Last weekend at a health fair, I stumbled upon a vibration machine booth that was set up. When I was about to try their vibration training device, I was somewhat surprised at the claims they were making. According to this company, you can burn over 300 calories simply by standing on a vibration machine for 10 minutes. Does this sound like something you’ve read or were told? Then read on. It gets interesting
Does vibration exercise really burn 300 calories in 10 minutes of just standing on a machine?
After I finished with the vibration machine, I ran into a personal trainer I’ve known for awhile. She’s probably one of the best trainers I’ve ever met. I have never met anyone that keeps more up to date with the latest research findings than she does. While others read the latest fitness magazines, she spends her time proving the latest techniques with her clients. She’s all about action, and not just talk. However, that day she was rolling her eyes. She looked at me and said “Do you really believe standing on something for 10 minutes is going to burn 300 calories?” The answer was simple. Here are the key points that we discussed. I’ve had these types of discussions with a lot of trainers and health professionals and I can say they’ve always started off as being highly skeptical. That usually goes away after we discuss the key points:
Burning calories with vibration. The real facts:
For those of you that want to burn ’300 calories’ by doing nothing, the real truth is that you can’t. I have actually measured this and will look to see if i can locate my findings and post in a future article.
Vibration training should fit you, not you fitting the machine
What vibration exercise DOES do is attempt to activate as many of your muscles as it can. The more muscles you use, the more they contract. That’s why it’s not about just standing. You actually have to be in ‘exercise positions’ when you are on a vibration platform. The amount of effort you put into it will depend on your fitness level. Are you not able to do a lot? That’s ok. Just keep it on a lower intensity level and do an easier exercise. If you are more fit, you can go to a higher intensity and do more. It’s that simple.
Vibration exercise increases metabolism over time
What I’ve found with a lot of my patients is not that you will burn more calories, but that over time, the amount of calories you burn at rest will increase. If I had to choose between burning more calories while I exercise, or burning calories all day without doing anything, I’d take the second option. That’s exactly what weight lifting does. Therefore, vibration training is very similar to weight training in the effects it produces. Except for the fact that it can be easily done for the less fit and made harder for those that want a challenge.
Vibration training can increase heart rate
If you want to increase your heart rate on a vibration plate, you CAN do it. Remember, its about what YOU want to achieve. Once you know what your goals are, you can use a vibration plate and fit a program to your needs.
In summary, don’t pay attention to all the over promises of burning a lot of calories by standing on a vibration machine. That’s false advertising and misleading to the consumer. That takes away from how effective vibration exercise really can be for someone that is looking to get fit or lose weight. Does the technology work? Yes. Remember that personal trainer I told you about? She’s been using vibration exercise for over 3 years and she believes it to work, if you have the right program that fits the right person. Vibration training is effective for weight loss, but make sure you work with a reputable company that can provide you with the right vibration exercise programs to fit your needs.
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