Unique Weight Loss & Family Practice now has a Vibration Plate Machine!

Our patients are welcome to utilize the vibration plate machine, as available, at no extra charge.  Sessions run for approx. 10-12 minutes and there is no need to make an appointment. Come in and take advantage of this unique wellness tool.
 

What is vibration plate machine?

Vibration plate machines are exercise devices designed to cause the muscles in your body to continuously contract when you stand on them, writes Dr. Kristie Leong, a family practice physician, on HealthMed. The function is to help you build strength and possibly burn calories. Many gyms in the U.S. offer the use of vibrating machines in their exercise facilities, and you can purchase them from fitness retailers for at-home use.

The Theory

Vibrating machines activate your body’s stretching reflex, which forces your muscles to contract with no effort on your part, according to the American Council on Exercise. ACE likens the effect to a doctor tapping under your kneecap with a small hammer, causing your leg to kick. The result could be increased strength and power.

The Methodology

You can just stand on an operating vibrating machine to use it as exercise, says Leong. But she says you can also perform exercises such as lunges and squats while standing on a vibrating machine in the attempt to enhance the workout. An average vibration plate exercise session runs 10-15 mins.

The Experts Say. . .

Although training on a vibration machine might help improve balance and improve muscle strength in elderly adults, you should not use it as a shortcut to lose weight, says Lashowski. Incorporate strength training, cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet into your daily routine, Lashowski says. Traditional exercises have proven health benefits, such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, which a vibration plate may not provide.

Traditional exercise supplemented with whole body vibration has been shown to reduced pain and fatigue in women. It can help improve balance in older adults, as well as reduce bone loss, even alleviate pain.  

Clinical Data Shows

In a study conducted by the Artesis University College in Antwerp, Belgium, 61 obese or overweight people were divided into four groups that received differing treatments to determine the weight-loss effects of the various treatments. At the end of the study, the group that received weekly vibration plate machine exercise instruction lost an average of 10.5 percent of their body weight, and maintained the loss throughout the duration of the study. A group that received a diet and regular conventional exercise instruction lost and maintained an average of 7 percent; a diet-only group lost and maintained an average of 6 percent, and the control group gained 1.5 percent. Although the research shows encouraging results for vibration plate machines, more research is needed to confirm that the machines are beneficial for weight loss, study leader Dirk Vissers says in a 2009 “Eureka Alert.”

Sample Vibration Plate Workout

People who are out of shape and considered sedentary can start their vibration exercise workouts by simply standing on the plate, knees flexed. This is supposed to stimulate natural muscle contractions and get blood flowing. People who are used to exercise can add actual exercise movements while on the equipment to enhance the effects of both the vibration plates and the exercise. Some of the exercises you can do on vibration equipment include squats, calf raises, front and side lunges, pelvic thrusts done with your feet on the equipment while lying with your back on the floor, push-ups both with your hands on the vibrating deck and also with your feet on the deck, triceps dips done from the deck, and scissors exercise for your abs done while seated on the deck.