Vibration exercise is a form of neuromuscular training used to improve muscular strength, physical power, exercise recovery and flexibility. It involves standing or sitting on specialized machines that feature a vibrating plate. You then perform body-weight exercises or stretches you might otherwise do on solid ground. Understanding the benefits and possibilities of vibration exercise training can help you decide how to incorporate it into your exercise routine.
How Vibration Exercise Works
When you stand on a vibration machine, your body receives oscillating vibrations. Whole-body vibration machines allow you to set the rate and intensity of these vibrations by setting the frequency and amplitude through buttons on the machine's console. Exercises performed while the machine is vibrating require greater body control and muscle activation than those done without vibration. Your muscles contract 30 to 50 times per second while on a vibration machine --- up to 50 times more than they would without the vibration, "Time" magazine reported in 2006. You should hold exercises for 30 to 90 seconds; you can complete an entire routine in as little as 10 minutes.
Potential
You can perform traditional strength-training exercises like lunges, squats, push-ups, plank holds and step-ups on a vibration machine, without any added weights. A study published in 2003 in the journal "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" found that training on a whole-body vibration machine increased leg strength in previously untrained women as effectively as traditional resistance work. Whole-body vibration training also improved participants' jump height beyond that of regular resistance training. Doctors at the German Sanaderm clinic also found that whole-body vibration training can diminish the appearance of cellulite. Even highly trained athletes benefit from vibration training for flexibility, a 2006 study published in "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise" noted. Competitive male gymnasts at the U.S. Olympic Training Center experienced a more significant increase in their range of motion after using vibration training to improve flexibility than with static stretching alone.
Special Populations
People who are not able to do traditional weight-based resistance training benefit from whole-body vibration training. Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Edward R. Laskowski noted improvements in balance in the elderly and increased bone mineral density in post-menopausal women after vibration exercise training. Whole-body vibration machines also allow people who suffer from Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis to strength-train without using weights, which are sometimes too heavy or cumbersome for their physical limitations.
Considerations
Whole-body vibration machines range in cost from $8,500 to $10,000 according to the IDEA Health and Fitness Association. Vibration training may offer benefits, but, for most people, should not be done at the exclusion of other modes of strength-training exercises. For your first session on a whole-body vibration machine, start with the lowest frequency and amplitude settings. Hold a few exercises --- like a high squat, a push-up and a V-sit --- for 30 seconds. Work up to higher frequency and amplitude settings over time and incorporate more exercises as you become stronger and more confident in your abilities.
Warning
People with specific conditions should not participate in whole-body vibration training. Pregnant women along with people with back problems, heart conditions, artificial hips or knees, open wounds, pacemakers and acute thrombosis should stay away. Consult a trainer familiar with vibration training before using a machine for the first time, to be sure you fully understand how it works.
References
- "Research Into the Effects of Vibration Training on Cellulite"; Horst Frank, M.D.;
- "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"; Strength Increase after Whole-Body Vibration Compared with Resistance Training; Christophe Delecluse et al.; 2003
- "Time" magazine; A New Way to Shake off the Pounds; Catherine Sharick; Sept. 5, 2006
- "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"; Flexibility Enhancement with Vibration: Acute and Long-Term; William A. Sands, et.al.; April 2006
- Mayo Clinic: Whole Body Vibration Training
Member Comments