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Vibration Training – Success Stories

December 31st, 2011

Well it’s New Year’s Eve and I’m sitting at work writing this blog.  That’s not too sad as it’s only 6pm, plenty of time left to celebrate after I finish work at 7pm.

My regular readers will have wondered why I’ve become so lax at getting up articles onto this site – have I lost interest? Absolutely Not!  Have I been on holiday or unwell?  No, no long holiday and I’m fine; in fact I’ve been so busy training people I simply haven’t had the time available to write up articles.

Someone said, “be careful what you wish for!” – it’s true; Vibra-Train used a promotions company to run a 48 hour deal (similar to GrabOne and Groupon) and the response has been huge. We have been so very busy with newbies and then with repeat sales as we did an in-studio special a month later when the promo cards expired. The concession cards give customers 11 sessions over a 3- 4 week period. We explain to people how important it is for their results that they come in at least twice a week, preferably three times (with a clear day between for recovery and growth) and so we’ve had hundreds of new customers, over and over, in a very short space of time.  Of course we have all our regular people as well and the studio has been positively “buzzing”.  The Vibra-Train studio model has been proven once again to be fast and effective for customers and simple and efficient for managers and instructors with just one instructor on the floor most of the time and two over the busy lunch and evening zones, managing around 11 or 12 people, all at different positions of the IVTRB Safety Program.

Customers range from carded athletes through to people with quite severe disabilities and health issues. Some know the program fully and are able to get on with it with barely a glace from an instructor, while others (both new people and some regulars) need constant supervision. All are getting amazing results and they are so common place I can barely list the individual results. All get very much stronger and I hear so many comments about how well people are feeling. Regular exercise does that but for many people it’s just a little more than that.

One young lady (early 20′s) was so unused to exercise that she moaned and groaned about how hard the program was, on every visit. I could see she really was struggling and not just a complainer but I still wondered how someone so well presented in every other way could be so unfit. I’ve encouraged her and watched her slowly grow stronger. She’s not a quitter even though somedays she says, she has no idea why she ever bought the promotion card in the first place as she hates exercise. We are winning! She’s feeling great and she’s getting just a little excited about continuing on and getting even further results.

Another lady (late 30′s)  has a condition where any exertion sends her into a spiral of severe fatigue and exhaustion, frequently resulting in viral conditions like colds and “flu. She has been unable to exercise at all and so had become quite stiff in her joints and had some aches. She does not have depression in any way but of course she does worry about how any new form of exercise is gloing to affect her. We took it all very slowly and her body has responded really well so that she now does the full, standard program and she’s been able to go for walks and do other outdoor activites that she’d avoided in the past few years and she’s had no severe fatigue or other problems.

A number of ladies come together at lunchtime. They work at a business near the studio. Training them has been so much fun as they push each other to hold the positions correctly and they’ve all seen super results in strength and also in toning their bodies, helping them achieve their best.

I love training guys. I push them very hard and they respond with extreme determination. This year I’ve trained guys with muscular dystrophy, morbid obesity, parkinsons disease and each has gained strength and even life ssaving benefits.  I’ve also trained lots of young athletes, our sponsored high jumper and all his mates. They present quite a challenge as they just want to go “hard” with little regard for holding the positions correctly. The Vibra-Train machines are way too hard-core to allow these young guys to mess around so I’m constantly correcting and growling even, sometimes turning the machines off midway through a position if they will not adjust or have moved too far from the correct pose – to these guys when I ask them to stand with feet perfectly, train track straight and go down into a deep, flat footed squat, well; they start out okay but as it gets to be hard work, holding the squat for 60 or 120 seconds, they move out of position and find easier ways to complete the time.  They learnt very quickly that I had “eyes in the back of my head” and would pounce very quickly even if I was busy with other customers.

I’m missing one of my favourite guy customers.  He came in for around four or five months early in the year and with some pushing from me he worked hard and achieved huge results.  He lost his rather large, fat stomach and he gained strong muscle strength in arms and legs.  His job kept him away on some days and his wife would tell me that he wanted to come and train and was jealous of her.  He made it priority twice a week and she came three times. This man had to work very hard to get his results. He already had some muscle strength and was a big guy so he would feel quite a lot of “hard work” pain when he trained. He struggled to get through the program most times but then as he saw results he gave it all he had… Now, he’s too busy – yes too busy. Well that’s his excuse for now. His wife still trains regularly and I’m expecting to see him back in the studio early in 2012 after overeating his way through Christmas and New Year and holiday picnics and barbeque’s through summer… watch this space, he’ll be back and he knows I’ll be here just a little more demanding than before.

Vibration Training is for all your Life – its a training method that needs to be continued, not treated at a get fit quick scheme (more about this in a further article).

