We often talk about the different machine types and brands available and the Vibra-Train difference.

I worked on Sunday, and two new customers had specific back injuries that required me to make decisions about their ability to follow the standard safety program.  I have the option of giving them fully assisted (side vibrating handlebars) squats so that their lower back, hips, knees and ankles have even more support and allowing them work through the whole program; or, if necessary, they can do only the side handlebar assisted squats, that’s if their medical condition or severity of injury suggests they will be unable to do the regular program.

I have to make the choice.  I’ve gained experience in this and I can always refer back to Lloyd Shaw, the owner of Vibra-Train if I am really unsure but he expects me to be competent in this by now.  Sometimes I wait and and then decide  from how well they handle Position 1 – The Basic Squat – getting them to use the side handlebars instead of front ones, but even before that very first first position, I’ll be thinking and deciding as they’ve filled in a questionaire and we’ll have discussed their health or injury concerns.

Confidence is the thing -  I can make the right decisions for these customers.  I can decide if they can follow a Training program or is they need to start with Vibration Therapy.  It’s really not hard to decide!  I err on the side of caution but I don’t want to send a customer away disappointed because they could have done more.

So, yesterday’s customers – one had a severe lower back problem and had expected to have surgery but was declined by our national accident insurance system.  Despite her injury being the result of an accident there was an element of degenerative plus overuse issues.  She was hoping her private medical insurance would help pay for the needed surgery and told me she was currently unable to lift up and carry her 18 month old toddler.  It was quickly obvious that she was not able to work through the full program so she did a simple set of side handlebar assisted squats and will come back in few days to tell us how she felt afterwards and then we may increase what she does – She did Vibration Therapy.

The other customer with lower back and knee pain arrived later in the day.  Her injuries resulted from years of working in childcare squatting on the floor while she played with children and picking them up from the ground.  I thought she would be able to do the full Safety Program using the side handlebars for support in the squat positions.  Then as my boss walked into the studio I decided to ask his advice.  Lloyd (my boss) took over and put the customer through the program and I observed.  She did the full program – Vibration Training. I noticed she was putting her body weight onto her toes not balanced onto heels and toes.  This was what was causing her back and knee pain as it was the way she regularly squatted down when playing with young children.  Lloyd pointed this out to her and told her how much she would benefit from the Vibra-Train Safety Program; with an instructor supervising her sessions she would quickly learn to keep her heels down and take the pressure off her knees, also keeping her back neutral and relaxed.

I love it when I see Vibration Training giving such benefits that will change a young person’s life so dramatically. I’m excited to be able to watch this new customer’s progress.

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.

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.

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.

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.

But, 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.

There’s a short abstract plus a link to the full (purchase) version of the study.  I haven’t got the full version yet but the results are mind boggling – in a very good way!

Vibration Training on high force lineal or, as in the study, on medium force lineal Vibration Machines is very effective in achieving fat loss.  Dietary help was also given to participants in the study and I’m sure everyone agrees, what we eat greatly affects our health and weight.  We need the right nutrients to build muscle and to assist in burning fat during and after exercise.

What’s even more exciting than the statement “Vibration Training reduces Fat” is that visceral (or belly) fat reduced the most in the Vibration Training plus Diet group compared with the Fitness plus Diet group.

I wrote an article about this study in May, 2009 when the first press release was out:

Public release, 8th May, 2009, by the European Association for the Study of Obesity, an association established in 1986 and now with 2500 health professionals from 29 member countries, on the results of a controlled study performed at the Artesis University College and the University of Antwerp in Belgium states: 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.

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.

I couldn’t say it better so click through if you are serious about losing some fat.

A tip for any Dumbass (and all you sensible types too): Vibration Training on high quality machines can be the easiest, fastest way to kick-start an exercise habit.  Of course I say “easy” in a rather “tongue in cheek” way as we all know that no real exercise is easy and the studio group that I recommend is Vibra-Train.

Note the name Vibra-Train, not Vibra-Massage.  It’s all good, really, anyone can do it, larger size is what this brand was originally designed for so you’ve got nothing to lose; well nothing except some fat (and you get strong, small, well formed muscles that support your bones and help you burn even more fat).

In New Zealand the age for consent of marriage is 16 years (with parental approval) and 21 without so these forced marriages are not legally viable but they are fully accepted and enforced within the religious community and it’s not uncommon for these girls to have two or three children before they reach the age of 16.

We could say, “hands off”, it’s not our lifestyle so we shouldn’t interfere and anyway these girls have reached puberty and so are able to marry but it’s all the other factors that are not okay; informed consent is not there, although the girls do agree to the marriage, how could they refuse?  They have no escape and those that managed to get away tell of going into hiding with their children always fearful of being found and returned to their husband or family.  They tell of violence and control, of not being allowed to attend school (yes these girls are still required by New Zealand law to be in school), not allowed to see their friends and more.

