Everything You Need to Know About Vibration Training

Ever since vibration plates were introduced to the marketplace, they’ve gained a lot of popularity for helping people meet their health and fitness goals. They’re highly suitable for a wide range of people and those with certain conditions (with some exceptions, of course) and they can help you improve your metabolism alongside a whole host of other benefits.

When it comes to vibration training, you may be wondering if it counts as exercise and whether vibration training can help you shed fat. In this article, we take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions and attempt to give you a definite answer.

What is vibration training and how does it work?

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of vibration training, it’s important to consider what it actually entails. A vibration plate or a vibration machine is one that “sends high-speed vibrations” to all the muscles in your body. Usually, these vibrations stimulate the muscles at a higher rate than a usual workout would provide.

For example, whereas there would normally be a one to two-second contraction and relaxation between muscle crunches, the vibration plate or vibration training forces your muscles to contract and relax between 30 and 50 times per second.

Does a vibration plate count as exercise?

When it comes to the question of whether a vibration plate or vibration training count as exercise, it’s worth noting that they can be used either as a type of warm-up, to help intensify your regular workout, or to help with your post-workout recovery. Because vibration training can be used in a wide variety of ways, the answer to this question will depend on how you use the machine.

For instance, if you use the vibration plate together with exercises such as squats, pushups, calf raises, lunges, planks, or crunches while doing vibration training, it will count as exercise because your body will be expending more energy than it is consuming.

In addition to helping you with your exercise routine, there are numerous other benefits of vibration training. Some of these include the following:

• It makes your muscles work harder
• It helps you build muscle and get stronger
• You can lose body fat
• Improves flexibility, strength, and balance
• Enhances blood flow and circulation and lowers blood pressure
• Reduces muscle soreness after exercise
• Decreases the stress hormone cortisol
• Reduces back pain and bone loss while improving bone mineral density
• It’s great for post-injury recovery and post-workout recovery
• It can help reduce cellulite and skin texture
• You will have greater core strength and stability
• Eliminates pain throughout the body
• It saves you a lot of time in the gym or in doing extensive exercise regimes
• It is a low-impact, full-body workout that can be tailored to your needs.

Can vibration break up fat?

Although there have been numerous studies on the effects of vibration training for breaking up fat, it must be noted that spot training is unlikely to give you results in one area of your body only. Therefore, whole-body vibration training for weight loss is recommended as a more thorough and healthier approach to your exercise regimen.

With this in mind, we looked at some research in support of vibration training for breaking up fat throughout the whole body as opposed to looking at only one area of the body such as belly fat.

This research indicates that 20 minutes a day on a vibration machine over a period of three months reduced abdomen and liver fat while increasing levels of osteocalcin, which is a protein that strengthens bones. Another study performed on non-obese participants discovered that eight weeks of whole-body vibration training decreased leg and total body fat in women.

To further add to this, a study performed by the University of Antwerp in 2009 indicated that obese women who followed a healthy diet while exercising on a vibration plate lost more weight over the long term than those who also ate healthily but did conventional exercise.

Research generally shows that around three pounds can be lost per month using vibration training for five minutes a day. However, there are different guidelines for the time these vibration plates should be used and these will depend on your overall health and fitness levels and the presence of any underlying medical conditions. But for more on this, see our discussion below.

But in addition to weight loss, vibration training can also help with cellulite and its appearance and it can also boost your metabolism. Overall, when combined with a healthy diet and additional exercises performed while doing vibration training, you will be able to see the results of using a vibration plate in the space of a few weeks.

How long does it take to see results from a vibration plate?

In order to see results from vibration training, training should be performed on a consistent basis. This means doing vibration training several times a week. In general, a period of six weeks is the amount of time it will take for you to see results.

Can you do vibration training every day?

Just like most things in life, too much of a good thing can actually turn out to be bad for you. This is why it’s recommended that, on average, you do around 15 to 30 minutes of vibration training per day for around three to four days per week so that you don’t suffer any unintended or unwanted health-related consequences such as discomfort or dizziness.
It’s also advisable that you first try out the vibration plate for a few seconds and choose a setting that you feel comfortable with. Furthermore, after you’ve performed your short-duration workout, you can increase the number of times you use the vibration plate up to two or three times per day.

However, be careful not to overdo it. It’s also essential to give your body the proper rest it needs so ensure you perform vibration training at intervals of between 24 and 48 hours.

Can you use a vibration plate too much?

The short answer to the question of whether one can use a vibration plate too often is that yes, just like overusing any piece of gym equipment or overdoing any form of exercise can have negative side effects or consequences on your health and well-being. This is why it is highly advisable to use the vibration machine and do vibration training for the recommended periods mentioned in the section above.

This can help prevent headaches, spinal damage, dizziness, muscle fatigue, and other issues. What is more is that people with the following conditions should avoid vibration training altogether: those with a heart condition or who have a pacemaker and women who are pregnant.

Concluding remarks

Overall, vibration training can be a more holistic, low-impact way to get a full-body workout. If you are looking for weight loss and fat-burning results, then it’s ideal to supplement your vibration training with a healthy diet and incorporate exercises such as lunges or squats in your exercise routine. If you have always wanted to try a vibration plate but had questions that you didn’t have an answer to, we hope we’ve addressed some of the most important ones to help you make the right decision for you and for your general health and well-being.

Resources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6944803/
http://www.healthline.com/health/vibration-machine-weight-loss#summary
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/whole-body-vibration/faq-20057958#:~:text=Advocates%20say%20that%20as%20little,decrease%20the%20stress%20hormone%20cortisol.
http://www.science.org/content/article/good-vibrations-bit-shaking-can-burn-fat-combat-diabetes
http://theconversation.com/standing-on-a-vibrating-platform-could-deliver-some-of-the-same-benefits-as-exercise-177771