Read here about his first experience with Whole Body Vibration.

Be sure to tune in on Tuesday for Dr. Oz’s 100^th show!

The vibration platforms originate from research conducted during the 1960s space race. They work on the principle that if muscles are exercised while being shaken, they activate neighboring muscle fibers, hence building mass faster.

I first encountered this whole body vibration (WBV) technology in 2006, at which time I contacted one of the top personal trainers in the Chicago area, Tony Bruno — an expert on muscle activation techniques – for his input on this approach.

Tony felt the technology was great and had been proven to improve proprioception, strength and balance, and decrease sway in the elderly, and found it especially beneficial in rehab to increase circulation.

A vibration platform has also been proven useful for athletes, improving speed and vertical jump height, and cutting your warm-up time by half. However, he indicated that because the platform does cause a temporary decrease in joint stability, you shouldn’t use it before an event, as you’ll need to be in top form. But it would be an excellent addition to the training phase of your program.

WBV training has also been shown to improve and maintain bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and the tactic is being studied for its therapeutic potential, such as increasing older women’s bone mass – a far better alternative than the dangerous osteoporosis drugs currently on the market, for sure.

However, the authors of the study above warn that if you have certain health conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid WBV until safety concerns have been addressed more fully.

Remarkable Benefits for the Elderly

WBV training has demonstrated significant gains in most measures of muscle performance in sedentary and elderly individuals.

But one study, performed by the University of Liege in Belgium, investigated the effects of controlled whole body vibrations exercises on overall health in elderly patients and found that after 6 weeks (performing 4 one-minute sessions, 3 times a week), the participants experienced:

* 143 percent improvement in physical function
* 77 percent improvement in equilibrium
* 60 percent improvement in vitality
* 57 percent improvement in the quality of walking
* 41 percent reduction in pain
* 23 percent improvement in general health

Not bad for 10 minutes a day!

Last weekend Power Vibe attended an excellent holistic health and wellness expo in Fort Worth, TX.  There were people of all ages and fitness levels.  From young to old and everyone in between, attendees couldn’t get enough of our Whole Body Vibration equipment.

Most people were intrigued by this interesting looking contraption and a few had even heard of it before.  Like most people in the U.S. the main thing people remembered about seeing Whole Body Vibration in the past was that it was outrageously expensive.  Everyone was surprised that Power Vibe has such good quality units at amazingly affordable prices.  Some people even took one home with them because they couldn’t resist the urge to take advantage of only needing 10 minutes a day to exercise.The show started off with an influx of foot traffic and we did nearly a hundred demos in just the first half of Saturday.  People were excited and especially the holistic healers and nutritionists were very interested.  They couldn’t belived what WBV does to the body and once they experienced it, they couldn’t stop talking about it.

While performing demonstrations we came across a couple of elderly folks who were at first a little skeptical of the technology.  After a few minutes though they were limbering up and surprised us at the booth with the exercises they were doing (see pictures below).  They actually did more exercises and were in better shape than quite a few of the younger people who tried our equipment.

Whole Body Vibration is that amazing and is safe for use by all ages whether you’re 9 or 99, there is a machine that is right for you!

Look forward to the next Wellness Expo coming up in Addison, TX this October.  Stay tuned for all the details and find out how you can win a free pass to the show!

The purpose of the show is to provide a place where retailers and fitness facilities can see new product and find vendors to supply goods.  Much of the time is spent explaining your products and what differentiates you from the competition.

We met all types of business owners and soon will have a larger reach into the specialty fitness industry.  Also we were offered a spot on The Price Is Right for the upcoming December/January air time.  Be on the look out for PowerVibe on CBS as we get ready to go nationwide with this great exposure.

Also a lady from Shop NBC came by our booth to discuss the opportunity to carry our product in her online and television stores.  This is another great opportunity for us to gain national exposure and reach a market we have not had the chance to thus far.

The WAVE and PowerVibe had a good chance to catch up since first meeting at the Parker Show back in January of this year.  They are a great group of guys and we will most likely be pursuing some industry initiatives in the near future.  The WAVE makes great WBV equipment and because they target a different demographic than we do, it seems they would be a excellent partner.

Look for the HFB Expo next year to most likely be in Las Vegas, that is if President Obama gives the ok to have trade shows there again.