I wish all the readers of this blog and all my Vibra-Train customers, A Very Happy New Year – Keep on Training Hard.  To those on holiday enjoy your summer break and in New Zealand I hope the rain soon clears and we see some sunshine.  I’m looking forward to 2012 with a lot of excitement.

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Vibration Training, Women, health

Never be afraid to question or complain

September 5th, 2011

This blog little different to my regular ones – its not specifically about Vibration Training and Vibration Machines -

Its a simple, gentle encouragement to everyone to ask questions and even complain, if a product or service you have paid for does not meet your expectations or is faulty in some way.

Those who are a little older, especially women, can have a tendancy to stay quiet, get all riled up internally (not good for you), but not often verbalise what is annoying or upsetting them. Younger people, like my 20′s kids, do sometimes question poor quality or bad service but equally, they just overlook it, buy something else; get someone new to fix the service problem.

Marketers and sales people can get away with false claims and downright lies in their advertising and promotion of goods and services (if consumers don’t question or complain) – well they can in some industries; not so in the Vibration Training industry where I work as we hold the brands and companies to their claims 100%, but anyway;

The point of this post is a gentle encouragement to say No, to return faulty goods, to question if not completely satisfied with items purchased, or with a service or repair (to your car, your refrigerator, your home, your clothing alteration, even).

I learnt long ago to return lukewarm coffee and stale buns but when I buy items of much higher value I’m usually slow to complain. A recent experience taught me how silly that is and how simple it can be to put things right -

It started when I admired a large, black, leather handbag in a shoes and bag shop. The price tag of $160NZ ($135US) was just too high but I vowed to buy it when the sales came around, at which time it might be half price. Sales time came and the bag wasn’t available but a similar style was, price tag $99. I had to have it – I like top quality shoes and bags, clothes I don’t mind buying less expensive. So I happily bought my new bag, the largest I’d had for some time, big enough to carry; well, everything!

Arriving home I admired my new bag then transfered all my bits and bobs; wallet, bus card, makeup, tissues and the many pieces of paper and coupons, tiny torch (you never know when you might need it), hair brush, and so much more, consigning my older bag to the top shelf in the wardrobe. That’s when it hit me, the new bag smelt funny; it smelt “fishy”, just like it had been next to dead fish. I’m serious, it was a very fish like smell. This was on one side of the bag only and as it had been on display with a spotlight shining onto it (sales stock so it didn’t come bagged from the back of the store), well I thought the smell might have been from the lighting and would disipate if I hung it up to “air”. Nope, that didn’t work, my bag still smelt bad the next day and so I changed back to my old bag, the new one unused.

Later that day I asked others in my family if they thought my new bag had a funny smell and my husband and daughter both said, yes, it smells like dead fish. Oh dear, what was I to do? - they had confirmed by worst fears, that my nice new bag would be too embarrasing to actually use. I had decided the smell would go away in a few days if I  used the bag but now I couldn’t, I just could bring myself to use it – a horrible, “people will thing I am unwashed” feeling spread over me. So the bag sat or rather hung on a hook all week and each night I smelt it – a video of this would be very funny!

At work, in the Vibra-Train studio, I encourage customers to ask questions and to tell me if they aren’t happy in any way. There are some poses on the machines that some people find very difficult and we can check that their positioning is totally correct; we can use a machine with side handlebars if they need added support. We can use small variations to the positions to make the workout harder for those who ask for more. Communication is essential in every part of our lives yet I was hesitant to complain about my ” fishy” smelling bag, which is something most women will relate to, I wondered what the shop assiatants would think and would they even take me seriously or if they might laugh. I wondered if they’d think I had damaged the bag and jso wanted to return it.

A week went by and all I could do was admire my new bag, I was not going to use it so I plucked up courage to take it back. In the store I explained to the sales assistant and while she seemed not to take me very seriously she said she would get the shop manager. After just a minutes wait the lady manager came to talk with me. She apologised profusely, saying that some stock had been damaged in a sea shipment some months earlier and, yes, the bags definitely smelt fishy. She thought all the damaged stock had been returned; it seemed by bag has missed that recall.  She went on to explain that the damaged crate was deck cargo and had seawater damage during a storm. The bags themsleves are individually wrapped in plastic bags but some got wet.

What a relief I felt! I could never have guessed the cause and would not have known if I had not gone back to the store and complained. There were no bags the same but one could be got in from another store. I couldn’t face this though, I would have bad thoughts of my fishy smelling bag so I chose another, quite a glitzy one with extra buckles and bling. I went home very happy. I’ve since cut the eight, extra metal buckles and sparkly bits off my bag as they added weight and poked into my thigh as I walked but I’ve kept the extra straps and glitzy look and I’m happy.

Lesson learnt – it really is okay to question or complain, even if you think you might be laughed at or misunderstood!

