As we get older, many of us find we can’t walk or move the way we used to. While this can be partly explained as an inevitable symptom of ageing, a range of diseases – including Parkinson’s disease, sarcopenia, fibromyalgia and osteoporosis – can also make it more difficult for us to move.
People with these conditions are often told they should exercise as it can strengthen their muscles and bones. But for someone who already finds movement difficult, getting the amount of exercise needed to see improvements will be hard.
Whole-body vibration training involves standing, sitting or even lying on a machine with a vibrating platform. While the person performs different strength or balancing exercises, the machine delivers vibrations at different frequencies, typically ranging from 10-40Hz.
While the platform vibrates, it stimulates the muscle fibres, causing them to contract and relax – sometimes up to 60 times a second. This makes the exercise the person is performing more effective.
The reason whole-body vibration training is gaining interest is because it’s easier to do than regular exercise. This means even people who can’t exercise normally can still get similar benefits as they would from exercising. And for people who do exercise regularly, it could provide additional health benefits – including improved strength and stability.
It’s thought that whole-body vibration training can improve physical function for many of the same reasons exercise does. Research shows it can improve muscle and bone quality, increase bone mineral density and even improve communication between our muscles and nervous system. Together, these changes make bones and muscles stronger and more efficient. This may reduce the risk of falls and fractures, and may even prevent diseases from developing.
HOW DOES A VIBRATION PLATE WORK?
Vibration plates use high-frequency vibrations to stimulate the body's muscles. The vibrations from the vibration plate are conveyed through your body as you stand, sit, or lie on it, causing your muscles to contract and relax quickly. The fast contraction and relaxation of the muscles are referred to as a "muscle reflex," and they can assist in increasing circulation, flexibility, and muscle strength.
Vibrations from the vibration plate can also lead to a decrease in the synthesis of cortisol, a stress hormone, and an increase in the production of growth hormone. This may reduce inflammation, improve overall health, and potentially boost muscle growth.
A number of vibration plates have programmable settings and adjustable options that let you target particular muscle groups and meet specific training objectives.
BENEFITS OF VIBRATION PLATES
1. REDUCED BONE LOSS
A number of studies have shown that whole-body vibration therapy can reduce bone loss and increase bone mineral density. Though the exact mechanisms that it does so are unclear, researchers believe that vibration exercise increases osteoblast activity, which controls bone growth. Increased bone density and less bone loss may result from this.
It has also been demonstrated that vibration exercise reduces osteoclast activity, which controls bone resorption. This is the process by which bone tissue is broken down.
By increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the bones and tissues, vibration exercise can enhance circulation. This may lower the risk of bone loss and help with bone development and regeneration.¹
2. HELPS WEIGHT LOSS
Whole body vibration machine exercise may help in weight loss in a number of ways. Exercise on a vibration plate can raise metabolic rate, which increases calorie burn and promotes weight loss. According to one study, vibration plate exercise enhanced adults who were overweight or obese's resting metabolic rates, suggesting that it may be a useful strategy to raise metabolism and promote weight loss.
Vibration plate exercise may strengthen your muscles, which will help you burn more calories and lose weight. Vibration plate training has been shown to boost muscle strength and lead to weight loss in obese individuals.³
Vibrating plate exercise may also assist in reducing appetite and lowering food intake, which results in weight loss.
3. INCREASES MUSCLE RECOVERY
Exercise on a vibration plate helps improve blood circulation to the muscles, which can assist in promoting muscle healing and repair. In one study, vibration plate training improved blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles in healthy people, indicating that it might be a useful strategy to speed up muscle recovery.⁵
Using a vibration plate during an exercise program may also help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness and inflammation. According to one study, vibration plate training significantly reduced athletes' post-eccentric exercise muscle soreness and inflammation.⁶
4. INCREASES MUSCLE STRENGTH
Progressive whole-body vibration exercise can improve muscle strength by increasing muscle activation, which promotes more muscle recruitment. Comparing vibration plate exercise to conventional exercises like squats and lunges.
