Losing weight is not an easy feat; you need commitment, determination, and plenty of lifestyle changes to get the body and health level you want. While a properly crafted diet and a thorough exercise program are still the main strategies to employ, people feel that they take too long. Vibration plates, on the other hand, are more and more popular these days because they seem to work well together with any other weight loss program, therefore speeding the process.
Nevertheless, since we are all tired of all sorts of fad diets and “innovative” theories regarding weight loss, it is only natural to be circumspect about vibration plates and machines. If they do work and help you burn some fat, how do they work exactly? We will find out today!
What are Vibration Plates and Machines?
Vibration plates and vibration devices represent a category of fitness equipment emitting vibrations throughout your body or the body parts of your choice. Through vibrations, the plates stimulate your muscles, contracting them. Many vibrating plates and machines generate different levels of vibration intensity, mimicking the same muscular contraction generated by physical exercises. Since exercise is the only sure way for you to lose weight and tone your body, the popularity of vibrating plates becomes understandable.
What Should You Know about Vibration Plates and Devices?
These days, vibrating plates and machines come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some are very popular, while some still need time to create the necessary buzz. For instance, one of the most popular vibration plates is the Mini Crazy Fit Bio Shaker. Simple to use, compact, and affordable, the Bio Shaker gained praise for its weight loss and muscle toning results.
Featuring several vibration speeds and matching all peoples’ needs no matter their fitness levels, the Bio Shaker allows you to choose the best poses for you. You can use it for other mixed exercises if you use yoga bands for instance, or you can include it in workouts that are more complex.
The Bio Shaker comes with positive reviews from people who chose it to shed some pounds and tone their bodies in the comfort of their homes. The machine is sturdy, and you can use it even in small spaces. Moreover, safe storage is not going to be a problem. Users say it helped them contour their muscles and burn fat in a pleasant and fun way. Because the machine is versatile, you can choose among many poses and exercise types.
Another incredibly popular vibration device is the Dual Motor machine. This vibration platform is also small and compact, easy to use, carry, and store. If you prefer working out in your living room, the Dual Motor may be a good choice, albeit a little expensive. The interesting fact about it is that it features oscillation and vibration modes. You can use them separately or together to customize your exercise routines and target problematic areas. It also allows you to perform arms, back, and chest works for a full body workout.
You have plenty of options when considering buying a vibrating plate. Size and shape are important. For instance, while the Bio Shaker and the Dual Motor are small and compact, the Merax Full Body Slim Vibration Platform is suitable for large homes with plenty of room for a home gym. Besides the size of the vibration plate or device, you should also factor in its technical specs and features, safety measures, extra benefits, price, quality, and promised results.
People say you should never buy something that does not do exactly what you need. These machines do promise you weight loss, muscle toning and firming body fitness, and overall positive fitness experience. The question, however, still stands: do they work as they promise, or are you going to spend your money and time on a glorified hoax? To answer this question, we will let science do the talking.
The Science of Vibrations and Weight Loss
The prospect of vibrating plates is charming: you can passively use the vibration plates and machines – doing next to nothing – while the device uses your own body to lose weight and tone your muscles. Some even claim that ten minutes of vibrations equals an hour of exercise, as the vibrations improve blood flow and muscle tone, accelerating weight loss.
The good news is that studies have found that using a vibrating plate can help you trim some belly fat and lose weight. Research conducted almost a decade ago showed that overweight or obese people achieved long-term weight loss when they combined a proper diet and vibration exercises.
However, the study authors warned that those who want to lose weight, tone their bodies, and improve their health should not rely solely on vibration plates to reach the desired results. A healthy diet and aerobic exercises are still mandatory, whereas vibration plates and machines could easily replace weightlifting and other complex and hard workouts.
Recent studies, however, emphasize on other health benefits of using vibration plates. The findings – conducted on mice – showed promise and hope for people who are obese and in risk of diabetes: full body vibrations helped the obese and diabetic mice to lose weight, regulate their blood sugar levels, and enhance the density and health of their bones.
Full body vibrations also showed promising results in trimming down belly fat – a problem most overweight people have in common. Moreover, smaller individual studies showed that vibrations do promote physical fitness, muscle strengthening, bone health, and improved mobility and body functioning while keeping their blood sugar under control. When people used full body vibrations for 30 to 60 minutes a day, they achieved similar results with people engaging in moderate exercises for the same amount of time daily.
What Should You Learn from these Findings?
The main problem with these findings is that they still need further evidence. First, mice are not humans. While traditionally mice research leads to human research, we still have few statistical data on real people that we can safely extrapolate to larger populations. In other words, we need bigger subject samples to verify that vibrations do help with weight loss.
Another thing you need to keep in mind is that even if full body vibrations enhance muscle toning, improve your tissue and bone health, enhance the fight against diabetes and obesity, and trim down belly fat, we have no conclusive results that vibrations alone can achieve all these goals. Usually, small studies focused on a combination of therapies – diet, other exercises, other weight loss methods.
Conclusion
When you decide to invest in a vibration plate or machine, you need to focus on the following aspects:
- Use the machine daily for at least half an hour to achieve muscle toning and bone health;
- Use the vibration plates in combination with other weight loss methods; if you are overweight and suffer from other related conditions, talk to your doctor about a customized diet, aerobic exercises, medication, and so on. Use the vibration plates as a form of workout, not as a standalone weight loss therapy;
- If you want to lose just a few pounds to look and feel better (you are not overweight or obese), the vibration plates will help you trim the fat if you are committed to your daily routine.
You will lose fat and tone your body if you use the machine to its full potential, varying your routines and finding new poses while understanding its limitations.
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Katie Smith is the enthusiastic woman. She loves writing about health and lifestyle on Hubnames.
