Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Learn more about Whole Body Vibration Therapy "WBV"

A great way to achieve a low impact exercise workout is through whole body vibration therapy. Whole body vibration “WBV” enables you to build strength without unnecessary stress on your joints. Whole body vibration works by automatically engaging various muscles in your legs, abdominals, back, waist, and rear. This form of exercise movement may actually help build bone density and muscle mass. Other benefits may include loosen and massage sore muscles, improve your blood circulation and help to decrease your chronic joint pain.

There are a lot of whole body vibration systems on the market today. Some of these WBV systems offer features such as variable speed settings, auto programs, manual programming capabilities and varied oscillation movements such as up and down, side to side, back and forth or a combination of these movements. Some systems are platforms which allow you the flexibility of sitting, standing, leaning or lying down on the platform for a complete workout program. To help you increase your G force some WBV platforms include power cords for you to use during your workout . G force is defined as follows: 1 G force is when you stand on a flat surface that is not moving. When that surface moves the G force goes up or down based on the weight of the force pressing down. The force of the machine is a constant force while and the force of the user changes while utilizing the power cords changes the G force. The results are the greater the weight of the person on the machine the greater the G force. Other systems lend themselves more for standing and also offer the various types of oscillation movements.

Short-term exposure to whole body vibration can have beneficial results as some researchers have found. Whole body vibration may help build greater bone density and increase muscle mass. As well as help loosen and massage sore muscles while improving your blood circulation. Some users have also reported a decrease in chronic joint pain. One of the best benefits is that this is completely a low impact exercise routine! Allowing you to build strength without stressing out and over using your joints. This type of vibration therapy uses the same technology some European Olympics and various strength athletes have used over the last four decades to improve their performance for competition. Some research has shown that athletes have higher bone density than people who are not active. The bottom line is that in response to the vibration, muscles contract in a reflex reaction. This in turn stimulates blood circulation and stretches both tendons and ligaments. The idea is not to over stimulate your muscles with high intensity vibration over long periods of time. A low Hz is suggested for best results as is only using your unit a few times a week for exercise periods about 10 minutes in length.

Here is a general glossary of terms used when learning about whole body vibration:

Amplitude(mm or cm) this it extent of the vertical movement


Frequency(Hz) is number of impulses delivered per second by the unit


Magnitude(G) is the acceleration power/force of the movement as discussed above


Duration (sec. or min.) simply means the amount of time the user spends on the vibration machine


Consumers offer different reasons for using whole body vibration. The most common reasons given are listed below:

·To Reach weight loss goals

· To help Rehabilitation

· Improve balance and posture

· Improve blood circulation

· Help in Sports training

· To increase bone density


Remember, too much of a good thing is not always a good thing. Whole body vibration exercise should be performed in moderation. Sessions should be limited to no more than 15 minutes for the physically fit. If you are just beginning an exercise program your vibration sessions should be limited to 10 minutes or less. As a general rule of thumb, you should perform your whole body vibration workout program about 2 -3 times a week as an addition to your regular cardiovascular workout routine or other general exercise program you may perform such as biking, walking or swimming. Always remember to consult your doctor to determine if whole body vibration is the right program for you based on your age and fitness levels.

Kelly Conklin is a writer for wholebodystore.com and online store which specializes in whole body vibration and fitness equipment including rowers, treadmills, inversion tables, exercise bicycles, elliptical trainers and more! Visit today go to our store for free shipping on exercise equipment and whole body vibration!

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