Vibrating Exercise Machines and Their Side Effects

Vibration machines have the primary goal of helping you lose weight and feel healthier, but it may not be as simple as that. With more and more consumers jumping on this exercise method, the pros and cons are becoming much more apparent. Below we will go over vibrating exercise machines and their side effects.

Vibration Plate Science

Some people may read vibration exercise and think of those machines from back in the day with the belt that goes around your back and violently vibrates your body. Luckily for us all, technology has come a long way since then, and it turns out there’s some pretty sound science behind it all.

The central concept is that these vibration plates cause something called stretch flex. That is referring to how your body will involuntarily react to a muscle contraction. Essentially, the vibration plate causes your body to have tons of these muscle contractions when in use. Some sources say the number of these contractions can be in the thousands per minute of exercise.

Since these reactions occur naturally, without any real effort on your end, it has become a very well-known exercise technique for the older generations.

Vibration Exercise Benefits

The first prominent benefit of vibration is the increased levels of blood flow throughout the body. That means you’re getting more oxygen and nutrients to all the parts of your body and your white blood cells flow better, leading to improved health overall.

Vibration is also a way of working out your muscles. Different from actual weight training, vibration exercise is more geared towards toning muscles and slowing increasing strength. The plus side of this is that there is never a cool-down period like with aggressive weight training.

The verdict is still out in terms of weight loss when it comes to vibration machines, but there are endless accounts of success online, so it likely depends on your specific situation. At the end of the day, it’s still an exercise, so there’s at least some amount of calories being burned, it just might not be enough for some people to take notice.

When to Avoid Vibration Machines

Even though vibration machines are meant to be very low impact, that still doesn’t mean that they are a good fit for everyone. Unfortunately, there may be some adverse side effects if you have a pre-existing condition. If you are in doubt at all, it is advised you consult your doctor before doing any new exercise.

• Cardo-vascular disease
• Having a pacemaker
• Any cancer or tumors
• Hernia of any level
• Easily-gained migraines
• Epilepsy
• Recovering from surgery
• Thrombosis of any level
• Diabetes
• Hip and knee replacements

In general, if you have one of these conditions, then you should steer away from vibration exercise:

Moderation is Key

Just like everything else in life – moderation is vital. Since vibration plates aren’t considered to be very intense, you may be tempted to use it for extended periods. The truth is you should use this exercise like you would any other, which means only doing it for 15 to 30 minutes at a time and a couple of times a week. Prolonged and repetitive stress to joints and muscles is never a good thing, even if it’s during exercise. Just have some patience with it, and before you know it, you will be noticing the results without any harm being done to your body.