Do Vibration Plates Really Work?

One of the most universal problems in the world of fitness is that injury recovery takes too long and interferes with much of our daily lives. If we could wave a magic wand, we’d recover from injuries immediately and never need to rehabilitate our muscles and bones. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. However, as the years have gone by, new technology has been created to accelerate injury recovery. One of the most popular of these innovations is the vibration plate.

Vibration plate technology is one of the newest and hottest trends that is taking the world of fitness by storm. From engaging the muscles during a workout to recovering from an injury, vibration plates benefit their users in multiple ways. Despite their newfound popularity, many people are still relying on the “old” ways of exercise and recovery. In fact, one of the most common questions about vibration plates is “do vibration plates even work?”. Read on and find out the answer in this article.

What is a Vibration Plate?

Simply put, a vibration plate is a piece of equipment you stand on or perform workouts on that release vibrations throughout your body. These vibrations further stimulate the muscles and accelerate recovery. 

There are many different vibration plates on the market with price points varying from around $100 to over $1,000. It’s important to make sure that your vibration plate provides enough value for the price. Some of the more expensive plates do their job well, but come with many other bells and whistles that may or may not be worth the sticker price.

Lifepro offers over a dozen different vibration plates of various sizes and price options. Whether it be for injury recovery or to get a more effective at-home workout, there’s an option to suit any needs. Not only do each of these vibration plates have incredible value, but they also come backed with an unparalleled lifetime warranty!

How does it work?

The vibrations that a vibration plate creates serve one purpose above all others: to stimulate your muscles more than a typical workout would.

When the vibrations of the plate hit your muscles, the muscles begin to contract as much as 50 times a second but only millimeters at a time.  These “micromovements” almost kick the muscles into “overdrive” during the workout, delivering a more intense experience but with minimal effort. Even better, the added intensity also kicks your metabolism in gear, making it even easier to burn fat and keep it off. However, it doesn’t stop there. You don’t even need to be working out to benefit from a vibration plate. They also work wonders for recovery from a workout and even from injury. Even simple stretches on a vibration plate pack more of a “punch”, both before and after a workout.

Effectiveness of a Vibration Plate

There are so many different uses for a vibration plate that it can be hard to pinpoint exactly how effective they are overall. To make this easier, let's break down their effectiveness by purpose.

When it comes to weight loss, researchers have found that when used in combination with a calorie-restricted diet, those who used vibration platforms had an easier time losing weight and keeping it off than those who did not use vibration plates. Simply put, vibration plates can help with weight loss, especially for those with mobility issues or recovering from an injury.

Another one of the main uses of vibration plates is for pain reduction. There have always been varying opinions on how effective the use of whole-body vibration (WBV) is on managing pain long term. However, many people have reported feeling substantial pain relief after stretching, exercising, or even from simply standing on a vibration plate.

Also, a study from Indiana University showed the use of WBV led to reduced pain and could improve the lives of people suffering from Fibromyalgia, a deliberating condition that causes widespread pain throughout the body.

For the elderly, some of the more common life problems include frequent falls, pulled muscles (especially in the hip), and for women, osteoporosis. Just about all of these risks can be minimized with increased bone density. In fact, a study of post-menopausal women with osteoporosis showed that women who used vibration platforms had better balance, walking velocity, and even flexibility. 

Final Thoughts

There are few new developments in the fitness industry as groundbreaking and beneficial as vibration plate technology. Being relatively new to the market, there are numerous schools of thought on how beneficial vibration plates are. Some people can be skeptical while others completely believe in vibration plates. With all the positive stories and research that have gone into the benefits of whole-body vibration, there can be no doubt as to how effective vibration plate use truly is. The only question left to answer is “which vibration plate is right for you?”.