In the early years of the space race, as missions got longer and longer, doctors and researchers began to notice that space travelers suffered dramatic losses of muscle and bone mass due to their extended stays in zero gravity.  The well-known rule of thumb “Use it or lose it” came into play.  Something had to be done to prevent osteoporosis-like symptoms, and keep space travelers fit and healthy for the long haul.

Russian researchers found that vibration therapy had an almost magical property of toning and strengthening muscles and connective tissues.  They also found that vibration therapy worked anywhere, whether or not gravity was available.  This therapy was immediately put into use for Russian cosmonauts and the results were dramatic. Bone loss and the loss of muscle tone was reduce significantly, and some subjects actually increased strength and fitness, even as they floated in space for weeks at a time.

Now, in the 21^st Century, we have adapted and further developed vibration therapy into the Whole Body Vibration systems we see today.  We have found through extensive controlled research that WBV addresses the challenges of bone and muscle loss for older people, as well as for people who have limited capabilities to work out due to injury or prosthetics.

Using the gentle but effective WBV technologies (there are several different types of vibration technology) those who need exercise but who also need to take care of aging or injured bones, muscles, and connective tissues can attain a higher level of fitness, increasing muscle strength up to 24.4 percent.  By comparison, study groups that used more traditional resistance and weight lifting technologies only gained about 16 percent increase, based on the same levels of effort, while risking injuries due to dropped weights or incorrect techniques.  WBV provides a fast, easy-to-learn method for maintaining and increasing muscle mass and bone density.

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