The Vibration Trainer and Its Beneficial Effects on Health

In recent years the vibration trainer was a major fitness trend. You’ve probably heard of it. Lately it seems to have lost some popularity, although a host of medical studies has confirmed its beneficial effects on health. Everyone could benefit from regular use, especially older adults and those who dislike heavy sweat-inducing workouts. Let’s see what both healthy and ill people can gain from vibration training.

The effects of vibration training were first supported by medical examinations on astronauts in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Russian astronauts used vibration to help counteract the adverse effects caused by the lack of gravity during time spent in space. As a result of these treatments they were able to remain in space for longer periods.

About 50 years ago Professor W. Biermann began studying how mechanical, cyclically repeated vibrations affect the human body. The effects of vibration treatment were examined in several conditions (for example neuralgia, atrophy, pathological thinness and constipation). These investigations created the knowledge base on which modern vibration trainers were developed. In other words, the effects of vibration trainer exercises are scientifically founded and supported.

In 1999, the coach of the Dutch speed skating team, Guus van der Meer, created the first version of today’s vibration trainers, which allowed him to optimize and maximize athletes’ muscle strength without overloading the joints. The result was many Dutch Olympic and world championship skating gold medals.

The secret of the vibration trainer

Earth’s gravity "anchors" a person to the surface and enables movement. Without gravity we couldn’t walk because we would float. Walking is a complex mechanism involving muscles, the nervous system, and hormonal and metabolic systems. Uneven ground, friction, air resistance, etc., can "disturb" smooth movement.

Maintaining your balance is done by a system that works independently of your will, one key part of which is joint position sense (proprioception). Thanks to this you can accurately sense your body position, even with your eyes closed. The slight tilts that occur during movement are detected by your brain, and to keep balance it stabilizes the joints by reflexive contraction of agonist-antagonist (opposing) muscles. Because the direction of sway continually changes during movement, your muscles must constantly adapt.

The vibration trainer creates this situation — when you stand on the vibrating surface, your brain senses the tilts and triggers a series of reflexive muscle contractions — it thoroughly works your muscles without requiring large visible movements.

Let’s look at how the vibration trainer can serve you well

With regular training on the device you can improve your physical condition and strengthen your muscles. It is especially effective for osteoporosis and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. It helps post-surgical recovery by speeding the regain of muscle strength and thereby increasing joint stability. You can use it for rehabilitation of problems affecting the balance system (for example post-stroke conditions). Training improves peripheral circulation, so it is beneficial for mild lymphatic circulation disorders, varicose pain and arteriosclerosis. You can also use it for some beauty-care goals (for example to fight cellulite). Regular use increases muscle work which requires more energy, so if you pay attention to your diet (don’t eat more after training than before), you can also reduce your body weight!

It could play a major role in training older adults — vibration training does not require great exertion, yet it benefits muscles, joints, bones and the circulatory system, and thus overall physical condition. It would be worthwhile to use.

Recommended for osteoporosis

According to Dr. Nazarov’s publications, involuntary muscle contractions triggered by vibration can halt osteoporosis and significantly increase bone strength. Users of vibration devices have reported increases in bone mineral density (BMD), meaning the bone rebuilds its structure. Use of the vibration trainer can prevent or improve age-related low bone density.

Although bone mass is primarily increased by resistance (weight) training, many older people are often unable to perform such exercises. The vibration trainer offers them an effective alternative, since its mechanical load does not overstrain the joints and does not pose a high injury risk.

Increases flexibility and joint mobility

Vibration works the tendons and connective tissues and affects their adhesion, thereby promoting tissue mobility and increasing joint flexibility. Dr. Nazarov already demonstrated that vibration-assisted stretching exercises increase muscle extensibility more effectively than stretching without a trainer.

Improves balance and coordination

It aids rehabilitation in cases of damage to the balance system (e.g., stroke), disturbances in movement sensation and body position sense, postural instability and muscular imbalances. By performing exercises that require coordinated activity of multiple muscles simultaneously, you perform exactly the kind of complex muscle work that needs development. During exercises the vibration trainer creates an unstable situation that forces active and conscious maintenance of balance and body position.

It has pain-relief properties

Vibration training can reduce chronic pain by stimulating the nervous system.

Beneficial effects on the heart and circulation

Even a few minutes of daily stimulation can increase peripheral circulation by 100–150%. Because training with vibration trainers positively affects blood oxygenation and venous system function, it is especially recommended in cases of poor circulation. As is known, when muscle groups contract the capillaries close and when the muscle relaxes blood flows through them. This natural muscle pump mechanism enhances circulation. This is great news for those suffering from circulatory or peripheral vascular problems.

