Whole Body Vibration exercise provides many health and fitness benefits, and is simple and convenient. The mercury may be rising, but the numbers on the scale don’t have to. Think about doing WBV exercise in the comfort of your air conditioned house!

To make it even more convenient, let me ask you this: do you ever watch TV? If you answered yes, which I assume you did, then consider how easy it would be to do your daily exercise while watching your favorite TV show. What could be easier or more convenient?!

However, the amount of mechanical vibrations we are exposed to has increased enormously over the last few centuries. Truck drivers, forklift drivers, construction workers and helicopter pilots absorb a lot of vibration on a daily basis. The complaints they suffer, mainly in joints and spine, cause tremendous problems. 

There are some fundamental differences between vibration exposures in the work place compared to vibration from the Whole Body Vibration (WBV) platform. While training on the platform you are actively using the vibrations, which are being absorbed in the muscles instead of the joints. The duration is also much less. The total amount of time of a training session is not even close to the time that people are exposed to vibrations in a working environment.

 A WBV platform complies with the I.S.O. standards for industrial use, provided that training does not exceed 2 hours a day. For that matter, it is useless to train longer than 20 minutes or more often than 3 or 4 times a week. If you use the WBV machine according to the instructions and under certified supervision, vibration training is many times safer than any other sports or training activity.

With age, or when muscles aren’t used enough, they lose their size and strength. Regular exercise and weight-training require discipline, considerable time, and many repetitions.  Also, there’s a growing concern about the effect of lifting heavy weights on the joints, ligaments, and tendons of the body as we could be doing damage to them in the process.  Whole body vibration training is an effective, proven method of strength training that addresses these concerns.  Whole body Vibration exercise has been found to boost muscle strength by 50% in just a few weeks!  You can focus on your core, lower body, or upper body and build a toned, strong body. 

Whole Body Vibration can improve your speed, agility, grace and flexibility by strengthening joints, tendons, and ligaments.  It also increases your ability to stretch the muscles.  Whole Body Vibration can help you raise your athletic ability and fitness to the next level in weeks, not months.  And if you’re involved in sports such as swimming, gymnastics, football, track, martial arts, and golf, you’ll soon experience increased speed, flexibility, and muscle control.

All of the movements basic to the human body can be performed on the whole body vibration platform.  By performing some of the exercises in a dynamic manner the effect will increase greatly.  All of these effects can be integrated in daily life.  If vibration training is part of a sport specific training schedule you will obviously have to make certain adaptations to the movements inherent to that particular sport in order to counter a loss of coordination.  You will improve your ability to cycle by riding a bike, not just by standing on the WBV platform.

As a follow up to the review of how Whole Body Vibration works, below is a summary of the 3 types of WBV:

Vertical
• Ideal for accelerated training, muscle toning, and osteoporosis.
• The platform moves straight up and down with minimal horizontal movement.
• You can feel vibrations through the top of your head when standing straight. Imagine jumping on a trampoline 20-50 times a second.
• Power Vibe Pro II

Oscillating
• Ideal for fat loss and core strengthening.
• One side of the platform elevates up, while the other side lowers down, alternating like a “teeter-totter”.
• You feel a “back and forth” movement focused on your hips and pelvic region. It feels like you are taking 25 steps a second.
• Power Vibe Motion I

Elliptical
• Ideal for balance, stability, and rehabilitation.
• Elliptical platforms move similarly to vertical units but with more horizontal and less vertical movement.
• You feel the vibration massage mostly in your legs and feet. It’s comparable to a foot massager that’s made for your whole body.
• Power Vibe Balance I

To calculate aerobic calorie burn you need to consider the following information…age, weight, height, max/min heart rate, rate of oxygen intake, CO2 emissions, fitness level etc.  There is no way to really test anaerobic calorie loss…only aerobic.

So what burns more calories, a vibration workout or cardio workout?  Studies have shown calorie for calorie, cardio has a slight advantage. You can burn about 8 to 10 calories a minute hoisting weights, compared with 10 to 12 calories a minute running or cycling.

Vibration exercise is generally referred to as anaerobic exercise.  Anaerobic exercise gives you a metabolic spike for an hour after a workout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. That means you’ll burn an additional 25 percent of the calories you just scorched during your vibration session.  For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, you can potentially burn an extra 120 calories a day.  Vibration can be regarded as resistance training…resistance training burns fat…and calories

It has been calculated that a 10 min vibration session could yield an approximate 200-500 calorie burn. This could increase with intensifying the activity while on the machine.  It has been calculated that 10 minutes on a vibration machine would be similar to approx a 3.5-6 mile walk.  Keep in mind this depends on many variables.