So, is there any good news? Yes, there are specific “Women’s Refuge” groups set up to help these girls and also publicity of what’s happening alerts their communities to New Zealand law and what’s expected when they live here.  Also if we all know what’s happening we will look out for out neighbours and schoolfriends and speak out when we see wrong.

The first situation I noticed was at the Auckland International Airport as I came through Immigration and Customs.  A few families arriving on a flight from China had been moved to one side for additional questioning.  Among the group was a mother who was heavily pregnant.  Her shape suggested she would give birth very soon.  I was surprised as I know airlines have regulations covering travel past the 32nd week of pregnancy.  This lady seemed to be very uncomfortable.  Of course I have no way of knowing why she was flying.

Then going to the supermarket to stock up on groceries after a week away I went through the serviced checkout ( too tired to “fight” with the self-checkout that particular day).  The checkout operator was, just like the previous lady, very heavily pregnant and although she was seated she was barely coping with her job.  I was left pondering what domestic situation she was part of that meant that she was working in a supermarket so late into her pregnancy instead of preparing for and resting before her baby’s birth.

New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote and women have equal rights with men in law.  Women may work in any industry and we’ve had women in the top roles, as Prime Minister and other government ministers as well as in managerial positions in almost every business.  Yet, sometimes I wonder how far we have really come?

PostScript: Some people have reminded me that pregnancy is not an illness.  I totally agree but I stand by my belief that there is a time to work and a time to take a little extra rest and in both cases I’ve written about the pregnant mothers looked very tired.

Does Vibration Training work for _ _ _ _ ? You, the reader, need to insert the missing word here.

I’m so passionate about Vibration Training and what I see on a daily basis as an Instructor that I’m inclined to say YES, YES, whatever missing word you insert, Vibration Training works  BUT, in reality, I’m not so naiive.  I’ve even heard a lady ask if doing Vibration Training will cure her body of cancer.  She seemed to think that the vibrations might re-set her body onto a healing path.  Alas, no, while her theory sounds good there are some things that Vibration Training cannot do or if it does we are not willing to take the risks involved to find out.  Vibration Training is not recommended for people with active cancer as it improves blood circulation throughout the whole body and while that carries nutrients it also possibly increases the risk of spread of disease.

Vibration Training is also not recommended for people with pacemakers.  This is in line with keeping away from electro-magnetic currents.  I know the machines I work with at Vibra-Train have sheilded motors, nevertheless this is an industry safeguard so we simply don’t these people to use the machines.  And we don’t allow women who are pregnant to use the machines, not that we have any evidence that it’s dangerous but we simply don’t know.

So, leaving aside these known contra-indications and all the short-term reasons not to train (like influenza, recent surgery, recent broken bones) I can confidently say, Vibration Training is great, it works!

But again, it works for what?

Firstly what do you want to achieve? Is it gentle stimulation of a previously injured body part?  Is it muscle strength and power?  Is it speed or endurance to help with your next sports event? Is it general fitness and feeling good?  Do you want to bulk up yet strip off fat?  Are you a busy mother wanting to simply lose a few pounds of weight and increase your sense of well being?

Your results are determined by various factors -  including the type and quality of the machines you use and the program of positions you use on the machines.  I recommend the Vibra-Train Safety Program for use with lineal (upright) machines in studios and at home.  It can be difficult to do some of the poses if you are using a small, low to the ground home model but as far as possible you can follow the program and I am happy to help with any questions.  An essential accessory for home (and studio) machines is a rubber mat to place onto the machine platform to protect hands, elbows, and sometimes even the feet from the rough or bubbly surface that machines have and to assist with grip and placement.  To choose the right machine type or brand and when deciding to buy a home machine or to use a specific vibration studio or possibly a machine in your local gym or health studio I advise people to get all the information they can get before committing your money.  Read the relevant articles on my website and others and ask lots of questions of salespeople, then check their answers against what you already know and as trite as it sounds, use common sense.  If the claims are beyond belief, they are most likely, untrue.

Then it’s up to you – Follow the safety program three times a week or maybe twice if you already have an intensive weights program that you use.  Eat sensibly without going into excesses of dieting or supplementation.  Your results will be exciting, make sure you track them by a diary entry or a short note in a notebook.

Yes, Vibration Training works – It works very well. Making it work is up to you, the reader, by choosing the right equipment for your needs, following an excellent whole body vibration training program, and being dedicated to your workout sessions.  You can even get away with pizza for dinner occaisionally.

Links: Vibra-Train Safety Program, Vibration-Training-Advice