Winter in New Zealand has brought amazing snowfall on mountain areas giving great fun with winter sports but, alas, it’s also been a time of ‘flu’s, coughs and colds for many.
And so this article will answer the question customers have been asking me:
Should they continue vibration training if they have a viral infection or other winter ills?
The answer is multi-part:
- If you have a mild sinus or simple cold I’ve found that a basic session of vibration training helps to unblock the sinuses and ease the feeling of lethargy, that is, it wakes you up.
- If you have ‘flu, fever, aches or headache it is not advisable to train. Vibration training raises the blood pressure and pulse only very slightly but if you are already unwell, it makes for an unpleasant exercise session and could even be dangerous. You wont gain in fitness and will feel more fatigued which, then, works against getting well again.
So how long should you wait before you train again?
Wont you lose fitness? How long will it take to get back to your previous level again?
Please don’t train until your temperature has been normal for at least a day; until your aches have gone; until you feel well enough to take a short walk and/or resume your normal daily work. This is, of course, simply my opinion but I’d say it’s common sense.
Of course some fitness is lost if you remain unwell for some weeks but you’ll quickly gain it again. Remember you will not be restarting as a beginner but as someone who knows how to hold the various positions on the machine; as someone who knows that the best results come from your own effort, using a high quality machine and being in perfect position throughout the time.
While there’s perhaps some individual response to the vibration stimulii, and other factors like diet and cardio exercise play a part, I would be suprised if a person wasn’t back to full fitness in two or three weeks. Just a few customers need to start again off the regular program, with their first session after illness being simply a series of basic squats or ski-the-slopes position which are great for overall toning, or they will use a lower level machine than they normally use for their first few visits.
The usual rules apply: Eat before training (and that can be right before, eg eat a banana as you come in the studio door), drink water during and after the session, and have something to eat soon after, preferably containing some protein for muscle growth.