Since muscles are working at almost 100% when using whole body vibration, they are burning more glucose and oxygen, therefore pushing the heart to pump harder and get more oxygen to the muscles.  Since more fuel is being burnt it can help accelerate weight loss and increase muscle strength

In Whole Body Vibration (WVB) training the entire body is exposed to vibration, just as the name suggests. It is implemented through a vibrating platform for the user to utilize during stretching, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, physical therapy or just simply standing. This controlled motion is transferred up through the body causing all of the tissues to react to the stimulus. WBV can be used to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage, improve flexibility, bone density and muscle tone and strength, as well as to promote fat loss.
The way you position your body on the vibrating platform determines what tissues are affected. You have complete control over the body part you want to target and how challenging the workout is. Varying degrees of intensity can be utilized to suit the individual user’s needs.
Vibration training falls into 3 different categories. The types of platform used, and the direction of the vibrations, are used as a moderator of the effect and result of the training or therapy performed. Different machines will be utilized to achieve various results and health benefits.

Up next: a review of the 3 types of vibration training.

There are four main types of exercise that are recommended for seniors:

Endurance activities – Activities like walking, swimming, or riding a bike build stamina and improve the health of the heart and circulatory system.  Studies have prompted the American Heart Association to also recommend resistance training as a way to reduce risk of heart disease and as therapy for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Strengthening exercises –Activities to build muscle tissue and reduce age-related muscle loss.  Strengthening exercises increase the strength of your muscles, maintain and build bones, improves your balance, coordination and mobility. The health benefits far outweigh the risk of injury, a concern that prevents many elderly people from adding more physical activity to their lives.  Strength training can also have a great effect on reducing falls, the number one cause of death in the elderly.

Stretching exercises - Activities to keep the body flexible.   Muscles trained through vibration exercise not only get stronger but also improve flexibility and mobility. When you stretch, the muscle tissues warm up and increase blood circulation and flexibility. When your muscles receive highly oxygenated blood, the time required to obtain a certain level of flexibility is dramatically decreased.

Balance exercises- Activities to reduce the chances of a fall.  As people age, poor balance and flexibility contribute to falls and broken bones. Resistance exercises increase flexibility and balance, which decrease the likelihood and severity of falls.

Performing these exercises on a Whole Body Vibration platform can increase these results and help you achieve them in less time.  Any exercise that can be done on the floor can be done on a vibration platform.  Whole Body Vibration aids in faster muscle growth, better flexibility, better blood circulation, reduction of sore muscles, improved balance, even healing injuries.

Practice Benefits

66% say that “patient satisfaction with care has increased”.

47% report that patients enjoy the experience and have referred others as a result.

13% say reputation in the community has been enhanced.

WBV treatment is pain free and drug free.

Patient Benefits

87% – DC’s successfully address musculoskeletal complaints;

55% – Muscular strengthening/relaxation;

23% – Increased bone density;

12% – Overweight and obesity.

WBV is helping with increased circulation, pain relief from peripheral neuropathy, arthritis, fibromyalgia, parkinsons, paralysis and we have DC’s healing broken bones in record time.

What Else

93% of DC respondents would recommend other DC’s add vibration equipment to their practice.

66% say that using vibration equipment is a very effective part of treatment strategy.

64% are considering adding vibration equipment to their practice.

33% of respondents currently use vibration equipment in their practice.

 Exercise is a tested and proven remedy that keeps the body young and vigorous.

Whole body vibration exercise improves circulation and oxygen delivery to feet, hands, skin and hair, as well as organs, glands, muscle and bone.  This increase in oxygen and blood circulation improves our cells ability to eliminate waste, respond to hormonal and enzyme cues and to absorb nutrients. Improving these cellular functions is a necessary part of any plan to slow or repair the aging process.

Whole Body Vibration exercise also stimulates our hormone secreting glands to release many positive chemicals.  It has been said that whole body vibration increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels by up to 361%.  This is a lot more than you can receive from regular exercise.  HGH has been called the anti-aging hormone.   Imagine the difference an increase in HGH can make in your life.  Your mood and energy levels affect everything you do.

Vibration exercise and therapy is a safe, easy and effective addition to your personal longevity and wellness plan.  All of these benefits can be obtained in a 10 minute session, 3-5 times per week!

Vibration training yields an increase in key hormones like serotonin that counter mental lethargy and enhance overall mood while sharpening the ability to focus and concentrate.   Research has shown an increase in serotonin levels after vibration. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that makes you calm, happy and feel good.  Serotonin happens to be the most widely studied neurotransmitter since it helps regulate a vast range of psychological and biological functions.

 Some people have reported an increase in a feeling of optimism, which has lead to the conclusion that the stimulating effects of the vibration machine can help counteract certain types of depression and loss of motivation.

This alone really makes a difference in the majority of people.  When you feel good you do more!