If you’ve been into health and fitness, you must have heard about the whole vibration therapy. Vibration machines have now become an essential part of most of the gyms as vibration therapy is considered to contribute to weight loss. According to many people, the rapid body vibrations help in shedding the extra fat in the body and have other health benefits too.
How Does It Works?
Vibration therapies are of two types:
1) Localized
2) Whole body
In localized vibration therapy the technique is applied to only certain parts of the body while the whole body vibration therapy involves vibrations to the whole body.
With vibrations, the muscles of the body contract and relax. There are particular machines for producing vibrations and the intensity can be chosen according to the requirement. The vibrations may be up and down, sideways, or front and back. To produce rapid muscle contractions in the body, the up and down vibrations are considered as the most beneficial ones.
If you want to undergo the WBV therapy, you’ll have to lie down or sit on a vibration platform that is attached to a machine. One of the most popular exercises requires a person to stand on a platform with bent knees and then the machine is switched on for vibration.
You can adjust the vibration speed to suit your needs. However, the most commonly used setting is 30VPS (vibrations per second).
What Are the Benefits of Whole Body Vibration Therapy?
Due to the health benefits, athletes have started using this therapy for improving the blood circulation, balance and stability, and for boosting the overall strength of the body. According to various studies, the WBV therapy has the following benefits on the human body:
- Improve blood circulation
- Reduce back pain
- Reduce joint pain
- Boost energy
- Improve metabolism
- Increase muscle mass
- Reduce fats
- Alleviate stress
- Increase bone density
According to a recent study published in NueroRehabilitation, vibration therapy has some short-term benefits for people suffering with Parkinson’s disease. However, there are no long-term effects found yet and there is more research needed in this field. The WBV therapy has also many benefits for those who have muscle pain. The therapy can reduce muscle soreness and relieve the pain. Vibration therapy has also found to increase the muscle strength and bone density, especially in older adults. However, more studies and researches are needed to be done. The WBV therapy stimulates the bone formation and thus helps in strengthening the bones.
Are There Any Side Effects?
WBV therapy has many benefits but there is one thing that you should be careful about – the vibration speed and intensity – It should be too high or it will be dangerous for your health. You should always consult a doctor or a health and fitness expert before you try this therapy otherwise, you’ll end up injuring yourself.
There are certain conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy where you shouldn’t do whole body vibration therapy. WBV therapy is a beneficial one but you have to consider some factors too, also more research is needed to find out its health benefits.
