If you are looking for a fitness gadget that can help you boost your brain health, contribute to weight loss, relieve your chronic pains, and improve your strength, balance, blood flow, and bone density, you should rely on Vibration Plates. Although experts have suggested that vibration plates are the devices that help transmit mechanical energy in the form of vibrations through your body but more research is needed, you can try this small platform device to sit, stand or lie on. Its vibrational forces produce contractions in your muscles to maintain balance.
Keep reading to learn more authentic information about the working, uses and benefits of vibration plates in a short time.
What are Vibration Plates?
Vibration plates are the latest fitness devices that are used to produce high-frequency, whole body vibrations that can help stimulate your body muscles and shake up your workout. Its working principle is based on the idea that the vibrations engage and stimulate your muscles that are associated with a number of benefits regarding your fitness and overall health. These plates also have many cognitive and physiological benefits because they have the ability to promote hormone production, improve blood flow, stimulate muscles and send mechanical signals to your bones, muscles and connective tissues simultaneously.
Using vibration plates for exercise can help improve mobility especially in people who have limited mobility issues, because it forces your muscles to work. This is a;so known as vibration therapy. Experts have claimed that vibration plates are the most effective fitness devices to contribute weight loss , increase balance and strength and improve blood circulation. But some questions are still unanswered like do vibration plates actually work for all these endorsements?
Using vibrations for exercise is not a new idea. Studies show that modern vibration platforms have been traced back to the vintage vibrating belts that gained popularity in the 19th century. Those gadgets were thought to be effective for burning belly fat and toning the waist. But in reality they didn’t work. Now, the invention of layered vibration plates has also been taken as the best substitute for fat burning exercises that can dial up the intensity of your workout. Most gyms don’t have this gadget. So you would have to buy your own but they are expensive. Its market prices are very high and its purchase can run you hundreds or thousands. So it is necessary to confirm its effectiveness before you spend a lot of money and disturb your pocket. To solve this dilemma, you should ask some questions to experts like do vibration plates have any benefits? How do they work? Are they just another exercise gimmick? Then ask about its uses and risks.
Types of Vibration Plats
Vibration plates are of four types. Its types are different from each other on the basis of how they work and which things affect the direction, frequency and depth of each vibration. All types are different in the way they affect your body. Let’s learn more!
Linear Vibration Plats: These plates move up and down vertically. But the platform on which you sit first and remains parallel to the floor, horizontal the whole time.
Pivotal Oscillation Plates: These plates also move up and down but I see-saw like movement. This means one end will be higher than the other.
3D/4D Oscillation Plates: These plates combine the both, the see-saw movement of pivotal oscillations plates and vertical movements of linear plates.
Low Intensity Plates: These plates also move up and down vertically. They produce faster but shorter movements than linear vibration plates.
Vibration frequency in all types of plates is used without the range from 15 to 90 hertz. But according to experts, the frequency higher than 60 can cause injury and other complications. You can ask for help from your physical therapist to decide which vibration plate is best for you. Try to learn how to use that vibration plate correctly.
Working Techniques of Vibration Plates
The vibrations produced in your body through vibration plates cause instability that usually triggers your balance reflex. This phenomenon is known as pro-perception. It is about your body’s awareness of its position and movement in space. Vibration plates actually move ground beneath you that creates an uneven surface that causes your muscles to fire in response to control your stability. The vibrational energy is transferred to your muscles and activates them due to which they contract. This contraction is called “tonic vibration reflex”.
Studies show that frequency of these vibrations varies every second and can be measured in hertz. The initial frequency ranges 30 Hz to 60 Hz. However, you can change the intensity of vibration by using vibration plates in different ways. How can you change frequency, it depends on the type of machine you’re using.
In addition, research has claimed that it is challenging for your neuromuscular system, joints and whole body to stay stabilized while you’re standing on one leg or running, standing still or doing an exercise.
Exercises related to Vibration Plates
Ground based exercises should cover the major part of your workout regimen. Adding too much vibration plates can cause some risks. According to stooges a best workout regime consists of nearly 15-20% of vibration plates and 80-85% should include ground-based or cardiovascular training exercises. This is the ideal ratio that can help improve your strength and balance of body. At one time, you can use vibration plates for a shorter time that may be around 20-30 minutes.
Most common exercises related to vibration plates include:
- Lunges.
- Push-ups.
- Planks.
- Crunches.
- Squats.
- Standing while throwing or catching.
- Standing arm workouts.
