Are Vibration Plate Workouts Actually Effective?
Vibration plate technology has made its way out of sports training facilities and into gyms and homes—but can it really get you in shape?
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Recently, vibration plate workouts (whole body vibration or WBV) have become increasingly popular, with social media playing a big role in their rise to fame. Supporters of this exercise claim that standing or exercising on a vibrating platform can improve physical strength, facilitate weight loss, enhance recovery, and boost circulation, among other advantages.
According to some experts, vibration plates cause muscles to contract reflexively, improve circulation, and enhance lymph flow, all of which can positively affect both physical and mental health. Advocates of whole-body vibration suggest that just 15 minutes a day, three times a week can help with weight loss, fat burning, and flexibility; however, it remains uncertain if whole-body vibration offers the same health benefits as traditional exercise methods such as walking, cycling, and swimming. "Typically found in gyms, plate machines are often utilized before and after workouts to enhance blood circulation and encourage muscle recovery, which can reduce soreness; however, there is limited research regarding the benefits of vibration training," explains Dr. Kellie Kopach, a Fitness Instructor at Life Time.
Although the benefits of vibration plate technology are still being researched, there may be some truth to some of the hype. Read on to get the full scoop.
Related: The 7 Best Vibration Plates of 2023, Tested & Reviewed
Understanding Vibration Plate Technology
Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a technique used for exercise and treatment in sports therapy and athletic training, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation. It involves sitting, standing, or working out on a platform that creates vibrations. These vibrations typically happen between 20 and 60 times per second with a magnitude (movement measurement) of one or more millimeters.
Simply put, whole-body vibration is about creating three things: movement, reactions to that movement, and gravity. "Through vibrations, movement is created—this puts our body slightly out of balance as we resist the extra gravitational pull created by the vibrations, requiring us to constantly engage our muscles in order to keep us upright," explains Darnell Cox, L.A.-based Healthy Aging Coach and Gerontologist at Live Young Lifestyle.
Whenever the plate moves, the body must respond by rebalancing itself on the plate through the repeated contraction and relaxation of muscles several times per second. This muscle movement is believed to help with healthy weight loss and improved circulation while reducing post-workout muscle recovery, says Cox. "The best part is, because the reactions are so quick and involuntary, it actually feels good. The sensation is more like a massage or gentle stretching," explains Cox.
Benefits of Vibration Plate Workouts
Vibration plate technology is becoming more popular thanks to various positive reviews and challenges shared on social media. However, many claims about its benefits lack solid scientific evidence. Despite this, some initial studies suggest several potential advantages that may make you interested in trying vibration plate workouts.
If you add resistance work and exercises to your workout while on a vibration plate, Cox believes you can substantially increase the benefits. The added challenge of self-stabilization forces your muscles to work much harder than they would on stable ground. This can potentially lead to increased muscle-firing, improving your strength, balance, muscle tone, and mobility.
Improved Muscle Strength and Power
Some studies support the use of whole-body vibration for improving muscle strength, power, and performance, particularly in older adults at a greater risk of muscle loss as they age. This is not to say people of any age won't see the muscle-boosting effects of working out on a vibration plate, but so far, research has focused on the older population.
One clinical trial published in Healthcare sought to determine whether whole-body vibration therapy (WBVT) is more effective than conventional resistance exercise combined with stretching in improving muscle strength and physical performance in older adults before resistance exercise. While both groups improved their muscle power, the WBVT group significantly increased their average speed and saw greater improvements in their balance, gait speed, and chair stand tasks (sitting and raising from a chair as fast as possible without using their arms). Researchers concluded that WBVT is a good choice for helping boost the effects of strength-building exercises safely.
Some other research points to vibration plate workouts being a safe and effective option for those who have trouble exercising due to chronic illnesses such as COPD. The speed, power, and strength-boosting effects of the vibration plate have been shown to provide more benefits than balance training alone for this population.
Accelerated Recovery and Reduced Muscle Soreness
One long-time use of WBV therapy is speeding up recovery and reducing muscle soreness after workouts. In gyms, this is often the most promoted use for vibration plate machines, according to Dr. Kopach, since they are thought to increase circulation, speeding the delivery of nutrients to tissues and fast-tracking the healing process.
Some research backs this up. One clinical trial published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research was conducted on elite hockey players. They were subjected to an eccentric exercise regimen known to cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Following the exercise, one group received static stretching and WBV therapy, while the other only performed stretching. The researchers collected baseline and post-exercise pain scores, as well as measurements of quadriceps tightness at regular intervals. The hockey players receiving WBV experienced less pain and quadriceps tightness than the stretching-only group. Researchers concluded that WBV is a valuable method for decreasing DOMS for anyone engaging in multi-sprint training to lower the risk of injury and enhance performance.
Enhanced Balance and Flexibility
"When performing exercises on the vibration plate, the vibration engages additional muscles to stabilize the body, making it work a little harder to maintain balance," says Dr. Kopach. Some research has shown better balance outcomes for people performing vibration plate workouts compared to traditional balance training.
Science backs up the flexibility-enhancing effects of vibration plate training. An analysis published in the Journal of Musculoskelet Neuronal Interactions of 19 different studies found that using vibration interventions had a significant positive impact on flexibility. Other research has suggested that using vibration plate training works well as part of a warm-up to improve flexibility and range of motion and can cut back on the time necessary to fully prepare for training without causing any negative impacts on power or speed.
