WBV in Healthy, Active Individuals: Is It Any Good?

In our Whole Body Vibration benefits section, you can find plenty of articles talking about the positive effects of vibration training in various ailments, from diabetes and cerebral palsy to osteoporosis and back pain.

If you research the topic, even more, you’ll find a lot of scientific papers showing that exercises done on a vibrating platform are helpful even for people with neurological disorders and physical disabilities and that WBV can be a great addition to recovery and rehabilitation programs.

But what about healthy individuals? Is whole body vibration any good for people who can perform conventional exercises, do cardio workouts or lift weights? If you’re healthy and active and want to invest in a fitness machine for home training, is there any scientific argument that could determine you choose a whole body vibration machine instead of a treadmill or a multifunctional machine for weight training?

Why should healthy people choose vibration training? 

Whole body vibration exercises are not completely different from conventional workouts; with a WBV machine you can perform squats, lunges, triceps dips, V-sits, and other exercises that can be done at home, using only your body weight, or at the gym, with special fitness equipment.

However, one of the most common excuses used by people who never work out is the lack of time. Vibration training solves this burning problem as it requires less than 15 minutes a day for a full-body workout. You can check some WBV routines here and here.

So the first answer is this: vibration exercises take less time and are perfect for busy individuals who can’t afford or don’t want to go to the gym, and don’t have enough time for long home workouts.

Then, WBV training only requires a one-time investment. With gym memberships, you pay monthly or once per year, but with a vibration platform, you only invest once in the equipment and then enjoy the results of your efforts. Vibrating machines don’t require additional accessories and tools in most cases, although you might want to invest in some free weights to add even more resistance to some exercises.

Third, vibration exercises are more comfortable and safer than conventional ones. When you lift weights for building muscle strength, poor form can result in injuries, and progress can be slower. With vibration training, the resistance is applied from the bottom, so it’s easier for your body to tolerate a greater force and to work against that resistance without getting injured.

Vibration machines simulate a hypergravity environment, and the energy waves sent through the body stimulate muscle contractions even if you don’t do any exercise and just stand on the platform. Although performing various movements helps you achieve better results in a shorter time, standing on the machine and doing nothing else can also strengthen your body and improve circulation of lymph and flow, so this form of training is convenient, comfortable, and of low impact.

But these are all subjective arguments; what about scientific ones? Are there any studies to support the use of vibration training in healthy people who could choose conventional workouts instead?

What science say about WBV in healthy, active individuals

Healthy individuals who perform conventional exercises can benefit from adding whole body vibration workouts to their routine. Here are the results of some studies:

– vibration training increases the production of growth hormone and testosterone in healthy male subjects;

– dynamic exercises performed on the vibration platform help in increasing bone mass and thus contribute to stronger bones;

– long-term vibration training improves the postural stability of young healthy individuals in the frontal plane;

– passive WBV improves cognition in healthy adults and could be useful in cognition-enhancing therapy;

– vibration exercises can be used for enhancing athletic performance; 6-week of WBV in routine practice in volleyball and beach volleyball players increased leg strength more and led to greater improvement in jump performance than traditional strength training.

– administered before eccentric exercise, whole body vibration may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness via muscle function improvement;

To learn more about the benefits of vibration training for healthy individuals, check our Learn section and discover how WBV can help reach specific fitness and health goals! And don’t forget to join our Facebook community and share your thoughts with us.