The Benefits of Whole Body Vibration

Want to find something new to add to your current workout increasing muscle and bone strength in the process? Then whole body vibration is the thing for you. One piece of equipment that is intriguing is the vibration machine. Whole body vibration technology was actually invented by Russian Astronauts to meet their exercise needs when in space.

As obvious from its name, in WBV, the whole body is exposed to vibration, as opposed to local vibration, where an isolated muscle or muscle group is stimulated by the use of a vibration device. As of a medical point of view, whole body vibration in combination with regular exercise can help prevent bone loss in early post-menopausal women, can help slow the progression of Parkinson's disease and even help to regain some movements. Whole body vibration alone has been quoted as "successfully inducing reflex standing" in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Knowing how exactly the whole body vibration exercise works will give you a better perception of how the body vibration equipment functions. Rehabilitation has seen its fair share of improvements with the use of whole body vibration. It's been used in the treatment of lower back pain comparing it to lumbar extensions. Testing revealed the two different treatments had similar results, but whole body vibration has less of a stress effect on the subjects.

If you are going through with any medical condition or some physical limitation on your ability to exercise, it is strongly recommend that you seek the advice of a physician before using Whole Body Vibration. When it comes to working with the elderly, whole body vibration has improved the balance and decreased the fall risk of those falling within the group. It's even been known to improve the quality of life of the elderly who have been lucky enough to participate in whole body vibration therapy.