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Posted in Experiences, Other Articles, Vibration Training, Women

Vibration Machines – watching you wobble yourself slim?

September 2nd, 2011

Have you ever watched an advertorial or a youtube video showing a woman on a pivotal vibration machine and laughed as you watched their butt and legs wobble about from the side to side motion of the machine?

Crazy Fit Massage Machine

Low Speed Pivotal Massage Machine

I have three pivotal machines in the  studio where I work.  Two are used for therapy poses to increase blood circulation, help with relaxation, and improve proprioception in customers who because of medical or physical disability are not yet able to use the lineal Vibra-Train machines.

high speed pivotal

Premium Speed Pivotal Workout Machine

One machine is larger and is a true workout model. It’s used mainly for physio/therapy use also but can be used for full workouts. We find out customers here, when given the choice, prefer the lineal Vibra-Train platforms.

There’s also the embarrasment factor of the pivotal machines when used in a semi or deeper squat poses – the action of the side to side motion causes the user’s butt and thighs to wobble noticeably; also in some people their hips show  movement also. This is all totally normal when using this type of machine but, oh boy, does it look funny. You might have seen it in internet videos and on television where it looks amusing when the model on the machines is a tiny size 6 or 8 (N.Z. size) but can you imagine the look when a 250lb (120kg) women uses the machine? I’m asuming of course that the machine copes with this larger sized person – many pivotal machines degrade in performance well below that weight.  Even a regular sized woman, say 140lbs, doesn’t look good wobbling away on the pivotal machines. But, of course, the advertisers use attractive, tiny models to promote their products.

Jumping to their defense – vibration training isn’t about looking good in the studio while doing your work-out, it simply doesn’t matter, but the wobble is not a good look!

Another defense of the “wobble”, though completely wrong this one – I’ve had people say, “oh look at their butts wobble. They MUST be losing lots of weight!” Others come into the studio and ask if our machines are like the ones they’ve seen on TV, the ones where you wobble and get slim and fit.

Is it true – can you lightly wobble your way to a new slender you? Technically any movement burns more calories than sitting still so the person on the pivotal machine is getting some benefit from it. Many “weight-loss” books tell us to move about a lot, move legs about when sitting at the office desk and fidgit with your hands. By doing this you burn a few more calories each day and a small, measurable amount in a year. Okay, its better than being sedentary but it does very little toward the goal of  fat reduction and fitness. I’m amazed by the number of people who are confused by this.

To demonstrate the difference in machine types I put the questioning customer onto the large pivotal machine for a one minute semi-squat at low speed. Then they do the same position at a higher speed, again for a minute or two. You can see their thighs wobble and they feel this as a gentle activation. Those who want to can do the squat pose at high speed; 22hz is about the top before the users feet begin to slip on the (non-slip) plate. I then invite them to rest and then repeat the squat once or twice on a lineal machine, using the basic level 2 beginners unit. This machine gives a strong muscle contraction in the quads (front upper leg) when the person does a simple, deep (110 degree) squat for just 60 seconds.  That’s all it takes to show the very major difference in the machine types. Watching the person on the lineal machine they appear not to be moving at all, there’s none of the “wobble” but, in their own words, they tell me how much harder it is and how much deeper they feel the muscle contraction.

It’s not possible to wobble yourself slim using a pivotal vibration machine. It might be a way to start out but its not going to work for long. Wobbling fat – wobbles fat, it might give some benefit as it will mobilise fluid and improve lymphatic drainage but real toning comes from real training – and that’s impossible on almost all pivotal machines.

I’m reminded of the slogan we use when customers complain that the training program is hard work; we tell them the sign over the door says “Vibra-TRAIN” not “Vibra-MASSAGE”

Even worse than believing that by using a low speed pivotal vibration machine, you can lose weight, tone, get fit and look like the model on the advertorial on TV or internet is the promotion of simply standing upright on the machine while you watch TV.  I read an advert this week, an auction on New Zealand’s TradeMe site, where a low speed pivotal machine was being sold with the instruction to simply stand or sit on the machine and watch the pounds slip away.
IF ONLY IT WAS THAT EASY! Only the lasiest of consumers would believe that – and as I’ve written before, they seem destined to be ripped off but that sort of marketing does a lot of harm to the whole vibration training industry.

Glossary:

Lineal
A solid platform that moves straight up and down, all across the surface at the same time.

Pivotal
A Platform that tilts from side to side , so one foot goes up , while the other goes down.

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Lineal, Marketing, Pivotal, Vibration Training, Women

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Vibration Training – Obesity and Morbid Obesity – THE RESULTS

August 7th, 2011

Back in May 2009, I read a press release reporting amazing results of a scientific study completed by the European Association for the Study of Obesity. This controlled study was performed at the Artesis University College and the University of Antwerp in Belgium.