There was a recent article on healthandwellness.com which discusses this topic along with the implications for health dangers.  “Poor diet coupled with a lack of physical activity is not just stressful on the body, it’s downright dangerous. We have a significant increased risk of developing a laundry list of very bad health problems: diabetes (Type 2), heart disease, arthritis, stroke, respiratory problems, liver disease, several types of cancer, and more.” read article here

This shows the severity of the issue and the immediate need to make a change in our lives.  One of the biggest obstacles to overcome, which is discussed in the aforementioned article, is mental toughness and motivation.  Most people begin an exercise routine and stay on it for a few days, maybe even a couple weeks.  They modify their dietary intake and start to feel as though they are making a change.  However, a large majority of the people soon fall right back into their old habits because of the willpower that is required to maintain these healthy habits.

Part of the reason so many people become deterred from continuing what they started is the amount of effort is required.  This also coincides with the time it takes to eat healthy and exercise regularly.

That is where Whole Body Vibration can help.  WBV reduces the amount of time and work which helps to keep people motivated.  The normal exercise time for Whole Body Vibration is only 10 minutes.  Think about that, instead of dreading a 60 minute workout at the gym you can get your daily dose in only 10 minutes.  Because of the high number of muscle contractions that WBV requires from the body, paired with the recruitment of 100% of muscle fiber (as opposed to 40% in conventional exercise) the body is fatigued much faster.  In addition it is something different so most people find it fun and actually look forward to using Whole Body Vibration every day.

Even though WBV can help with the exercise side of things and greatly reduce the amount of time required, nutrition is the biggest part of the equation.  Without a proper diet, exercise will only create a nominal improvement in your health.  You must eat right and exercise regularly to become and stay healthy.  This is inevitable and something that most people do not understand.

In order to give you a better understanding of a healthy diet and what is recommended for proper health, we need a whole new blog post for that.

So stay tuned, because in the near future I will cover this topic.

The most popular is vertical, meaning the platform moves in a uniform motion vertically straight up and down.  There are other names that some companies have developed such as tri-dimensional or cWBV (controlled WBV) but they all boil down to the same type of movement.  The reason this type of equipment is most popular is because it is the one that is best for accelerated training and it has gained the most media in recent years.  Usually vertical machines run anywhere from $5000-$15000.  This equipment is usually very good quality, however more often than not it is made for a gym setting where an athlete will be using it.  Most of the time the vibrations are very strong and in some cases can be uncomfortable for unconditioned users.

The second most popular is oscillating which means the platform moves back in forth, left to right, in a seesaw type movement.  This was the type of technology the Russians originally invented what we know as Whole Body Vibration with.  Oscillating machines are a little less popular due to under exposure but are a great way to get more of an exercise feeling.  Because they lift one leg and then the other it is almost like running in place, just with extremely high repetition.  This type of exercise is best for weight loss because it helps to break up visceral fat and strengthen core muscles.  As we all know the promotion of lean muscle mass helps to burn fat, paired with a high intensity workout like oscillating vibration is a recipe for success.

Finally, the least know type of Whole Body Vibration is called elliptical.  The platform moves in an elliptical motion along the horizontal plane.  Almost like a wobble board but much more challenging to the neuromuscular senses.  These machines are usually the most inexpensive as they are very easy to construct and do not need to be very powerful.  They are best suited for rehabilitating a lower extremity injury along with improving balance especially in elderly.  You will not feel much of the vibration above your waist due to the type of vibration that the machine creates.

Now you should have a better understanding of the main types of Whole Body Vibration and what they are best used for.  This should help in your decision making as you can pair a proper modality with your desired results.

Eventually people started to realize that this would work for all people suffering from low bone mineral density (osteoporosis) and also help build muscle.

The concept is simple.The machine move your body tissue up as your body weight forces things back down.  Basically a rapid acceleration and deceleration of the body and muscle tissues occur.  This is very similar to conventional exercise, the musle tissue is accelerated on the positive motion and decelerated on the negative motion.  The major difference is that with Whole Body Vibration this acceleration/deceleration occurs anywhere from 6 to 50 times a second.  In addition, WBV exercise also recruits 100% of the muscle tissue as apposed to 40% in conventional exercise.

The result is more stimulation in less time, therefor decreasing workouts from 60 minutes to only 10 because the high repetitions fatigue the muscles more quickly.

Whole Body Vibration is gaining more and more popularity as people become aware of the benefits.  Who wouldn’t want to get rid of an hour or two of time used up everyday for exercising in exchange for 10 minutes.  Not only that but now with high quality affordable units on the market from companies like PowerVibe (www.powervibeusa.com) you can now afford to exercise from the comfort of your own home.

