Are Vibration Platforms Effective?

Vibration platforms are vibration exercise machines; they work by causing many muscles to activate to stabilize your body during vibrations. But… do they work?

Some studies ( source 1 ) suggest that they may help with weight loss, but these studies were done on rodents, not humans. So are they effective? For what?

Are they used to lose weight, improve fitness muscle condition, or… are they useless? Let’s see it.

BENEFITS OF BODY VIBRATION

Body vibration has been incorporated to aid conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and even osteoporosis.

And while the actual results on these points aren’t conclusive either, research continues as researchers try to find a correlation between vibration machines and health benefits.

WHAT DOES A VIBRATORY PLATFORM DO, THEN?

When we stand on a vibrating platform and turn it on, the fast-twitch muscles in our legs are activated.

Exercising on a vibrating platform engages the muscles of almost the entire body, particularly those of the  BODY’S CORE, as we need to stand up straight.

Therefore, some health professionals consider that body vibration is a potential help against certain age-related diseases.

It would strengthen bone density in postmenopausal women  ( source 2 ), although the results of studies on this topic are controversial and require further examination.

It would improve muscle strength in older adults  ( source 3 ), reducing the causes of falls in this age group.

It would improve balance in older adults  (source 4), especially those not motivated to exercise.

WHAT DOESN’T A VIBRATORY PLATFORM DO?

While there may be some-potential benefits to using or purchasing a vibrating platform (especially for the elderly and lab mice), few results have been shown with additional benefits.

Standing on a vibration platform is an entirely passive activity and may not provide the same heart benefits as  CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE, to quote your point against.

But if we compare it with  WEIGHT TRAINING, well, we don’t do too much cardiovascular activity there either. 

However, the truth is that the use of a vibrating platform has not been conclusively shown to help with the following points, which I believe are of most interest to potential users or buyers:

• Weight loss.
• Muscle toning.
• Muscle development.

PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING A VIBRATORY PLATFORM

If, despite everything, you decide to use a vibrating platform to do your daily exercises, consider the following platforms.

Whole-body vibration may not be suitable for pregnant women or those with certain medical conditions. If this is your case, talk to your doctor about whether it is feasible for you to undertake this type of activity.

Please note that research on vibration exposure in the workplace over long periods has not yielded positive results regarding the effects of vibration on the human body.

THE VIBRATORY PLATFORMS ARE NOT A MAGIC EQUIPMENT

While you shouldn’t expect significant physical gains, to be honest, you can make small gains by using this  EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, although these gains seem to be more beneficial for the elderly.

As technology and new research advances, more benefits (or drawbacks) to the use of vibrating platforms may emerge, in which case we will update the article.