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People Who Lack Stamina for Conventional Exercise Can Switch to WBV

15th May 2015

When it comes to physical activities, the general recommendation for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of ailment is to practice 30 minutes of exercise per day, at moderate-to-high intensity.

This sounds more than doable for healthy individuals, but for those affected by various conditions, who can’t practice conventional workouts, the alternatives are limited. Yet, this doesn’t mean people who can’t lift weights or run on the treadmill should abandon exercise for good. Researchers from the Islamic Azad University, Tehran, have shown that in diabetes 2 sufferers, whole body vibration can successfully replace aerobic exercise, the effect on the levels of blood glucose being similar.

Their study was published in the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine and involved 30 diabetic males who underwent either aerobic exercise or vibration training. The aerobic sessions consisted of 30-60 minutes of walking, at 60-70% of the maximum heartbeat, while vibration workouts were performed for 8-12 minutes, at 2 mm amplitude and 30 Hz frequency.

After 8 weeks, there were no significant differences in the concentration of blood sugar in the aerobic and WBV groups, but those in the exercise groups had lower fasting glucose levels than those who performed no exercise (the control group). The scientists concluded that people with diabetes type 2, who lack the stamina for aerobic exercise, can safely opt for whole body vibration as an effective alternative.

WBV, safe for people with hypertension and respiratory problems

 

People who suffer from high blood pressure may not be able to perform all forms of exercise, but whole body vibration seems to be a safe alternative, this type of workout having a positive effect on the blood pressure, muscle strength and arterial stiffness in hypertensive people.

One of the studies that support this statement was published in the Menopause journal last year, being conducted by researchers at the Florida State University, USA. The study involved 25 postmenopausal women with hypertension or prehypertension, who underwent whole body vibration training for 12 weeks.

The effects of this form of physical activity on muscle strength and the cardiovascular system were measured after 3 months, scientists finding that WBV decreases cardiovascular and disability risk, reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

Another category of people who can safely switch to vibration exercise to stay active is represented by COPD sufferers. In these people, conventional exercise may exacerbate the symptoms, so not all forms of workouts are well tolerated. However, WBV was found to be safe and effective in improving the functional performance of the lower limbs without affecting exercise tolerance.

The effects of vibration workouts in people with COPD have been investigated in several studies, such as the one published in the BMC Pulmonary Medicine journal by researchers from the Australian Catholic University.

Thus, if your health state doesn’t allow you to perform conventional workouts, you can rely on whole body vibration for keeping your muscles strong and your cardiovascular system in good shape.

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