Potential Metabolism Boosting Effects
Your body's metabolism is a complex beast, and no single form of exercise, food, or activity can truly make a substantial impact by itself. Instead, your metabolism is constantly in flux, changing with every movement, meal, and stressor. Supporting a healthy metabolism is like a puzzle with many pieces, made up of lifestyle choices such as sleep habits, exercise and daily movement, food quantity and composition, and, of course, hormones.
Of course, this doesn't stop people from questing after the next new hack to increase metabolism with hopes of supporting weight loss or healthy weight balance. Vibration plate workouts are firmly part of this dialogue, and some credible science suggests a slight increase in metabolic output from using these machines.
In a study published in PLoS One, 22 young men who regularly engage in physical activity completed six different exercises on a vibration platform, with and without vibration. The results showed that during the 20-minute training session, WBV increased oxygen consumption and estimated energy expenditure by approximately 22% and 20%, respectively. WBV increased the metabolic equivalent of the task by 5.5% and the rate of perceived exertion (how hard the exercise felt) by 13%. Researchers concluded that using vibration can significantly increase the metabolic cost of exercise.
Impact on Bone Health
Bone health is vital, especially as you age, since bone mass and strength can decline, resulting in higher chances of injuries, falls, and lack of independence. "It is commonly accepted that weight-bearing exercise increases bone density, helping to stave off osteoporosis, and whole body vibration serves as a weight-bearing exercise without the need to use actual weights," explains Cox.
According to Cox, standing on the vibration plate enhances the effects of weight bearing due to the increased gravitational pull (g-forces) created by the vibration plate. "This is especially helpful for some elderly users or those suffering from injury or disability who may not be able to perform typical weight-bearing exercises," she says.
Analysis of several studies analyzed the effects of whole-body vibration on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. The results showed that WBV had no significant impact on total or femoral neck BMD after 3 to 13 months. However, lumbar spine BMD did improve with this training method. TL;DR: vibration plate therapy may boost your bone health.
Vibration Plate Workouts To Try
Vibration plate workouts can take the form of traditional strength training, core exercises, stretching, or simply standing on the machine and feeling the vibrations as part of a mindfulness exercise. Incorporating some or all of these types of workouts may provide the benefits of each with the addition of the bone, balance, flexibility, power, and strength-boosting effects discussed.
"When you buy a vibration plate, you should receive some guidance on vibration plate exercises, including the frequency at which to execute those exercises," says Dr. Kopach. In addition, most plates also come with a strap in order to incorporate both upper and lower body exercises.
Try the following exercises provided by Darnelle Cox and Dr. Kopach.
Vibration Plate Plank
"Planking is a great place to start when using your plate for the first time," says Dr. Kopach.
Put a yoga mat on the ground under the vibration plate. Then, put your forearms on the platform of the vibration plate.
Push your lower body away from the platform until your back is straight and your knees are on the floor. Or, lift your body from the platform, leave your knees off the floor, and only touch the floor with your toes.
Hold this action for 30 seconds at a time.
Vibration Plate Squat
Squatting is a good place to start for beginning fitness plate users, according to Dr. Kopach. "Make sure you read the frequency recommendations that come with the machine," she says. The range is typically between 20-25 Hertz (Hz).
Take the classic squat position, with feet shoulder-width apart, toes forward, knees slightly bent, and stretch your arms so that they are parallel to the ground.
Keep your upper body position and lower your hips, as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair. It is very important to keep your back straight throughout the exercise, push your heels down, and engage your core.
Hold for 30 seconds at a time.
Pelvic Tilt with Bicep Curl
This movement can also be done as a single-leg bicep curl for more of a balance challenge, according to Cox.
Stand on the vibration plate with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent.
Squeeze your glutes and scoop out the abdominals, drawing your belly button to your spine, creating a slight posterior pelvic tilt.
Holding dumbbells on the top of your thighs with palms facing forward, slowly bend the elbows to raise the weights toward the front shoulder heads, and then return to your sides.
Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps.
Squats with Military Press
Stand on the vibration plate with feet hip-distance apart, holding weights at shoulder level, palms facing each other.
Squat low, stick your bum out, and keep weights hugged into the body.
Push through your heels to stand upright, squeezing the glutes as you straighten your legs while simultaneously straightening your arms, extending the weights toward the ceiling with palms facing each other.
Return weights to the front of your shoulders as you squat down. Repeat for 3 sets of 10.
Adding Accessories
Some equipment and accessories can help you take your vibration plate workouts up a notch while adding variety. These include support pillows for your back, exercise straps, cable attachments, and mats.
Related: Shoulder Press Variations That Build Upper-Body Strength for Any Fitness Level and Workout Need
Plank with Alternate Shoulder Touches
Place your hands on the vibration plate with knees or toes on the floor in a plank position.
Lift one hand and touch the alternate shoulder. Return hand down.
Lift the other hand and tap the alternate shoulder. Return to plank position.
Repeat 5 times each side for a total of 10.
Who Should Avoid Vibration Plate Workouts?
These people should avoid vibration plate workouts or consult with a healthcare provider before partaking, according to Cox:
People who are pregnant or think they might be
Anyone under 14 years of age
If you are recovering from an injury such as a sprain or tear
People with a pacemaker or other implant
Anyone with advanced cardiac disease
Anyone with active cancer
Related: Here's What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like
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