works, and the device will turn you into Sasha Cohen.

[alejeather]

What is an "onion"?

The Onion is a satirical news site. Some of their stuff is very funny.

[4711]

I looked at the site. I mean, I am generally not gullible...if something is too good to be true, it usually is! If that machine works as described...it would be in store shelves 'as seen on TV'

Would be cool though.

It's a SECRET DEVICE!!! 

I know, point and laugh! 

[Query]

I wasn't saying you were gullible. Lots of stretching aids and exercises do work, within limits. I have no specific reason to say that the the indicated device isn't one of them.