Anyone use a Vibration Plate?
- Thread starter Gobias
- Start date
We had the PowerFit brand being advertised on TV all the time several years ago. This is the simple plate that you stand on and it oscillates. I was thinking of getting one and had the opportunity to try one at the Pilates studio I go to a few years ago. I didn't like it. Even on the lowest setting the oscillation was too intense, and I was worried about putting my back out. I've had back issues previously though. The Pilates studio ended up on-selling it after a few months as the owner wasn't happy with it either. She purchased a different type of machine, I can't remember the brand, but it was larger, with handles and a control panel. It had a greater range of oscillating speeds, and the lower settings were nowhere near as intense as the PowerFit. My advice is to try before you buy if you can.
ActiveAggie
Active Member
I have a small vibration plate that I use on recovery days. It is recommended to only use for a max of 20 minutes at a time. I find that my heart rate goes up with little effort and my fitness watch shows that I had a good workout. It helps with lymph node drainage too. I sometimes use it after an intense lifting session, if I feel muscle soreness. The vibration plate aids in muscle recovery, too.
lisa_la_machina
Cathlete
Pardon my ignorance but what is the goal of a vibration plate? I've seen it used for bone health but that's as much as I know. I'm afraid to ask because you might convince me to buy one!
They can be used for rehabilitation or for workouts. The oscillating type move the plate up and down in a see-saw motion that moves your body up and down and from side to side at the same time. There are different frequency settings which determine the speed of the oscillation. For workouts you would normally use a higher frequency setting with a faster oscillation and for rehabilitation you would use a lower frequency setting. They create instability, forcing you to engage more muscles and effort to maintain stability and balance through a movement, e.g. a squat. You can get a good workout in a shorter time as you are engaging a lot of your deeper stabilizing muscles with each exercise and rep. On a low setting for rehabilitation, they can help loosen up tight muscles. They can also be used to help promote engagement of certain muscles, e.g. if you have a weaker muscle on one side, e.g. your left glute is weaker than your right, you can do single leg work with the plate to encourage your left glute to engage.
In my case, the Pilates studio was looking at using the plate for rehabilitation but even on the lowest setting the frequency was too much. Also, I think the amplitude (the degree to which the plate moves up and down) was quite high, so it would feel like you were getting thrown around. The new one with the greater range of frequency settings was much better and the amplitude was lower on that machine. On the lower settings it was good for rehabilitation, but you could also use it for workouts on the higher settings. That's why it is important to know what you are going to use it for and to try before you buy if you can. They vary in frequency range and amplitude range.
Another factor to consider is that, with all the moving and shaking, the motors can wear out quite quickly, especially with cheaper models when used mostly at the higher frequencies. Also, overusing the plate can lead to neck and back pain and other issues. As ActiveAggie said, it is normally recommended to use for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time.
Debinmi
Cathlete
Thank you for the detailed information!
lisa_la_machina
Cathlete
Does anyone remember those vibrating belts from decades ago? you put that belt thing
around your hips, and turned it on and it shook your lower body. OMG, that's a blast
from the past....and the roller machines that had those wooden knobby things that you
either sit on or leaned against to "massage" your hips, etc. I remember I used them, but
never understood them.
around your hips, and turned it on and it shook your lower body. OMG, that's a blast
from the past....and the roller machines that had those wooden knobby things that you
either sit on or leaned against to "massage" your hips, etc. I remember I used them, but
never understood them.
Debinmi
Cathlete
We had a neighbor/childhood friend whose mother had one ... it was a blast
..we'd play with it and giggle till her mother came & shooed us out. Ahh.. a little trip down memory lane ... LOL! yep....there was a "figure salon" here back then and they had a bunch of both of
those contraptions. I've been trying to remember whether they had any other stuff, there
might have been some stationary bikes, I don't think they had treadmills..., and I guess
there were weights, I went there for years, but one thing I do remember, was you had
to get weighed each time you went, so my little trick was if I went early in the AM, I
wouldn't eat anything in the AM before, but it was next to a Kenny's Burger drive-in, and
I loved the Doozie (?) so I always went & got one first, then went to the salon and weighed
in, then went into the locker room and ate my Kenny burger before I did whatever I was
going to do!!! That was a plan, huh?
those contraptions. I've been trying to remember whether they had any other stuff, there
might have been some stationary bikes, I don't think they had treadmills..., and I guess
there were weights, I went there for years, but one thing I do remember, was you had
to get weighed each time you went, so my little trick was if I went early in the AM, I
wouldn't eat anything in the AM before, but it was next to a Kenny's Burger drive-in, and
I loved the Doozie (?) so I always went & got one first, then went to the salon and weighed
in, then went into the locker room and ate my Kenny burger before I did whatever I was
going to do!!! That was a plan, huh?