They stated: “vibration exercise machines may help you lose weight and trim the particularly harmful belly fat from the organs. Participants of the study who were part of the vibration training group lost 11% of their body weight and retained their loss at 10.5% after 12 months. They lost an amazing 47 square centimeters of visceral fat maintaining that loss at the final follow up”.

I was very excited because the study results were verification of what we were seeing on a daily basis at Vibra-Train. We already confidently told new clients they would start to see a decrease in their waist and belly size after just three weeks of training (9-10 sessions). We warned them that initially their weight might increase due to increases in muscle mass but that they’d see small discernable change in their shape; and then it would just get better and better. And they told us we were right – it really worked!

Then along came the detractors – they reminded me that the press release was an early report and the study had not yet been peer reviewed. They said I should wait for all the information before I jumped up and down with glee. They were sure it wouldn’t all add up, when you consider that gyms have been running “weight-loss challenges” for what seems like forever. They told me the gym based group must have performed better than vibration training group; their trainers were the ones with all the experience of working with obese clients and, besides, these naysayers, thought vibration training was a fad, just like a fashion that’s popular for a short period of time and then fades away.

There were some outspoken, highly respected fitness trainers, who had never tried a vibration machine session and refused to, when it was offered, yet they held very strong views on why it couldn’t work – they couldn’t understand it, they didn’t want to even try it, yet they argued about it. They told me the study would be flawed, because it didn’t validate their training methods (gym and outdoor exercise) above using a ‘wobble machine’ (to even call a vibration platform a wobble machine showed how little they really understood).

Then a year later, April 2010, the fully reviewed study was released

It was published in ‘Obesity Facts – The European Journal of Obesity Vol 3’.

No one could argue against the full study – the results were in; visceral (belly) fat reduced the most in the Vibration Training plus Diet group compared with the Fitness plus Diet group.

For the study they used PowerPlate brand, medium energy lineal vibration machines. These machines are lower force than the Vibra-Train brand I work with and this made the results even more exciting.

Here was the proof of the claims we were making and the results we were seeing every week; the academic world vindicated us. Vibration Training on high energy lineal or, as in the study, on medium energy lineal, Vibration Machines was proven to be very effective in achieving fat loss.

Another year ahead, now July 2011

Currently I am training three very obese clients. The first is a guy who has muscular dystrophy. He uses the Vibra-Train machine that has side, vibrating handlebars. He was totally unused to regular exercise although he told me he has been a referee for cricket games in the past and his aim was to lose enough weight to do this job again. That’s his motivation; it’s what is driving him to come into the studio regularly, three times a week.

In just two months he has progressed from managing just one special, 60-second, side handlebar assisted squat position to now completing nine of these special, “ski the slopes” assisted squats. On Monday he moves onto the regular program.

Vibra-Train Vibra MachineTo help understand how hard repeating the “ski the slopes” squat position is; I can only do seven of these back-to-back before my quads and my arm muscles feel such a burn that I have to stop for a long rest before completing the final two of the set.  We use this progression, going from just one minute of this simple, aptly named “Ski the Slopes” position moving up to nine of the same, and then the person moves onto the full IVTRB Safety Program, using the side, vibrating handlebars to assist in holding all squat positions.

The facts and figures of my client’s progress: Over the eight week period he’s been doing the therapy program of assisted squats he has progressed from one squat position to nine of the same; he’s gained 2kg of muscle (this is generally thought to be impossible for people with muscular dystrophy); he has lost 2kg of fat; and has 2% less body fat overall (measurements taken by Body Composition Analyser (BCA Machine) at first session and after 8 weeks of therapy). He can now move on from therapy, onto the full fitness training program.

The second client I am working with is a morbidly obese woman. She started on a therapy program about six weeks ago. Her program started at the most basic – she sat in a chair with her feet on the edge of the machine, with a mat on the machine to prevent her feet slipping. The angle of her knees/legs was the same as the basic squat position, around 110 degrees. Three times a week she did a total of 9 minutes therapy, just simply sitting with her feet on the machine. This provides sufficient stimulation to the legs and buttocks to move fluid accumulation and improve blood circulation. This is all about saving the client’s life! After a month this lady told me how much difference this had made. She said she was able to walk easier, with less of a stoop; she felt very much “better” and so had become more active. She was better able to participate in her family life and as she had a large extended family this was really important. In a very real sense she has been given her life back.

After just one week away due to a family bereavement this client came back for her regular session and told me she was again starting to experience difficulty walking – just one week – that’s all it took for her to lose some of the gains she’d made. She does travel often to visit family so she is hoping not to have too many breaks from her therapy sessions.

