Frequently asked questions about vibration plates

Get acquainted with the answers to frequently asked questions about vibration plates below and find out all about whole-body vibration to build muscle and burn fat.

All your frequently asked questions about vibration plates are here!

Can you get a headache from a whole-body vibration workout on a vibration plate?

Frequently asked questions about vibration plates often include headaches. If you use the vibration plate following standard advice, and you don’t usually suffer from headaches, then it’s poor hydration that’s to blame.

A training effort combined with a lack of water leads to a disruption in fluid balance.

Recent scientific studies have shown that most of the U.S. population suffers from occasional dehydration due to consuming coffee, alcohol, smoking, too much stress, and not drinking enough water.

Hydration is essential for humans as our bodies are more than half made up of water.

Combined with diets where one is often encouraged to eat less, the amount of fluid one takes in through diet is also less.

As a general rule, when you train on a vibration plate, you lose moisture by sweating. So it is essential that everyone drinks plenty of water one hour to half an hour before the workout. You can really get a headache with any intensive form of training if there is a lack of fluid in your body.

Thus, headaches are not directly related to whole-body vibration training.

Can you train with bare feet on a vibration plate?

A frequently asked question about vibration plates includes the right footwear. For a good workout on a vibration plate, it is best to use a sports shoe with a not too thick sole.

The mechanical vibrations must be adequately transferred to the body to use a vibration plate correctly and responsibly.

When 2 hard surfaces make contact, friction will occur between them. Hard tissues, compared to soft tissues, are not as capable of absorbing vibrations.

As a general rule, it is recommended to wear shoes with not too thick flexible rubber soles during whole-body vibration training. If you want to train with bare feet on a vibration plate, then use a rubber mat to reduce friction, while still adequately transferring the vibrations to the body.

Is it normal for your calves and legs to start itching during a vibration plate workout?

A frequently asked question about vibration plates concerns blood circulation and and itchy legs.

Working out with a vibration plate stimulates blood circulation tremendously but this annoying and disturbing feeling is temporary.

As a whole, a minority of users experience itching and what is known as erythema (the intense reddening of the legs) during whole-body vibration training. This can be very unpleasant, but fortunately, this annoying and disturbing feeling is temporary and your body will eventually adapt.

If your legs start to itch during a vibration session turn down the intensity of the vibrations and slowly build up the intensity of the vibration workout per workout so you can get used to it.

After a few training sessions, you will notice that your body will react much less violently to the vibrations.

Improved blood circulation due to vibration training is very beneficial for the elimination of waste products and also for the fight against cellulite.

Can you lose weight by exercising with a vibrating plate?

As a whole, several scientific studies show that vibration training helps burn more visceral adipose tissue than traditional training. Adopting a healthy diet is extremely important for slimming down effectively in combination with vibration training on a vibration plate.

It was found that the amount of organ fat between the intestines and abdomen shrank significantly more in individuals who exercise with a vibration plate.

There was a marked reduction in abdominal circumference, which is of great importance because such abdominal fat adversely affects the health of the liver, heart, and blood vessels.

Related post: Vibration plate for belly fat: How to lose visceral fat and build muscle

When is a negative energy balance when energy intake (through diet) remains constant and energy consumption (through training) increases you lose fat.

However, suppose you take in more energy daily than you consume energy. In that case, nothing will happen in terms of weight loss, even if you regularly take a whole-body vibration workout or train in some other way.

So in answer to a frequently asked question about vibration plates and weight loss – you can’t compensate for a poor diet by exercising.

Does one vibration training session per week make sense?

As a whole, one vibration training session per week is better than not training at all. If you want to achieve an effect by training on a vibration plate, we recommend that you train 2 to 3 times a week. If you wait too long to train again, most of the effect of the previous training has been lost.

To get better, regular training is essential.

So you stay at about the same level if you were to do whole-body vibration once a week.

But suddenly concluding that training makes no sense at all is incorrect. Because if you didn’t train at all, your body would only deteriorate!

In such a scenario, you will soon realize that swimming, biking, walking, climbing the stairs, and so on will all be more difficult, and you will get out of breath much faster.

Due to the reduced amount of muscle in your body, it becomes more challenging to maintain good posture during your daily activities. As a result, you will eventually experience knee and/or back pain.

In addition, reduced physical fitness makes you more likely to get sick and less likely to recover.

So working out on the vibration plate once a week absolutely makes sense!

In the first place, you make sure that your body does not deteriorate (further). Moreover, you should certainly not underestimate the positive mental impact.

For many people, at a particular stage of their lives, working out more is not feasible, for whatever reason.

So in answer to a frequently asked questions about vibration plates and sessions, set a minimum of 1 training session per week as a goal for yourself. Try to schedule a second session to speed up progress.

Can you use whole-body vibration to replace a fitness workout?

As a general rule, training on a vibration plate offers you almost all the positive effects that you can achieve through classical fitness training, such as agility, speed, coordination, and endurance. Fitness training is still needed to improve and strengthen heart and lungs.

