When you walk into most gyms and some fitness stores, you will probably see a machine that looks normal enough, but you aren’t sure what it is. More than likely it is probably a Whole Body Vibration Machine.
“What’s that?” you may be asking yourself.
Well, it is an exercise machine that literally vibrates your entire body when you either stand or lay on it. The most common ones require standing on the platform and holding onto the handles on the side of the machine. The machine sends energy up through your body, causing your muscles to relax and contract hundreds of times in the span of few seconds.
It is said that the Whole Body Vibration Machine can give you a great workout and that using it for around 15 minutes per day can help you to lose weight. It is also said to help you burn more calories, increase your blood flow, and help you to build up your strength. Some research studies also show that there are three further benefits to using a whole body vibration machine: reduced back pain, improved balance, and reduction of bone loss.
Whole Body Vibration Machine Main Benefits
Let’s take a closer look at all 4 of the main benefits of using this machine.
Reducing Back Pain
At some point in our lives, almost everyone will experience some type of back pain, whether that is due to an accident, years in contact sports, or some type of genetic abnormality. You may experience back pain in a mild form or you may experience severe back pain, depending on what it causing the back pain in the first place.
Before you begin any new workout routine or try a new machine, you will want to get in contact with your medical doctor to make sure that you do not have any underlying issues that could be made worse by use of this machine. It is said that this machine can help to alleviate your back pain when you use it on a regular basis and that the energy being sent through your body can help to block some of the pain sensors causing discomfort, thus resulting in reduced back pain.
Balance
As we grow older, we find that our balance seems to get a little off kilter. We begin stumbling more or having a harder time keeping ourselves upright when we stand. The whole body vibration machine claims that it can help to improve the overall balance of our bodies if it is used correctly and under the supervision of a medical doctor.
Because this is something that would have an effect on your balance, it is best to consult with your doctor and let them be in your presence while you are using this machine. Having your doctor available while on this machine will help ensure that if you lose your balance while on the machine or after you have exited the machine that someone with medical training is there to assist you.
Reducing Bone Loss
As we age, our bones become fragile and brittle and can break more easily. The whole body vibration machines claim that they can help prevent or reduce bone loss when used on a regular basis. The theory is that by using the machine regularly, you are sending enough energy through your body to help combat the effects that bone loss has on your body. This helps to make your bones stronger and keep them from breaking.
Though you cannot stop bone loss entirely as it is something that happens naturally as we age, you can help slow down the process. And by slowing down the process, you will be able to move easier and become less dependent on canes or crutches to move around.
Losing Weight
The whole body vibration machine claims that it can help people to lose weight when they use it on a daily basis as a part of their normal workout routine. Combining it with their regular workout and with their normal diet, some research shows that it can actually aid in the weight loss process. More research still needs to be done in order to say for sure if this is the case or not.
Due to the lack of deeper research that still needs to be performed on the whole body vibration machine, there is a bit of uncertainty when it comes to what the machine claims to do for people. While the benefits, if true, are amazing, one has to wonder if it is something that can truly be accomplished by one machine in such a small window of time every day. Because of the lack of research being done on this product, we cannot be sure that it will actually give you the benefits listed above.
It may not help you in the same way that biking, swimming, or jogging can when it comes to pain relief and weight loss. If you still want to try the whole body vibration machine as part of your regular exercise routine, make sure to include other exercises as well. You want to still have cardio and aerobic exercises on a daily basis and allow the vibration machine to play second fiddle to them.
There are a few things to consider before you begin using the whole body vibration machine. As with any other type of workout or workout equipment, you will want to consult with your medical doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to use the machine in the way it was intended.
You could also talk with a personal trainer at the gym about showing you how to use the machine properly and assist you in your first few attempts at the machine to make sure that you are doing it the right way. If you are pregnant or have any serious health problems, you should steer clear of the vibration machine until you are cleared by your doctor. The vibrations could cause serious harm to an unborn baby and to someone with certain severe medical conditions.
