Hey Aligned Beauties.
I know I often talk about our “high vibe Aligned Tribe” but there’s something that's been making waves in the fitness and wellness world that truly is all about the ‘high vibes’ – it’s called the whole body vibration (WBV). You might have seen these WBV machines in the gym or on social media and I know many of you have been asking me what I think about this technology and what type of machine to buy. So in this blog I want to dig into what WBV is all about, who can benefit from it, how to use it, and what machine I recommend.
So, what exactly is whole body vibration? Picture this: you're standing or sitting on a machine with a moving platform. That platform is very quickly coming up on one side, then back down and up on the other. Think about a teeter totter, but it’s just moving a tiny amount up and down and it’s moving really fast - in other words it feels like it’s vibrating you. These vibrations send energy through your body, causing your muscles to contract and relax multiple times per second. And this isn’t just a new-age trend – astronauts actually use WBV to keep their muscles and bones strong in space!
The machine keeps moving, keeping you a teeny bit destabilized, which means your body has to respond to rebalance. That’s the secret of WBV - it’s a motion machine.
What are the Benefits?
There are a number of pretty compelling benefits of using a WBV machine. These include:
- Stronger, more toned Muscles: The vibrations make your muscles work harder, helping you get stronger and more toned without spending hours at the gym.
- Better flexibility: It helps loosen up those tight muscles, making it easier to move and reducing the risk of injuries.
- Stronger bones: WBV is especially great for anyone worried about osteoporosis, because exercising on a vibration plate helps to keep your bones strong and healthy.
- Boosted circulation:WBV promotes improved blood flow means your body can deliver nutrients more efficiently and get rid of waste faster.
- Speedy recovery: If you're into intense workouts, WBV can help you recover quicker by reducing muscle soreness.
- Weight loss and metabolism: WBV also helps boost your metabolism, which can aid in weight loss. You’ll burn more calories just by standing on the machine!
- Improved balance: WBV is great as we get older to help maintain stability and coordination.
- Stress relief: The gentle vibrations can help reduce stress and anxiety, making you feel more relaxed.
Who can use Vibration?
What I love most about WBV is how versatile it is. Just about anyone can use it for their particular goals - and if you fall into one (or more) of these categories, it could be helpful for you
Fitness Buffs and Athletes:
If you’re aiming for peak performance, add in vibration and see how much more challenging your workout is. Whether you’re doing squats or push ups or whatever, when you take the exercises you are doing in your workout and do them on the vibrating surface of a WBV machine it much more of a challenge. Try it and see gains.
Anyone New to Working Out:
But what I appreciate most about it is if you’re new to a fitness routine, this is the easiest place to start I think I’ve ever seen. All you need to do to get started is turn the machine on and stand on it. That’s it. You’ll start getting benefits right away. The machine creates motion for you and your body automatically responds without you needing to think about it. As your fitness improves, you can add in gentle movements, and eventually some strength moves, stretching, even some cardio - you’ll never outgrow this technology.
Busy Bees:
Because of the added motion that a WBV machine provides, your workouts become super efficient. Your whole body has to work, and the destabilizing motion means muscles are working a little harder without you noticing. The machine also creates a bit of a G-force, which means your body feels a little heavier to itself than it would just standing on the ground.
Over 40’s:
As we age, balance and strength as well as bone health become paramount. These goals are where WBV really shines, while also being safe and comfortable to use.
Rehab patients:
If you’re already working out but need something to help you efficiently stretch, this is the golden ticket. Hop on and your stretches get much more effective. Even just standing will help lengthen those muscles.
It’s important to note that choosing the right machine is important, as you want one that is low impact and feels good to use - nobody wants to exercise if it feels too aggressive. More on this later.
How to Use a Whole Body Vibration Machine?
Using a WBV machine is super easy, but here are some tips to get the most out of it:
- Start slow: If you’re new or just getting back to exercise, begin with short sessions of just a few minutes and gradually increase as your body gets used to it.
- Keep good posture: Whether you're standing, sitting, or lying down, make sure you have good posture to target the right muscles and avoid injury.
- Mix in some exercises: For extra benefits, do some squats, lunges, or arm raises on the vibrating platform. This engages more muscles and boosts your workout.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before and after your session to stay hydrated.
- Listen to your body: As always, if something feels off, reduce the intensity or duration. It’s all about what feels good for you.
Now, let’s talk about what machine to buy.
After a ton of research, I discovered a family company called T-Zone Vibration, which is from Canada. I fell in love with them because they offer a top-notch quality machine at affordable pricing, and have been in the business for something like 20 years. They use oscillating technology, which is my recommended vibration method - it’s effective, smooth, and easy on joints. Other methods are out there but they’re harder on the body, less comfortable, and not as safe.
T-Zone also has a fantastic soft mat, which they call a magic mat. It’s the only machine I’ve found with this option, and I like the soft mat for cardio type moves as well as seated poses.
I also love that they are built to last, quiet, easy to use, with great customer support.
T-Zone has given us a discount code, so look for that at the bottom of this post. They ship continental USA and Canada. If you’re looking for a machine to buy in Australia, their sister company CardioTech has the same machine.
I hope you’ll give Whole Body Vibration a try - it truly is the way to get high vibes every day!
With love and gratitude - Lo xx
GET $400 OFF A VT-20 VIBRATION PLATE MACHINE (The VT-20 is the Rolls Royce of T-Zone’s vibration plate machines with an oscillating vibration and an integrated controller offering 8 massage and therapy programs)
CODE = ALIGNED400
GET 20% OFF A HE-90 VIBRATION PLATE MACHINE or MASSAGE GUN (The HE-90 is an entry level vibration plate machine perfect for the budget conscious or for those with less space)
CODE = ALIGNED20
Disclaimer:
While T-Zone Vibration is very safe, there are some people who should not use vibration. If you: have active cancer, have an actively herniated disc, have a pacemaker or other implants including stapedectomy or cochlear implant, have had recent surgery, have serious cardiac disease, or if you are pregnant (or think you might be). This list is not exhaustive and if you have any health conditions whatsoever, please discuss with your health care provider.