People of all ages are lining up for an exercise regime that does more than shape and tone.
Kylie Minogue has been reported worldwide to have one of the best butts in the business. At 39 she can still strut her stuff on stage with pride in nothing more than a showgirl’s corset and fishnet tights. Well, the secret is out, Kylie is reportedly one of many celebrities who use Whole Body Vibration (WBV) Training as part of their fitness regime.
Closer to home Tatiana Grigorieva, the pole vaulting Olympic gold medallist who had the world enthralled at her performance as well as her statuesque physique at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games also used vibration training to restore her fitness for her turn in Dancing with the Stars recently.
Vibration training is not a new fad. It was first used by the Russians to counter the loss of bone density and muscle mass experienced by cosmonauts during space travel. The technology was then refined to enhance the performance of elite athletes and has more recently been applied to rehabilitation and pain relief.
While it has attracted the attention of some Beautiful People, it is a form of exercise that appears to suit almost anyone. The owner of the Vibe Studio in Hawthrone reports that clients are aged in the 30’s to the 60’s and one is over 70. That particular lady was frail and prone to falling over frequently when she first arrived at Vibe Studio and now she runs on a treadmill and has planned a trek in Thailand for later in the year.
Vibration training’s low impact muscle activation is particularly suited to the elderly and people recovering from sports injury, as 24-year-old Victoria H. has found to her own benefit. Like most people in their 20’s Victoria had an active lifestyle and enjoyed several sports including snow skiing, horse-riding and soccer, until she had a knee injury, that is. An operation for a knee reconstruction followed and two months on crutches as well as long-term physiotherapy and massage followed that. As Victoria recounts now, it was a slow and costly road to recovery, but even worse, a year later she still hadn’t fully recovered. While she tried to stay focused by trying low impact activity such as swimming, she was soon bored and impatient, and keen to get her active life back. It was a chance discovery by her partner that led her to Vibe Studio.
“After the knee reconstruction I couldn’t do even the most basic things and the rehabilitation was boring but it was also costing a fortune in physio and massage treatments. One leg also looked different from the other from the muscle wastage. A year later I still couldn’t run without my knee swelling up.
“I couldn’t go to a conventional gym because I would never have been able to keep up.” She said. Her partner saw an article about Vibe Studio and she has been going for a couple of months.
“In a matter of months the vibration training has turned around
what nothing else had been able to do in a year,” she said. Part of the appeal of vibration training is that it is easy. You basically stand or do certain exercises poses such as squats and lunges on a platform that looks like a large set of scales, and the platform vibrates at a range of speeds.
The vibration causes an involuntary contraction of the muscles which happens faster and, some claim, more effectively, than with conventional exercise. The action is supposed to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage and anecdotal reports seem to indicate it can have a positive effect on bone density in women who are noticing the early signs of osteoporosis.
Sessions on the “vibrator” are short – just 10 to 20 minutes each – and the minimum recommendation is to do a session at least one to three times a week.
For Victoria the benefits have been even better that she expected. She dropped a dress size, losing 7 kilos, and found her whole body tone improved. But just as important she says is how much better she feels.
“Just having the freedom back to be active is fantastic. Emotionally I feel a lot better,” she said. And the good vibes are rubbing off. Victoria’s partner, an AFL player, is using vibration training to help flexibility and other family members have been switched on to it for other goals including weight loss.
Power-Plate must only be used under supervision. Find out how to book for a Power-Plate session or course at Reception.
Green Apple Wellness Centre
Bald Hills 32611249
www.greenapplewellness.com.au