Advantages of Vibration Plates
They are associated with improvement in your body balance, increase in strength and boost in blood circulation. But experts are still searching for authentic proofs to verify if it is true. However, the present studies have suggested that vibration plate’s advantages are mixed. Some experts consider it useful in both firms i.e. greater and slight. While other excerpts oppose the idea and claim that no advantages are linked with vibration plates. Scientific research also has failed to provide us with authentic results. But many anecdotal results are found after research. According to anecdotal results, every tool that helps you do exercise and makes it enjoyable for you, is good for you.
Some potential benefits of Vibration Plates are jotted below:
Strengthen Your Bones
Vibration plates and therapy through these plates can help manage your bone conditions such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. They also help maintain bone mineral density and strengthen the bones. Studies show that vibration therapy actually was first used for astronauts. Astronauts used to use vibration plates for 10-15 minutes daily in space to help prevent bone loss. This is because during exercise, your muscles pull the bones. Therefore, the bones should work correctly to keep it intact. In this way vibration therapy affects your bones. This also helps strengthen your bones.
In addition, vibration plate sessions use mechanical energy to make muscles act on the bones. This also helps strengthen the bones. However, more research is needed to understand the procedure. That’s why researchers consider it a therapy that helps support bone health by promoting:
- The production of human growth hormones, to enhance your physical development.
- Blood flows to your bones.
- Formation of new bone tissues with the increase in osteoblasts.
Your vibration frequency during such exercise should remain within the range of 15-40 Hz. This may help maintain bone density.
Help Manage Your Chronic Pains
When you experience pains that last for more than 5 months, they are called chronic pains. If these long lasting pains affect our bones, muscles and joints, they are serious chronic pains. Recent research has suggested that vibration plates are effective for relieving chronic pains. Studies show that many people have used vibration therapy to manage or relieve their chronic lower back pain. Research explained that vibration therapy did this by:
- Activating and strengthening your trunk muscles. Improving the flexibility and mobility of your ligaments.
- Promoting blood flow to the joints.
- Relaxing your lower back muscles. Reducing swelling in your joints.
Therefore, researchers recommended incorporating vibration therapy in the treatment or management plan to relieve chronic pain. Vibration therapy is the great way to promote rehabilitation programs for some musculoskeletal conditions like cerebral palsy and stroke. Some studies also found that vibration plates also play a crucial role in treating neuropathic pain. Researchers recommend that whole-body vibration therapy is best to reduce neuropathy associated with chemotherapy without causing any harmful effect.
Boost Strength and Physical Performance
Vibration plates help boost your muscular function, strength and mass. But it is not beneficial for all populations. Vibration plates actually force your muscles to contract in the same way as they do during exercise. Its session is always for a shorter period that needs less movement and flexibility. People who have limited mobility issues or living with sarcopenia, a condition characterized as age-related muscle loss, can use this therapy to improve their muscle function and strength.
Support Brain Health
Some studies found that vibration therapy has a positive role in promoting cognition and brain health. It also helps improve your orientation, memory and language skills. People with traumatic injury, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke can manage the symptoms through vibration plates. However, more research is needed to evaluate the possible impacts of vibration therapy in brain health.
Promote Weight Loss
The most popular benefit of vibration plates is its crucial role in weight loss and weight management. It accelerates the procedure of burning fat and calories. Studies have found that vibration therapy has been proved beneficial for the people with overweight. But it should be applied with a combination of a balanced diet and exercise.
A 2023 study had found that taste vibration alone cannot be impactful for weight loss but it also requires maintaining a calorie deficit. This means you need to consume less calories than you burn daily. You can maintain a calorie deficit by considering several factors like eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, and sleeping well.
Side Effects of Vibration Therapy
Several students found that vibration therapy or vibration plates are safe to use. They pose little risk for side effects if you keep vibrational frequencies less than 50 Hz. However, crossing the optimum can lead to injury and increases the risk of falling.
Research recommend to avoid whole-body vibration therapy, especially if you:
- Are pregnant.
- Experience vertigo or laziness.
- Have experienced a spinal fracture.
- Have ear or hearing problems.
- Have blood clots.
- Have a joint replacement or a pacemaker.
- Have had a stroke or heart attack.
So whenever you plan to get a vibration plate, speak to your healthcare provider before. They can help you decide which one is best for you and also help you determine the best exercise for you that may not cause any injury or harm to you.
Conclusion
Vibration plates are the physical training gadgets or devices that are recently launched to transmit mechanical energy throughout your body when you’re standing still, lying or sting. They are associated with several physiological and mental health benefits. They help promote your brain health, bone health and blood flow. People also use this exercise to boost their muscular mass and strength. Vibration plates are not so common. You can hardly find them in a gym so it is much better to purchase one for yourself and use it at home. But before buying a new one, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. They can help you devise the best exercise plan for you.