You can improve your overall physical condition with the vibration trainer

Regular use of the vibration trainer can shape your figure and make you feel fantastic in your skin. All this is due to vibration’s bone- and joint-strengthening effects and its influence on testosterone and GH production (natural anabolic hormones).

Ideal for older adults. Can’t walk, cycle or lift weights anymore? Training with a vibration trainer can still be done in such cases.

You can reduce your body weight with it

Vibration training involves active muscle work, which consumes energy. The accelerated metabolism helps with weight loss. The goal during weight loss is to "burn" unwanted fat. During vibration training the activated muscle mass gradually begins to increase; more muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate and greater calorie burning during training. In other words, the training’s beneficial effects reinforce each other.

Tip: Always combine your vibration training program with a balanced diet!

Farewell to cellulite?

If you use vibration training regularly, improved circulation and changes in body composition can reduce the signs of cellulite.

Additional benefits of the vibration trainer:

• you save time thanks to short workout duration
• it does not overload your joints or your heart
• it improves lymphatic and blood circulation and increases oxygen supply
• it helps maintain optimal health
• it effectively mobilizes your body (but does not replace sports)
• it can be used safely even with significant overweight
• it reduces musculoskeletal pain
• it increases muscle strength and muscle tone
• it improves symptoms of certain types of incontinence (by strengthening pelvic floor muscles)
• it enhances flexibility
• regular use leads to better metabolism and weight loss
• it helps reduce cellulite (with proper nutrition and fluid intake)
• suitable for warm-up, cool-down, rehabilitation and muscle relaxation
• suitable as a substitute for physical activity when conventional exercise is for some reason not possible
• its use can improve your sense of balance and coordination
• better physical condition provides a better quality of life

When do the beneficial effects appear?

You should know that 1–2 vibration training sessions have no perceptible effect (just as with any type of exercise). Desired results only become visible and noticeable after regular use (at least 3–4 times per week) and a minimum of 2–3 months.

What happens when you stand on the vibration device’s moving-tilting platform:

• you experience repeated loss of balance
• your central nervous system is activated
• your brain "instructs" all muscles involved in maintaining balance to correct
• the musculature automatically resists
• your postural reflexes come into play
• and all this results in significant muscle work

Which machine should you choose?

There are a few important things to consider when choosing a vibration device if you don’t want to waste money on an ineffective, unusable gadget.

Avoid those cheap "boards" marketed as vibration machines that have no handlebar column! You can easily fall off these, especially if you are older and your movement is less steady. A femoral neck fracture is the last thing you need.

• Only buy a device that has a central handlebar console and grips.
• These help you hold on securely and maintain your balance on the tilting-vibrating plate.
• Without a handle you cannot perform exercises and the treatment will be ineffective.
• The device shape shown here is appropriate — you can see why the exercises require a grip option.
• From roughly HUF 100,000–120,000 you can get a high-capacity, stable device that will satisfy you long-term.

Is it enough to just stand on the vibration trainer and do nothing?

Many manufacturers advertise these machines as requiring no movement from the user. This is not true. If you just stand on the vibrating platform, the beneficial effects remain limited — it’s little more than a pleasant shake or wobble.

The positive effects of vibration appear when you assume different poses on the platform. In these poses certain muscles are put into a pre-tensed state. This enables you to work them very thoroughly — 15–20 minutes of training is very effective in every respect!

At the same time, sweating is much milder than when, for example, running or doing aerobics. So if you don’t like workouts that leave you dripping with sweat, choose vibration training with confidence!

As a beginner, start with 1 minute per posture and gradually increase the time, up to a maximum of 3 minutes. Take a half-minute break between exercises. Your total vibration training should not exceed 20–25 minutes.

Always check contraindications before use! Some conditions exclude use:

• acute joint inflammations (because it may load the joint and worsen the inflammation),
• sequestered and untreated herniated disc,
• severe cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart failure, extremely high blood pressure),
• epilepsy,
• severe diabetic neuropathy (because position sense may be impaired and falling from the platform could result),
• within 90–100 days after knee or hip implant surgery. After that the implant has typically fused and the trainer won’t "shake it loose",
• pacemaker (the catheter could potentially be dislodged),
• recent venous thrombosis, especially deep vein thrombosis. If the thrombosis occurred at least 3 months ago without complications, use may be allowed,
• cancer (vibration might detach cells from a tumor and they could spread via blood or lymph, potentially promoting tumor spread),
• pregnancy (vibration could prematurely move the fetus into the birth canal or risk placental detachment),
• severe migraine (the shaking may worsen your symptoms),
• retinal detachment (the shaking can further worsen it).

If you use the device in the spirit of the above, you can enjoy its beneficial effects.

Read my other articles about the vibration trainer!