You can also use a vibration plate for strength training by combining exercises on the vibration plate with dumbbells, gym balls, etc.

In answer to a frequently asked question about vibration plates and fitness – they work together and are both needed.

Tip: Check our other article to learn how Vibration training increases the effect of traditional strength training

Can you sweat during a vibration plate workout?

A whole-body vibration workout is a full-body workout. So by performing exercises on a vibration plate, your body burns energy and your body temperature increases. Therefore, your body will cool itself by sweating to release the heat generated and keep body temperature under control.

The nervous system stimulates the sweat glands to release perspiration when you overheat. As the droplets evaporate from your skin, they take away some body heat which cools you down.

Frequently asked questions about vibration plates often involve sweating and if it’s too much or too little.

What influences sweating?

Sweating a lot while working out indicates that you are a good athlete with a decent fitness level. The fitter you are, the more efficiently your body sweats.

Sweating helps you cool down, and it generally allows you to run, bike, or lift weights at a higher intensity for longer.

But if your sports shirt stays mostly dry during a workout, you don’t have to immediately think you’re in poor shape. After all, other factors affect the amount of sweat you produce.

For example, fit men sweat harder and more than fit women. And so, people with a higher BMI are more likely to suffer from profuse perspiration.

A cup of coffee can dehydrate you, making you sweat less. So it is definitely essential to drink enough water before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration.

Avoid consuming alcohol just before a workout. Drinking alcohol before exercise makes you sweat more because your heart rate increases, the blood vessels in your skin expand, and you get hotter.

Can you sweat too much?

No, there is no such thing as sweating too much. It’s like height. You have people of average height, those taller than average, and those shorter than average.

Do you sweat more than average? It’s nothing to worry about.

Suppose you are really sweating excessively on certain parts of your body, such as on your hands and/or feet. In that case, there may be a medical cause and explanation.

You may then be suffering from hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating.

Is it important to sweat while exercising?

Yes, perspiration is essential to regulate body temperature during exercise.

In other words, it’s a bad sign if you don’t sweat at all during a training session. That either means your body can overheat, or you’re just not training intensively enough.

In a good fitness workout, the rule of thumb is that you should start producing some sweat in the first 15 minutes anyway. If not, feel free to shift up another gear.

On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how much you sweat exactly. For example, someone with significant moisture stains all over their shirt is not necessarily doing better.

Sweating can be unpleasant

First of all, it’s helpful to know that sweat doesn’t really smell by itself (not even if you wear sweat leggings). Only when it comes into contact with bacteria, do you get that typical and penetrating sweat smell.

Deodorant does not prevent you from sweating and rather prevents the sweat from smelling. A good deodorant without chemicals and good hygiene are important.

Try to wear cotton and avoid all kinds of synthetics that can choke the skin. Furthermore, it is of extra importance that you put on clean clothes daily.

This will prevent the bacteria from accumulating and causing a nuisance.

What to watch out for to avoid straining your back during a vibration workout on the vibration plate?

Frequently asked questions about vibration plates include questions about back strain.

As a general rule, the lower back is in its natural position with a slightly concave back, called lordosis. During exercises on the vibration plate, it is important to maintain this natural hollow posture. The back is functionally stronger in a lordosis position than a kyphosis or convex position.

Therefore, we recommend keeping the back in that natural position during all exercises on a vibration plate.

In many cases, a vibration plate proves beneficial for rehabilitation after back injuries. Always seek professional advice.

What to watch out for to avoid straining your knees during a vibration plate workout?

The human body is made to move, nevertheless, it is vital to avoid several positions for the knee joint. A frequently asked question about vibration plates is about knee strain.

For example, we may be dealing with a so-called “sliding drawer” in the knee joint where the upper leg slides over the lower leg when you allow your knee to pass the foot.

Pressure, in this case, is the force exerted by the quadriceps muscles (at the front of the thigh).

These allow the knee to stretch or slowly bend in a controlled manner.

This means that specific structures, such as the kneecap (patellofemoral joint) or the patellar and quadriceps tendons, are loaded more heavily as the knee moves further over the toes.

As a whole, a novice athlete should avoid the knees going past the toes. Namely, because this increases the amount of pressure around the knee from a biomechanical point of view. Pay close attention to this when performing squats or lunges to avoid overloading the kneecap and quadricep tendons.

Over time, through training, with the right volume, intensity, and proper execution, you can safely get your knees past your toes.

In many cases, a vibration plate proves to be a beneficial tool for rehabilitation after knee injuries.

Beware: It is imperative to train under expert guidance and not take unnecessary risks.

How many vibration plate exercises are there?

The number of exercises you can use to train your arm, leg, abdominal, and back muscles on a vibration plate is endless and is often a frequently asked question about vibration plates

As a general rule, vibration plate exercises used to be limited to about 35 primarily static exercises. But nowadays, the vibration plate is also used to perform dynamic exercises, resulting in an endless number of possible vibration plate exercises.