Last week she progressed to using the machine for one 60-second side handlebar assisted squat after her seated session. That’s the next step; she’s moving on!

My third client is a guy who is very morbidly obese. He is, by far, the biggest of the three and his sessions are absolutely about getting his legs moving again. He has fluid pooled in his legs and probably in other parts of his body also. If it pools around his heart he will die unless there is some solid medical intervention and as things are now he is already in a serious way for other medical problems, suddenly, at any time. He’s told us several of his relatives have died from obesity related conditions. So, he’s very motivated.

It’s nonsensical telling someone as big as this man to go for a walk or a run – they can’t, yet that’s the advice the fitness industry often gives. By contrast, Vibration Therapy and Training (at specialised studios such as Vibra-Train) offers a safe, effective way to mobilise these people, in some cases to truly save their lives. It’s up to them, really – the method is there and it’s been proven effective both subjectively and in the controlled study (noted above). What they have to do is simply turn up, three times a week, and do the sessions. Then later, when able, move onto the harder, regular training program and keep doing it.

Here in Auckland, New Zealand there are studios offering free or sponsored sessions for morbidly obese people, there really is no excuse!

It’s not too hard – it starts off too easy; later it does become very hard but that’s the price we all have to accept for fitness and health.

This very obese client has also progressed from sitting in a chair in front of the machine for 3x 3 minutes (9 minutes total) to the side vibrating handlebar assisted “ski the slopes” squat position. Last time he was in I saw him do three of these. In total that was around 7,500 rapid movements. This amount of pressure into his leg, trunk and arm muscles will bring a rapid improvement to his overall condition.

In fact this degree of improvement has been so appreciated by the people in one situation where Vibra-Train has a machine available for use by obese and immobile people that the nurse supervising their sessions has been forced to lock the door to the room the vibration machine is in. Sessions are held every second day (three times a week) with a day for rest and recovery inbetween but these people not realising how important that recovery day is, were trying to use the machine every day – they were so amazed at the results and totally happy to put in the effort to get more.

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Programs, Safety Program, Studio, Vibra-Train, Vibration Training, Women, health

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Vibration Training after Women’s Surgery

May 17th, 2011

This is a sensitive topic but it is one that I am often asked about.  There are surgeries and medical procedures that are specific to women and we need to know when it is okay (and beneficial) to return to using a vibration machine.

Vibration machines come in varying types, varying energy force, and varying qualities so my statements will be very general and women should always be guided by their medical care practitioners to tell them when they can begin any form of therapy or exercise. If a knowledgable  instructor is available (at a gym or fitness studio) ask for their help also, to get back into the program slowly, safely and effectively.

The studio where I work (www.vibra-train.com) has high energy lineal vibration machines.  These are real workout machines although there are simple ways to use them  for therapy also and that’s often where we start after a customer has had an operation.

Women specific surgeries are often in the pelvic area so we don’t want to directly target that area right away, instead letting healing take place without extra stress, but using gentle therapy positions to improve blood circulation can aid healing.

When to begin is individual and it is very important to recognize this!

Starting a few weeks after surgery many people can sit on a chair in front of a lineal (upright) vibration machine and place their feet onto the front edge of the machine with a mat on the platform to take some of the force. Running the machine for a minute to three minutes this position increases blood circulation through the legs to the whole body.  Assuming nutrition is adequate this is a very good start for healing. It reduces the risk of blood clots forming in the legs due to inactivity. Be aware though; even this simple position might be uncomfortable (including discomfort in pelvic region) and if it is then more time is needed before using a machine.

Remember the time to start or resume vibration training is individual but I can tell of my own experience after a womens surgery. It was a moderate level surgery and I was allowed to begin simple exercise after six weeks. I’d tried sitting in front of a high energy lineal machine a few weeks before this but found it gave an decidedly uncomfortable feeling into my pelvic region so I wasn’t able to do this.

I was keen to get back into the routine so after seven weeks I started with just the basic squat position on the lowest level machine in the studio where I work. To reduce the intensity I place 3 rubber mats, on top of each other, onto the machine platform. I was using the Vibra-Train machine that has side vibrating handlebars so I was fully supported by holding onto these and able to take at least half of the pressure through my arms; so my surgery area was protected from a lot of stimulation.

Vibra-Train Vibra MachineI began training again in this way. I did only one  sixty second basic squat position. I had a days rest then I began doing just that one sixty second squat each day (with weekends off) always remembering 3 levels of mats under my feet.  I slowly progressed to two squats (2 x 60 seconds) and then to three and added in the simple push-up position. By this time I was moving from what we call “therapy” to real training so I needed the usual rest day between sessions. My training days were Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with weekends off. The machines I use are high energy lineal platforms and the training is real – it’s hard work and its meant to be. Some days I coudn’t do it – the stimulation into my pelvis felt too extreme or I felt tired, so those days I did less or nothing at all. It was important to get back my strength as fast as I could but I had to learn to listen to my body and let it heal.