In just 1o minutes a day you can get a full body workout.  Most people are at home reading or watching television anyways so why not hop on a WBV machine for 10 minutes and get some exercise.  You will look and feel better and chances are you will also sleep better at night.

Some of the most popular uses for WBV are exercise, muscle toning, weight loss, fighting osteoporosis, and improving lymph drainiage.  Other benefits include improved circulation, reduced stress, increased hormone release including seratonin, and just overall well being.

Think of this as an investment in your life and health.  How much is that worth to you?  Most people spend hoards of money on material things that do not do anything for their health or life.  Why not spend money on your well being and start planning for the future?

To give the quick answer no.

The long answer would be an in depth explanation of the different technologies (the major types being vertical, oscillating, and elliptical) and the best use for each.

Many people ask this question and are actually misguided by much of the advertising done by most of the WBV companies.

The truth is that there are 3 main types and even though they are all considered WBV, each technology has a specific use.  You will see similar results with any type of WBV, however certain equipment will get better results in key areas.  That is a topic which is very detailed on its own and one that I will write about in the future.

To get back to the root of the original question, not all machines are the same.  Many of the expensive machines are made to commercial standards for use in large exercise facilities like Bally’s or 24 Hour Fitness.  While many of the cheaper machines are exactly that, cheap and low quality, many of which come with only a 3-6 month warranty.  The mid range equipment is best for home use and will actually stand up to light commercial use.

The most important criteria to consider when purchasing a Whole Body Vibration machine is to determine what you will be using it for.  Are you planning to have an incredible high volume of traffic such as a gym or workout facility, or do you just want something that is good quality and will stand up to regular use?  If you need a machine for high end usage go with a more expensive model that is made for that type of use, if not, consider something in the mid price range like PowerVibe (www.powervibeusa.com).  PowerVibe manufacturers extremely exception machines at very affordable prices, all under $2000.

Be sure to do some thinking and figure out what you want out of your equipment.  Just like when buying a car you must consider what you need it for.  If you need to haul truckloads of good then a semi is a good choice, however if you need a daily driver that is dependable and reliable then a Toyota Camry is probably your best bet.  You wouldn’t buy a semi for a daily driver to commute to work and back just like you wouldn’t buy Camry if you need to haul large amounts of goods.  This same principle applies when considering a WBV machine.

This should help many of you who are currently looking for a solution to exercising with limited time (as WBV only takes 10 minutes a day) or if you are a Chiropractor looking to enhance your practice.

The answer is multi-fold and is a little difficult to say for sure.  Many people believe that it is a great alternative to exercise because of the physical stimulus that occurs in the body.  This is backed up by hundreds of research reports which show that WBV is a great way for inactive people to become active.

Because your muscles are forced to contract anywhere from 6 to 50 times every second (depedning on the type of vibration) it is definitively proven that this stuff works.  However many people side with the opinion that it is not necessarily an alternative but more like an adjunct.  Whole Body Vibration works well on its own, however when combined with conventional exercise such as weight lifting or running, it is extremely effective.  The results shown in individuals who use WBV in addition to current workout routines is remarkable.  In every case study done, the focus group that does a combination of conventional exercise and WBV show the greatest results.

There is an interesting article posted on Mayoclinic.com in which Dr. Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. shares his personal views on this subject.  I agree with most of what Dr. Laskowski says about the benefits, take a read here.

Any type of physical activity is good for you. Whether it be walking, running, or lifting weights the important thing is that you do something to burn calories and reduce stress.  The major benefit of using Whole Body Vibration is that you only need 10 minutes a day and it can be done from the comfort of your own home.  Consider this the next time you feel it absolutely necessary to work out for 60 minutes in order to gain the benefits of exercising.

Most companies put these lists of contraindications in their literature for liability reasons.  I know for a fact the last thing we would ever want to happen is that someone become injured or a condition worsen from using WBV.  In fact, anyone who I speak to about using WBV, I always recommend they see a physician for clearance no matter what type of shape they are in.  This is important because everyone’s body reacts differently and you always want to be safe rather than sorry.

There is a great article by Dr. Reichardt on Ezine which discusses the different contraindications and gives a very comprehensive explanation as to why the exist and what they mean.  Take a read here at Ezine articles.

After you have a better understanding of the contraindications and reasons behind them, please share your feedback and thoughts on how you feel.  I love to hear what others have to say and value reader comments highly.