4 Reasons Young Adults Should Train on a Vibration Machine
Training on a vibration machine is similar to conventional strength exercises, as the movements you do are pretty much the same – squats, planks, push-ups, mountain climbers, triceps dips, and so on. However, the workouts can be much more intense on a vibrating machine, as besides increasing the load on your body, the vibration plate also makes it challenging to maintain balance.
A tilting (pivotal) WBV machine moves up and down like a see-saw, and your brain, muscles, bones and joints have to work harder to keep your balance while doing the various exercises. Imagine lifting a 10-kilo barbell and squatting with it on a plate that keeps moving up and down; when exercising on a vibration machine, the side to side alternating movement allows for greater transmission of vibration energy than a linear machine, so it generates more muscle stimulation, and the acceleration makes your body feel heavier, as you if we’re lifting a weight.
The movement of the pivotal platform mimics the natural rotation of the hips during walking or running, and activates a greater range of muscles, reducing the vibration that occurs in the head. So if you choose this form of training you can be sure that your body gets a thorough workout that activates all the major muscle groups and boosts your calorie-burning machine.
Now, what if you’re a young adult who’s not interested in lifting weights or doing any other form of strength training, who has a healthy weight and limited time for exercising daily? Should you still give whole body vibration a try, or is it better to stick to cardio and aerobic activities?
Vibration training is not a replacement for cardio workouts, that’s for sure, but it can still benefit your body a lot, and the great advantage is that you don’t have to invest a lot of time if you’re training only to maintain your current weight or slightly improve your body composition and body fat percentage. Here’s what whole body vibration can do for young adults!
1. WBV stimulates circulation and helps in preventing leg swelling
If you have a sedentary job and struggle with leg swelling, fluid retention, and other such issues, exercising for 10-15 minutes on a vibration machine in the evening can reduce the discomfort and stimulate the circulation of blood and lymph, reducing the swelling. This physical activity can massage your muscles and help you relax while boosting your circulation and improving the elimination of fluids and toxins from your body.
2. Vibration training relieves back pain and tones your body
Even if you don’t train to look like an athlete or bodybuilder, you can still tone your body by exercising on a vibration machine, and you can target any area, from arms and shoulders to back buttocks or ankles. A WBV machine without handles, like the G10 Mini model from Hypervibe, is extremely versatile and allows you to perform a variety of exercises for targeting the upper body, core area, or lower body in an efficient manner.
If you choose a lower frequency and amplitude, the machine can provide a relaxing massage, and can help in relieving back pain and muscle cramps after a tiring day.
3. WBV can boost attention and improve cognitive performance
It’s well known that exercising keeps your body and brain young for longer, but a study published in the PLoS journal showed that working out on a whole body vibration machine can also stimulate cognitive performance and improve attention in young, healthy adults. 112 participants underwent passive WBV training for this study, the machine parameters being set to 30Hz frequency and 0.05mm amplitude.
Measurements showed that 2 minutes of passive WBV has positive effects on attention and inhibition in young adults, and concluded that this form of training has the potential to be used as cognition-enhancing therapy, especially in people who are unable to practice other forms of physical activity.
4. Vibration machine exercises can improve athletic performance and flexibility
Last but not least, vibration machine exercises were found to improve flexibility and muscle performance in young female athletes who underwent a WBV program for 8 weeks. The study was published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and involved 26 athletes aged 21 to 27 years.
The vibration group performed 3 sessions of WBV per week, participants standing on the vibration plate without performing any specific exercise. After 8 weeks their flexibility and muscle power were measured, and the results showed that this form of physical activity can lead to significant improvements in the mentioned parameters, improving jump performance at the same time.
All these results are impressive and show that vibration training can be beneficial not only for leisure athletes but also for professional ones! If you’re interested in learning more about whole body vibration, check out the complete WBV series, and if you have questions on vibration training, don’t hesitate to post them below!