Body vibration plate exercises can enhance neuromuscular coordination, which in turn can help improve muscle strength and control
Vibration plate workouts can also boost the synthesis of growth hormone, which is crucial for repairing and growing new muscle.
5. DECREASES MUSCLE SORENESS
Exercise with a vibration plate can promote lymphatic drainage, which aids in the removal of waste and lowers inflammation in the muscles. Vibration plate exercise enhanced lymphatic drainage and decreased inflammation in the muscles following an exercise session.
6. IMPROVED BALANCE
Training using vibration plates can enhance proprioception, which is the capacity to perceive changes in body position and motion. By enabling the body to more accurately feel and react to changes in position and motion, improved proprioception can help in improving balance.
7. IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY
Vibration plate exercises may increase range of motion and flexibility, which can help lower the risk of injury and speeds up muscle recovery. In a study on healthy adults, vibration plate workouts increased range of motion and enhanced flexibility more than conventional stretching exercises.
8. LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
By better endothelial function, higher nitric oxide generation, and decreased sympathetic nervous system activity, studies indicate that vibration plate training may be an efficient strategy to lower blood pressure. However, more investigation is required to completely comprehend the mechanisms underlying this benefit and to establish the ideal frequency, duration, and intensity of vibration plate training for lowering blood pressure.¹³
9. BOOSTS IMMUNITY
Training using vibration plates helps improve lymphatic flow, which carries immune cells throughout the body. Increased immune cell circulation and an improvement in their capacity to recognize and get rid of infections are two ways that improved lymphatic flow might assist in boosting immunity.
10 LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE
The lymphatic system, also known as the lymphoid system, lacks its own active pumping mechanism. It needs the optimal movement of your muscles, intestines, and lungs, to flush the toxins out of the organism. Unhealthy eating, a sedentary lifestyle, and obesity usually slow down the work of these organs, which leads to poor lymph drainage.
Usually, excess lymph waste occurs due to unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, and poor sleeping habits. These negative lifestyle factors clog up the lymph system and affect the normal work of many other systems, including the immune function
A vibration plate increases lymphatic drainage by improving circulation. The lymphatic system functions only when muscles move. Much like the blood vessels and arteries in our body, a fluid called Lymph runs all through the body.
WHO SHOULD USE VIBRATION PLATES?
A variety of users, including athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those new to exercise, can benefit from using vibration plates. However, the following groups may especially benefit from exercising on a vibration plate:
Older adults: Vibration plates may be especially helpful for seniors as they age since they can aid with balance, coordination, and muscle strength. This may lower the chance of falls and other accidents. The improvement of bone density, which is crucial for avoiding osteoporosis in elderly persons, has also been linked to vibration plates.
People with limited mobility: Folks who have arthritis or joint problems can benefit from vibration plates as a low-impact type of exercise. It may be easier to move and exercise by reducing stiffness and soreness in the joints and improving circulation with the plate's vibrations.
Athletes & fitness enthusiasts: Vibration plates may be an effective tool for athletes and fitness enthusiasts aiming to enhance their performance and recovery are vibration plates.
People trying to lose weight: Vibration training burns calories and increases metabolism, both of which help with weight loss.
Now that you know who should use these awesome machines and the benefits they can provide you might want to consider buying one yourself.
WHO SHOULDN'T USE VIBRATION PLATES?
The following groups should not work out on a vibration plate:
Those with a history of blood clots: It's vital for people with a history of blood clots to avoid vibration plate training since the vibrations from the plates can enhance blood flow and possibly dislodge blood clots.
People with specific medical disorders: Due to the potential hazards and complications connected with these conditions, people with certain medical conditions, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or heart disease, may not be good candidates for vibration plate training.
Pregnant women: Training on vibration plates may not be safe for pregnant women because the vibrations could potentially harm the fetus.
People who have pacemakers or other medical devices: It's crucial for people who have pacemakers or other medical devices to avoid vibration plate training because the vibrations from the plates could potentially interfere with the device.