It’s taken four months to get back into the regular safety program, adding in positions as I was comfortable with them. The wide stance squat was the last as that obviously sent some feeling into the pelvis. I was hampered by infection on and off and extreme tiredness but my progress has been excellent.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s essential to have your surgeon’s clearance to begin any excercise program after surgery. Also please be aware that a hysterectomy or any operation that required an abdominal or pelvic cut (as opposed to laparoscopic like I had) would require a longer time before using a machine. Machine intensities vary – be guided by how you are feeling. Training is always hard work but pain is not to be ignored especially in the region of your surgery. Be careful and don’t train if it doesn’t feel okay. If you’ve been using a machine before surgery you’ll know what I mean. Train Smart!

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Posted in Experiences, Uncategorized, Vibration Training, Women, health

I have Diabetes Can I do Vibration Training?

February 3rd, 2011

This is a question I am asked quite often when people call the Vibra-Train studio where I work.  Can people with diabetes do Vibration Training? The simple answer is YES, you can do vibration training if you have diabetes but let’s look into it a bit deeper.

People with Type-2 Diabetes are encouraged to exercise yet many don’t even try.  One of the reasons is that they are often overweight and get painful knees, hips, or back if they try to run or even walk for more than a short distance. Gyms can seem very daunting despite their advertising and often very sucessful transformation/weightloss programs.  And really, many people are just lazy – they don’t want to exercise, especially if it means they have to make any sort of effort beyond pressing the buttons on the TV remote and lifting the glass of Coke to their lips.

Training on high force vibration machines is safe and effective for Type-2 diabetics. At the Vibra-Train brand studios there are machines with side handlebars to hold onto; the person’s knees and hips are well supported. Vibration Training causes a rapid drop in blood glucose levels and so can be used to manage glycemic control.  It’s highly effective strength and fitness training and by raising the metabolism and building muscle strength body fat is decreased.

It also helps with muscle uptake and storage of glucose and can sometimes mean the difference between “medicinal” or “lifestyle” control of type 2 diabetes and, very importantly, it helps those with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes).  My own experience has been exactly this. My blood sugar at fasting or spot checks is now absolutely normal.

blood sugar test dreamstimefree_1044509Some Vibra-Train customers are Type-1 diabetics. This requires different management. These customers always eat before training (it’s the Number One on the “Rules @ Vibra-Train” list for everyone anyway). They test their blood sugar before and after and tell me just 10-12 minutes of training using the Vibra-Train Safety Program really eats through their blood glucose.  We ask these customers to make sure they bring a snack with them and whatever other supplies they might need. Some vibration training companies list Type-1 Diabetes as a contra-indication to training but I can’t see any problem with it as long as the person has some stability and control over their condition. Obviously their doctor will advise them if exercise is not suitable for them at any time.

I have a current customer who has fairly recently been diagnosed with sudden onset, adult, Type-1 diabetes. This is less common but it happens. She told me that she was incorrectly diagnosed as Type-2 at first and now that’s been corrected she’s setting into the correct regime of injectable insulin to manage it.  She’s enjoying coming in to Vibra-Train’s Auckland City Studio – it’s fast, effective excercise she can do and I’m really interested to watch her progress.

Vibration Training is an excellent addition to lifestyle modification for people with Diabetes.

Please remember to inform your instructor. They will then be more aware of subtle signs that show if you’re feeling dizzy; if your blood sugar drops too suddenly. Also that in the very unlikely event that you do faint, they know to call for medical assistance immediately.

A medical study: Efficiency of vibration exercise for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients

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Posted in Benefits, Experiences, Vibration Training, Women, health

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More FAT people, Morbidly Obese people need help.

June 17th, 2010

Wow, I expect to get flack for even daring use this title for my article but it has to be said often so that we all take notice – In my country and in many others we have a serious obesity problem.  No, let me rephrase that – we have a seriously large number of clinically and morbidy obese people and that causes many problems – actually for those people and for us all.

It’s no good criticising a person who is obese, that solves nothing!  How they got that way isn’t the issue. We do need to look at the causes and move to prevention but for those already obese, they need help to lose fat and regain control over their lives.

Last night I watched a New Zealand TV documentary about the need to provide stomach stapling operations.  They have a high sucess rate and are life-saving for manyof the people who have them.  The program profiled some of the people who are unable to get this operation because they live in parts of New Zealand where the district health board does not provide it and no matter how much they plead neighbouring health boards will not agree to help them.  This “sucks!”; to use a local slang term. These people are not able to get the potentially life saving help they need.

