Vibration Plate - Fitness Machine - Buy Whole body Vibration

Scientists to study vibration exercise - For the Gazette-Times

Good vibrations may be the key for Oregon State University researchers seeking to aid hip replacement patients.

To study the benefits of a whole-body vibration exercise regime similar to that used by astronauts and Olympians, OSU scientists will put volunteers through workouts on vibrating platforms designed to improve strength, flexibility and balance, said Gianni Maddalozzo, a researcher in OSU’s College of Health and Human Science’s nutrition and exercise science department.

Customized workouts will be created for volunteers ages 60 to 75 who have had hip replacement surgery in the past three years. Participants will then undergo supervised workouts for two days a week in Salem or Corvallis.

A control group will also be recruited and will perform the same exercises, but won’t use the vibrating platform.

“Most people, when they hear about whole-body vibration therapy, they tend to laugh,” Maddalozzo said.

But as the population ages, osteoporosis, or “brittle bones,” and related fractures are becoming an increasing problem, and hip fracture is the most devastating complication of osteoporosis, he said.

“A number of animal studies, examining sheep, turkeys, and rats, show that vibration treatment has a significant effect on bone

formation and muscle mass. When researchers tried a vibration platform regime with sheep, they saw huge increases in bone mass among the animals,” Maddalozzo said.

But in hip fracture patients, bone mass is not the primary concern.

“The bone heals itself; that’s not the issue. The issue is increasing muscle mass, strength and balance with a workout program that is safe and practical.”

In addition to customized workouts, participants will receive free bone scans to measure bone mass.

The vibrating work stations resemble giant home scales with upraised handles. Vibration levels will be set at 30 hertz, giving muscles 30 cycles of vibration per second, making them contract and relax 30 times per second. Individuals will probably start at about 10 minutes of exercise for each session and gradually build to 20-minute workouts.

“You can get the benefits of a 45- to 50-minute workout for less than half that time with a whole-body vibration workout.”

The slight shaking may momentarily startle newcomers, but people usually adjust to it in a few moments, Maddalozzo said. A support harness can be used for participants who fear losing their balance.

The therapy period will last six months.

Those interested in volunteering for the study can contact Maddalozzo at 737-6802 or gianni.maddalozzo@

oregonstate.edu.

Vibration exercise enhances physical fitness for activities of daily life. The benefits of vibration stimulation open a new frontier of health and fitness, especially for the "baby boomers" and aging market. Club owners should be aware of this growing trend and implementation of vibration technology. The following will help explain the differences between static and dynamic exercise using vibration.

Benefits of Vibration include:

• 15 to 20 percent increase in muscle growth

• Pre-workout warm-up and post-workout cool-down

• Anti-aging

• Increased bone density

• Improved flexibility

• Enhanced sport performance

• Enhanced blood circulation.

It is important to understand that when standing on a vibrating plate or platform, the major vibration effect is applied to the feet. The vibration effect diminishes as the vibration waves move upward through the ankles, calves, muscle, bone and tendons. This form of vibration is known as static exercise.

In contrast, total body vibration, which has recently become available, combines the known advantages of platform (static) vibration with the additional capability to target either the total body or specific body parts with vibration during both static and dynamic (movement) exercises. Total body vibration applies vibration stimulation to the user through foot pedals, handgrips, handrails and a seat. The user may experience vibration stimulation in the following ways:

1. Stand on the pedals and hold handrails. (This duplicates a vibrating platform.)

2. Stand, hold handrails and take steps from one to 18 inches high.

3. Stand and hold handgrips in an isometric full body stretch.

4. Stand and hold handgrips exercising arms and legs from one to 18 inches.

5. Sit motionless on the vibrating seat and hold handrails.

6. Sit and exercise legs.

7. Sit and exercise arms.

8. Sit and exercise arms and legs.

9. Stand on the floor and exercise arms only.

Ideally, when applying vibration stimulation, the body and muscles benefit when vibration is applied linear or parallel to muscle fibers - referred to as L-Vibration. There are only a few forms of devices through which Dosed L-Vibration (Dosed Linear Vibration) is available. The type of device generally determines the type of exercises one can perform. Static and Dynamic exercises are types of exercises. Vibration devices in their various forms can be more Static, Dynamic, or both. Static exercise is performed with little or no movement, like isometrics. Dynamic exercise is performed with movement. Static exercise is relatively good for flexibility, warming up and restoring or recovery. Dynamic exercise has been shown to be superior for flexibility, warming up, restoration, strength, power, calorie burn and more. Dosed L-Vibration increases the effects of any exercise from 10 to 30 percent with no additional effort required by the user.

Vibration plates are devices that tend to be much more static in the exercises performed. Also, if any dynamic exercises are performed, they are callisthenic in nature or body-weight oriented. One must move into various positions, on and around the platform, in order to perform exercises with proper position and form.

New Vibration Steppers offer both static and dynamic exercise application. In a standing, seated, or stationary position, static vibration exercise is available similar to a vibration plate. But, In addition, stepping exercise from one to 18 inches with and without vibration is available.

Vibration Total Body Climbers offer both static and dynamic total body, stepping, and seated exercises. Total body climbing from one- to 18-inch stride is available with or without vibration.

Vibration resistance systems offer both vibration and non-vibration exercises. These systems have taken the traditional "selectorized" resistance machines and increased their effectiveness 10 to 30 percent.

Totally Fitness Buying Guide

The Totally Fitness Buyers Guides are designed to assist you in making an informed decision and ensure that you purchase the correct equipment for your fitness needs – whether you are looking to train for a marathon or just get in trim for the summer.

