(NaturalNews) Sometimes, tweaks on the simple things produce profound results. Ask 3 or 4 year olds what their favorite thing is to do. Somewhere amongst their answers they will probably say jumping. Really, though, you do not even have to ask. Just go to any playground and the movement will all be basically the same -- running, jumping, hopping, skipping. Any type of play that moves their bodies around and gives them a sense of perpetual motion, anything that involves keeping their bodies buzzing. The children do this naturally. As we get older we forget or get too busy for all that good stuff we did as a child. However, it appears that the kids are on to something. In fact, studies have shown that steady shaking or vibrating of the body can promote muscle growth and even rejuvenate debilitated muscles.
For adults the idea of shaking or jolting our bodies all around like a child is exhausting at best. Most of us barely get through twenty minutes of good exercise a month, and that is less than one minute a day. Still, most people would like to be in better physical shape than they presently find themselves. Wouldn't it be great to find an exercise that gives you maximum return for literally minimum time?
Enter the whole body vibration machine.
What is it? Actually, the name describes it exactly. It is a machine that vibrates the entire body. While standing and maintaining balance on a vibrating platform, the muscles are forced to release and contract; thereby, muscles are exercised and inner organs are massaged - all with little exertion. There are quite a few styles available on the market today and amongst them there are the two common platforms. The first is the tri-planar where the platform moves up and down in short, quick succession pumping movements, thereby causing the spine to react in counteraction to maintain stableness. A football player might select the tri-planar platform for its jolting action to challenge his muscles for use in powerful static stances. The second type is the oscillating, whereby a side-to-side motion platform lifts and falls in fast, short seesaw movements. This type is more in line with the natural movement of one foot up, one foot down motion of human walking. The oscillating platform has been noted for its smoother feel for long sessions. Each dynamic is suited for different training and therapy.
Believe it or not, vibration
exercise is an ancient healing therapy that has grown through time. The rudimentary technology was developed by the ancient Greeks, improved upon in the 1880s by a physician in Michigan, USA and enhanced in the modern world by German scientists for athletes and simultaneously by Russian scientists for astronauts to counter loss of muscle tone while in zero-gravity. A study done on elderly patients using whole
body vibration therapy concluded that "in nursing home residents with limited functional dependency" whole body vibration "is beneficial for balance and mobility." Whole body vibration is purported to benefit circulation, recovery, and coordination, burn calories, alleviate pain, and overall tone the body. Whole body vibration benefits by increasing oxygen at the cellular level and steady vibration also contributes to giving one a meditative sense of calm.
Users can begin with as little as 30 seconds, increasing incrementally day after day and working up to 30 minutes depending on overall
health and tolerance.
Best of all this type of exercise is fun. Something we once knew as children and need a little shake to remember again.
Sourceshttp://www.thenoblerexk1.comhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-body-vibration/AN01598http://www.vibrationtraining.us/http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/5/17About the author
Alex Malinsky aka RawGuru is an award winning chef and one of the leading experts in the field of raw food. He started to learn about raw foods at the early at of 15. After 10 years on the raw food diet he continues to be on the cutting edge of nutritional research and product development. Visit Alex's website at:
www.RawGuru.com for more information.
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