Well I have some good news for people who need help to lose fat; all who are overweight, clinically obese (as I was just a few years ago), and those who have become morbidly obese – Vibration Training can help. It’s really effective as a start to exercise and then ongoing to provide strength and fitness.  Depending on the quality and type of machine used results vary and I recommend that people try to get into a specialised studio but not every area has Vibration Training studios.  Home machines though can be great as a start if you buy the right one and there’s lots of help and information available.

Vibra-Train Vibra MachineA good place to get info is www.vibration-training-advice.com There are many articles for consumers and also more detailed ones for those in the fitness or health industries and anyone who wants to understand more. There’s also a forum where questions can be asked so that info in the articles can be explained if needed.

Of course, my website also has many simple, short articles that provide entry level information.

Vibration Training is safe and effective for overweight and obese people.  It is however essential to get the help of a trainer who works with these machines or to learn about the positions and safety before using the machine at home.  Never be afraid to ask for help and don’t just rely on the page of instructions that may come with the machine you might buy.

For upright vibration/lineal machines the Vibra-Train Safety Program is the standard.  If the program is too difficult or a simpler start is wanted, the user can do an assisted squat, holding onto whatever handlebars the machine has, and simply repeat that position a number of times. It’s all about getting started, increasing blood flow and mobility.

For pivotal/see-saw motion machines there’s no standard program; the user can simply stand on the machine, perform a slight or deeper squat or other positions that they are able to hold.

Read the websites, ask for help and get started. Some Vibration Studios even offer sponsored or subsidised sessions for people with morbid obesity or other life-threatening conditions.  The first step can be just a phone call.

Depending on the quality and type of machine used results vary and I recommend that people try to get into a specialised studio but not every area has Vibration Training studios.  Home machines though can be great as a start if you buy the right one and there’s lots of help and information available.A good place to get info is www.vibration-training-advice.com There are many articles for consumers and also more detailed ones for those in the fitness or health industries and anyone who wants to understand more. There’s also a forum where questions can be asked so that info in the articles can be explained if needed.

Of course, my website also has many simple, short articles that provide entry level information.

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So many FAT people at the mall

June 13th, 2010

The title says it all really!

It’s been around two years since I’ve taken a weekday, morning trip to the local shopping mall, St Lukes, very close to Auckland City.  My mall visits are usually done late afternoon, evening or weekends but as I am off work for a few weeks I took the opportunity to visit the mall earlier in the day.

St Lukes was one of New Zealand’s first “all in one-place”  shopping centers and is alike to all the others, offering an overwhelming number of fashion clothing shops, cosmetic and personal needs stores, a few appliance and specialty stores and a food supermarket. And, of course, an abundance of cafe’s, small restaurants, and fast food outlets.  There’s plenty of choice with foods ranging from fries, cream buns, and iced cupcakes to sushi or healthy kebabs, egg based dishes or steak and salad on flat bread. There’s whipped cream topped hot chocolate (a very yummy occaisional treat) through to trim lates and freshly made fruit juices.

There’s a buzz at the mall and a pervasive sense of wanting to buy “stuff”. I’m reminded of a childrens Veggie Tales movie about the “Stuff Mart” and how we are entreated to buy “stuff” no matter if we need it or not.  In fact, even my home is filled with a lot of unecessary “stuff” and I’m not easily swayed by advertising.

But back to the reason for this post: There are so may FAT people at the mall.

Don’t take offense; it’s a statement of fact, not judgement BUT I wanted to grab a lot of them and shake some sense into them, not that it would have helped; there’s plenty of education and help available.

What I noticed was families; gran, mother and children; and friends together eating huge iced, creamed buns, sweet cakes and slices, the worst brands of burgers and fries, along with fizzy drinks. The people sitting at these cafes were noticeable by their size, they were obese!

I know I’ll get told I am being unfair on those who chose to have a treat that day but walking past those fast-food outlets and cafe’s I had lunch at Coffee Club where healthier, yummy choices are available. I ordered freshly made  pizza and drank my previously bought miso soup. Pizza is high in calories but it’s toppings were chicken, feta, tomato, olives, a little bacon and minimal pizza cheese; healthy foods with excellent nutrient value, unlike the carbs and sugar laden, nutrient deficient foods I saw so many people eating.

I’m left wondering how we can educate and help people when they choose against all recommendations.

I find it easy to overeat and that’s mostly on “good” foods and so, for me, diet (what I eat, not what I don’t) and exercise is very important.

Walking, swimming, playing ball with children or the dog are all excellent, fun choices for cardiac health and general fitness.  Using hand weights (or assisted weight machines) or  Vibration Training on high quality machines, in a vibration studio, fitness or beauty centre, or at home, is the other part of the fitness equation helping to build muscle and strength which then uses up more calories to maintain.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive.  Simple exercise isn’t expensive.

