Remember seeing those ridiculous vibration belt contraptions that was the dubious piece of “gym equipment” that may have been in a few seventies and eighties gyms across the nation? I rememember actually using one of these vibration belt machines and feeling absolutely ridiculous, and wondering how anyone could possibly think these things, which require no movement other than you just standing there, actually work to burn calories or trim the waistline.

The vibration belt machines became somewhat of a joke, being dubbed the lazy man’s workout, and there was a reason for that. They were never really proven to do anything other than maybe give you the sensation of movement, they were never proven to burn calories or condition your cardiovascular system, so they were pretty much dismised by the fitness and well being world. Until now, where they have found their niche in being able to provide the human body some sort of benefit beyond just standing there and “feeling” like you’re getting a workout.

This time though, the vibration doesn’t come in the form of a vibrating cloth or rubber belt, but rather it comes in the form of a vibrating platform, which has already gained a bit of a following in high tech and expensive gyms for it’s claims that it can intensify the workout and also dramatically improve balance and coordination (those claims I don’t doubt).

It is now thought that the vibrating platform may have some beneficial applications in the quest to help sedentary, older adults keep their muscles and bones in working order, probably because it provides some sort of stimulation and circulation, without the person actually doing strenuous physical movement, which is the point in the older, possibly infirmed or unlikely to work out population.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 31st, 2008 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Fitness Equipment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.