Gyms are full of various fitness equipment, some of which you're familiar with and some that you aren't too aware of. Some gym equipment helps tone muscles, and some enhance muscle strength. Some exercise tools enhance your cardiac fitness, and others boost weight loss. Every exercise tool you see at the gym serves a different purpose.
Most of us are quite familiar with the traditional gym equipment like the treadmill and dumbbells but lately, we've seen a lot of new exercise equipment at most gyms; the vibration plate.
A vibration plate, sometimes referred to as the whole body vibration machine or vibration platform, is a platform that you're supposed to stand on while it vibrates. Since it's fairly new, you may not know what a vibration plate is, how it works, and what benefits it offers.
Fret not. This blog post will help you understand all there's to know about vibration plates and how they can benefit you (in ways you didn't even think were possible).
What is a Vibration Plate?
The vibration plate, as you can tell by its name, vibrates when you stand on it. The vibration causes the contraction of your muscle fibers, and this contraction helps you maintain your balance. You may think that you don't need to do any other physical exercise and that just standing on a vibration plate will do the job, but that’s not how it works. See it as bicep curls without weights. If you want to get the maximum benefit from your vibration plate, make sure you're coupling it with another exercise. The vibration will offer resistance, and your body will work harder to maintain the balance while it's already on the move doing another exercise. The more the vibration, the harder your muscle tissues will have to work to maintain your upright position.
Benefits of a Vibration Plate
The vibration plate is getting popular among fitness enthusiasts and other individuals who're trying to incorporate some level of physical activity into their routines. It hasn't gained traction for nothing. A vibration plate like the Vibration Plate Exercise Machine VB1 offers plenty of health benefits that bring it to the list of some of the best fitness equipment that offers holistic benefits to overall health.
We've listed down some of the most notable benefits of a vibration plate below:
Faster and Better Muscle Recovery
Standing on a vibration plate spreads vibration across your body which is known to improve blood flow. Improved Blood flow promotes faster recovery of muscles after an extensive workout. Improved blood flow means the delivery of more oxygen to the fatigued and damaged muscles, which is what helps muscles recover from fatigue and damage faster. Not only does improved blood flow promote faster muscle recovery, but it's also essential to ensure optimal muscle health.
Enhanced Muscle Strength
Using a vibration plate is also known to help build muscle strength, especially in seniors. With improved muscle strength, day-to-day tasks involving light to moderate physical activity don't feel tiring and exhausting. Vibration training for muscle strength also helps athletes build muscle strength for the sports that require extensive muscular work.
Improved Balance
Your balance declines as you age, and that's absolutely normal. With poor balance, your muscles also get weak and less flexible. However, you can improve your balance through vibration training using a vibration plate. It's particularly beneficial for the elderly who often struggle with maintaining balance and feel their muscles have gotten stiff.
Reduced Loss of Bone
Loss of bone means an increased risk of fractures. One of the ways to reduce the loss of bone is to do strength training. However, not everyone is fit enough to do that sort of physical work. Vibration training is another way to reduce bone loss (less intense than strength training) that promotes bone production and reduces bone absorption, and the combination of the two helps strengthen your bones.
Better Flexibility
According to a study (Journal of Sport Rehabilitation), vibration training can improve flexibility and range of motion. When your body is more flexible, you're at a lower risk of injury, and doing light to moderate-intensity physical activities feels effortless.
Speeds Up Weight Loss
Another benefit of using a vibration plate is that it speeds up weight loss. When you stand on a vibration plate, the whole of your body vibrates, and this boosts your metabolism. Your body burns fat faster and more efficiently. The faster your body burns fats, the quicker the weight loss.
Decreased Muscle Soreness Post-Workout
Vibration training can reduce muscle soreness after a strenuous workout. When you expose your body to extensive physical activity, the muscles get fatigued and even damaged, and that can leave your muscles feeling sore. The body takes some time to recover from this muscular fatigue. Light vibration training after your workout can significantly help you with muscle soreness. It affects the pressure pain threshold and lowers the creatine kinase levels, which is why you feel the pain dissipating.
A vibration plate exposes your body to full-body vibration. Therefore, the benefits of using a vibration plate extend to the whole of your body. The benefits aren't limited to muscle or bone strength like most exercises. Instead, the benefits range from improved muscle strength to enhanced flexibility, balance, and range of motion to faster weight loss.
Buying the Right Vibration Plate
Not all vibration plates are the same. Every vibration plate comes with a different vibration intensity, is a different size, and is equipped with varying features. Not all vibration plates are suitable for everyone. To reap the maximum benefit from this unique fitness equipment, you've got to ensure you're choosing the right one.
Below are some important factors that you must consider when buying a vibration plate:
Power of Motor
The power of the motor is measured in Hertz in tri-plane vibration plates. The frequency is defined as how fast the plate vibrates. It's measured in impulses per second. For example, if the plate vibrates at a frequency of 40 Hertz, the plate will vibrate 40 times per second. The higher the frequency of the motor, the faster the machine will vibrate, and the more intense the vibration training will be. This means buying a vibration plate with a high-frequency motor if you're just a beginner isn't the wisest thing to do. This is because if the vibration is too much, the workout will be quite hard, and the force that's applied to your bones and muscles will be higher too. If you're a beginner, your body isn't accustomed to bearing that sort of force.
In the case of oscillation plates, the power of the motor is measured in terms of speed. These vibration plates come with a speed scale of up to 100, and you can adjust the speed to suit you. You can start with lower speed settings and then gradually increase the speed of vibration.
Space Availability
Most vibration plates are quite compact, and space and storage isn't usually an issue. However, you should still consider the space you've got. You should have enough space to accommodate the base of the vibration plate. If the space where you plan to use your vibration plate is too small, you won't be able to adjust the plate and workout at all. Moreover, a power socket should be nearby as the plate will have to be plugged in.
Amplitude
Another important factor that you must consider when buying a vibration plate is amplitude. The amplitude is measured in mm and is defined as the vibration's peak-to-peak displacement. A vibration plate with higher amplitude will have a much more intense vibration and will be suitable for people who're used to extensive workouts. If you're a beginner, you should start with a low-amplitude vibration plate.
Warranty and Guarantee
You should buy a vibration plate that comes with a warranty and guarantee. You may not need it, but it's always better to consider warranties and guarantees at the time of purchase. It offers peace of mind that in case your vibration machine breaks down or you aren't satisfied with it, your money wouldn't go to waste.
Closing Word
Vibration plates are still new, and not many people know what these are and what benefits they've got to offer. Vibration plates are quite compact, but the benefits they've got to offer are massive! The best thing about vibration plates is that you don't really need to go to the gym to use them. You can use it while doing your house chores or working because the vibration will continue to do its job. Pairing it with forms of exercise will only enhance the benefits!