Choosing to eat right and exercise – too hard for some.

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Do I have to eat after Vibration Training?

May 24th, 2010

I was asked the question, “Do I have to eat after Vibration Training”. They said it was hard enough to eat before coming in when I reminded that we require customers to eat, at minimum, a banana and a coffee, right before using the vibration machines or to have had a full meal an hour before.  We’ve gone over the reasons in previous articles; it’s to ensure that blood sugar levels are high enough to cope with the demands of training on Vibra-Train’s high-force machines without feeling dizzy due to Hypoglycemia.

strength on Vibra-TrainBut, what about after vibration training? The customer wanted to gain fitness and strength and lose weight. We went over the difference between weight-loss, which can be fat, water, muscle, even bone density, and fat-loss which is what she really wanted and includes maintaining the other measures or even increasing them.

The short answer is, Yes, it’s important to eat within an hour of doing your Vibration Training program.  And what’s more, it’s important that you eat the right foods to aid your muscle recovery, lift the fatigue that comes after exercise, and aid muscle and fitness increase.

Let’s get a better understanding of what to eat and why

Vibration Training can be looked apon as Reistance Training, similar to doing a heavy weights program.  Many people find that immediately after their program they feel amazing, revitalised and happy but within an hour fatigue sets in along with a heaviness or dullness in their thinking and lessened ability to do regular tasks or make decisions.  This is a completely normal response to hard exercise and Vibration Training when done on a high energy machine is really hard exercise.  The same rules as weight training apply – one day training, next day off for rest and recovery.

Understanding this helps to answer the question, “Do I have to eat after my Vibration Training session?”

Yes!

It is important to choose the right foods to eat; a chocolate muffin and a cream topped mochachino is, sadly, not the right food and it will add up to 600 calories to your daily total while providing little goodness, just lots of fat.  Definately not recommended unless a person needs to gain fat and then there are better ways.  We recommend eating a meal or snack containing mostly protein within an hour of your workout session. This can be two eggs on toast, a tin of tuna or salmon, chocolate milk, or similar.

A fast option for people who train during their lunchtime is to have an Eggcel (pure, pasturised, egg whites) shake, made by mixing Eggcel with chocolate milk or with fruit juice or pulp for those who don’t want to have milk. Many Vibra-Train studios stock Eggcel for your convenience or it can be bought in bulk packs online in New Zealand.

It can be helpful to eat some carbs also after exercise as this provides the immediate sugars needed to continue the days tasks and prevents protein breakdown in the muscles so you can eat a  peanut butter sandwich as well as your Eggcel protein drink.  Some trainers also stress eating a little protein with carbs before exercise and say a protein shake or turkey and cheese sandwich is good.  I don’t personally do this but I always have a banana and a pre-workout carbs drink.

To get the very best results from any training program your diet (what you eat) becomes important.  People start out wanting to gain strength, build muscle, lose fat etc and we don’t talk about their diet, they simply do their Vibration Training sessions.  Within a few weeks customers tell us they feel good and have started to look at their diet.  They make the necessary changes without help or if they ask we can give them simple guidance.

Whatever your goal, what you eat helps you attain it. This is especially true when doing Vibration Training on high-force, lineal machines, such as Vibra-Train, as your metabolic rate increases and remains activated for around 48hours after training as your body builds and replaces lean muscle tissue, giving you strength increase.  For those wanting to lose fat its worth remembering that for every pound of lean muscle you build you will use up 35-50 extra calories a day just to maintain it.

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Can you use Vibration Training in Pregnancy

April 28th, 2010

I was looking at the search terms that led people to my website.  One of these was the question, “Can you use Vibra-Train in pregnancy?”

The answer is No, we don’t allow pregnant ladies to train at Vibra-Train.  We also don’t recommend using your home machine, of any type or brand, while pregnant.

There’s no definitive reason for this and no long-term studies on any possible risks  to the mother and baby of  controlled whole body vibration exposure with exercise during pregnancy – it’s not something most people would be happy to test so our information comes from exposure to vibration in industrial settings, workplaces etc. where the vibration exposure often exceeds guidelines and has been indicated to be of possible risk.  We just can’t compare industrial vibration to the fully controlled vibration used with exercise but we must list pregnancy as a contra-indication to vibration training and vibration therapy as we simply don’t know what risks or problems it could possibly cause.

A question is sometimes asked by customers who plan to become pregnant. They ask if it’s okay to keep using the vibration machines.  The answer is, Yes, in fact it is recommended to continue with exercise to increase your strength and fitness.  Just stop as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. We have had customers not know they were pregnant for a few months and they had no detrimental effects but we do insist you stop training, right away, when you know.  We do not allow you to continue.

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