Buying Guide - Vibration Training

How does it work?
With the simple touch of a button, all the vibration training models can turn into a pleasantly vibrating platform. Vibrations are transferred to muscles in the body causing them to contract in a reflex action. Different parts of the body are put in contact with the platform in various exercise positions ranging from squats, lunges and push-ups to abdominal crunches, tricep dips or bicep curls. A pose is held for between 30 and 60 seconds at a time activating multiple muscle groups simultaneously to stretch, tone and strengthen. Exercises can be performed standing, sitting or lying down and the equivalent of 60 minutes of conventional strenuous exercise can be achieved in just 20 minutes. It is so effective; three 20 minute sessions a week are enough to make a difference!

For what purpose can vibrating plates be used?
Vibration Plates are a multi-purpose apparatus, which can be used in many different ways, such as:

Sport: for strength, agility and power; to be used as a supplement or as an alternative to conventional testing of strength and power training

Physical therapy: for treating injuries and injury prevention, and revalidation (back, knee, hip, ankle, pelvis, feet, joints, muscles, tendons)

Rehabilitation: in the treatment of muscle atrophy, muscle hypotonia, peripheral circulation disorders, pain suppression, muscle strengthening, oedema (lymph drainage) and proprioceptive disturbances

Medical: for the treatment of disorders such as MS, osteoporosis, various muscle and nervous disorders, paresis, various handicaps and forms of spasticity

Seniors & Geriatrics: for fitness and revitalisation

Fitness: for warming-up, fitness, strength and cooling-down

Cosmetics: for the treatment and prevention of fluid retention, low muscle tone, support of the treatment of cellulitis, figure improvement and getting rid of body fat.

What variables need to be considered?

When purchasing a vibration training machine, a number of variables can be modified and thus need to be considered:

Frequency (measured in Hz, the repetition rate of the oscillations): a higher frequency increases the forces being generated and thereby the loading of the musculoskeletal system. Some models have the adaptability to set the frequency by the touch of a button.

Amplitude (measured in mm, peak to peak displacement of the vibration): a higher amplitude increases the extent of the movement and thereby increases training intensity;

Duration (measured in seconds or minutes): how long each bout of vibration training lasts.

Position: the body position can be either static or dynamic, working through a variety of ranges of movement;

External loading: such as the barbell squats or dumbbell lunges

What are the Benefits?

- Fight cellulite
- Injury recovery
- Relaxation
- Increased metabolism
- Pain dampening
- Increased circulation
- Increased bone density
- Increased muscle strength
- Increased flexibility
- Improved coordination
- Reduced body fat

I started off with a moderate program of 15Hz but you can go all the way up to 50Hz on some of the more aggressive programs. You start by placing your feet on either side of the rotation centre of the vibration platform. Each time the right leg is accelerated upward (push-phase), the left leg is accelerated downward (slack-phase). At the same time, the right leg is subjected to flexion, while the left leg undergoes extension. As a consequence, the pelvis is rotated upward on the right side, and downward on the left, which elicits flexion in the vertebral column.

During the passive extension of the leg, the flexor muscles are activated, and during flexion, the extensors are activated. Likewise, repetitive rotation of the pelvis elicits alternating activation of the hip adductors and abductors of the iliopsoas muscles and the erector spinae muscles. There are hardly any muscles that are not activated during vibration exercise.

Research is confirming that WBV stimulates muscle spindles and initiates muscle contractions. WBV elicits muscular activity and thus is a form of exercise rather than passive vibration. Data from studies also suggests at a frequency of 26Hz you can increase VO2 max similar to that of moderate walking. At publication of this review I was not given nor did I locate any studies to suggest that 10 minutes of WBV was equivalent to 2 hours of fast running or 1 hour of weight training.

Originally developed for the space program to prevent bone density changes in astronauts, studies showed a positive correlation between WBV and increase in peek bone density. Other studies cite improvement in lumbosacral proprioception, strength, power and velocity among athletes.

As for the more experienced exerciser, vibration training does result in significant changes of several motor abilities, with the stretch-shortening cycle. According to Valdimir M. Zatsiorsky and William J. Kraemer in their book, Science and Practice of Strength Training, "a hypothesis has been suggested that the effects of vibration training are similar to the effects induced by such means as dropping jumps: They both depress inhibitory reflex from Golgi tendon organs on muscle activation". Because the parameters of vibration (frequency, amplitude, duration) sharply differed in the performed studies, it is impossible to presently recommend an optimal procedure. Vibration training is still a topic of research".

So are WBV machines here to stay or are they part of another health and fitness fad? Hard to say, but based on studies and personal trial it is easy see the value of this type of exercise modality for the inactive market, those that have been injured and seniors with no pre-existing medical condition. WBV seems like an easy way to introduce the less active into the fitness market.

1. Firstly, intensive exercise (approx 30,000 separate muscular movements) in the form of vibration training causes the hormones to naturally balance themselves out.
2. The same intensive exercise forces lymphatic fluid & increase blood circulation to the skin allowing not only excess fluid to be carried away from the cells but also blood to get properly to the skin for new growth.
3. Deep tissue massage during the program allows any fluid that has coagulated under the skin to be broken up & carried back into the system.
4. Burns more calories than you could during a 1 ½ hr workout at the gym, to give you the best chance of emptying those fat cells.

Sounds all too good to be true I know but I did my homework. This system gives you the best chance of getting rid of your cellulite in a safe manner while doing your health a world of good at the same time. But be warned these sessions may be fast but they are hard & it is not uncommon for even the nicest ladies to come down with a severe case of turrets syndrome (uncontrolled swearing & hitting my trainers) but I promise you it is well worth it. Our machines are the best quality (no plastic to be seen), and a new model called a V2 is being released around Christmas.