This means preparing the body for movements that you need in everyday life and perform regularly.

For example, functionally strengthening your back so that you significantly reduce the risk of painful back injuries.

Another functional exercise on the vibration plate is strengthening your ankles and knees. So that when you trip or tip over your foot, you have a better chance of getting through this situation without serious injury.

It is possible to combine training sessions with a vibration plate with various other training materials such as a ball, TRX, small weights, core bag, kettlebells, larger weights, balls, stretchers, ankle weights, and so on.

Can training on a vibration plate be harmful to your body?

Fortunately, by now, most people are convinced that there is nothing at all wrong with whole-body vibration training.

One must, of course, respect a few rules.

As a general rule, our bodies are made to move, so they are superbly equipped to absorb vibrations encountered in everyday life. However, when it comes to vibration plate exercises, it is important to follow the appropriate guidelines as prolonged exposure may cause issues in the long run.

Due to highly progressive mechanization in the last few centuries, exposure to mechanical vibration has increased dramatically.

For example, many vibrations are transmitted via the seat or floor to truck drivers, road workers, bus drivers, forklift drivers, and helicopter pilots.

After prolonged exposure to such vibrations, symptoms can manifest in the joints and spine, causing significant problems.

What is the impact of vibrations from a vibration plate on the body?

When training on a vibration plate, you actively engage in vibration. In a whole-body vibration workout, the vibrations are absorbed in the muscles, not the joints.

The time component also plays an important role.

The total time of a vibration training session is much less than the time people are exposed to other vibrations during various occupational activities.

Most vibratory plates comply with all applicable standards and regulations. Incidentally, it does not seem to make sense to exercise on a vibration plate for longer than 30 minutes or more than 3 to 4 times per week.

As a general rule, if using a vibration plate in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and under proper supervision, this form of exercise is many times safer than any other sport or exercise activity. Therefore, there is no noticeable impact from vibrations on the body.

Most vibrating plates use a harmonic motion pattern which ensures that the motion varies consistently and smoothly in both height and distance.

This is necessary to establish a controlled reflex, which will ensure that you will recruit and engage a maximum of muscle fibers.

On the other hand, in non-harmonic movements, such as working with a jackhammer, riding a racing bike on cobblestone roads, and so on, your body is more likely to make an uncontrolled reflex.

This can cause you to block and overload the joints and bones rather than use the surrounding muscles.

These uncontrolled actions can often lead to inflammation and symptoms in the longer term.

From what age can you start vibration training?

When training under the guidance of a certified instructor, this can be done from a very young age. Frequently asked questions about vibration plates usually deal with age.

As a whole, stating a minimum age for using the vibration plate is difficult as it depends on a person’s growth process and physical and mental development to be able to train. The frequency, position, and duration will have to be adapted to this person’s load capacity and ability.

There are persistent misconceptions about strength training in young people. Many parents are convinced that it is detrimental because it would damage the growth plates and stunt growth.

However, scientific studies have so far been unable to demonstrate any negative relationship between strength training and subsequent growth.

Obviously, one should approach this with common sense, without overloading and calmly building up.

What is more questionable is when children and adolescents do not receive any stimuli at all that require physical performance, such as strength, endurance, and coordination! In fact, this can cause a lot of problems in later life.

Of course, the exercises must be performed correctly, but that is actually true for adults as well.

Vibration training is an excellent complement to another sport that young people play. Still, it can also serve perfectly as training in its own right.

In fact, training on a vibration plate, like other sports, has many positive effects:

• Vibration training also helps to develop a good basic fitness level that is an essential foundation for your physical performance as an adult
• Working out on a vibration plate also helps to build more self-confidence
• Whole-body vibration training also helps to maintain weight
• It helps to train coordination, balance, and general motor skills

Up to what age can you train with a vibration plate?

As a general rule, there is no maximum age for the use of a vibration plate. There are cases of people over 80 who participate in vibration training on a vibration plate several times a week and aren’t planning to stop any time soon. For many older people, whole-body vibration training is essential.

A frequently asked question about vibration plates often address age.

One of the first areas of application of the vibration plate was to combat osteoporosis (bone decalcification).

Many scientific studies have shown a linear relationship between muscle strength and bone density.

The vibrations and the pulling and pushing forces acting on the body during a vibration workout on a vibration plate greatly stimulate the bone tissue.

Using a vibration plate allows you to activate muscles in an easy, safe and straightforward way that does not require external forms of resistance such as weights or dumbbells (read our buying guide if you want to buy a vibration plate).

The strain on joints, ligaments, and tendons when doing vibration training on a vibration plate is also much less than traditional strength training.

So that makes a vibration plate an ideal training device to use later in life!

Can you start advanced whole-body vibration training if you have been exercising for years?

As a whole, the body will need to slowly get used to a progressively increasing load during whole-body vibration training, as is the case with all other forms of sport and physical activity. Even advanced athletes just starting out will need to get used to this new training and its methods.

Experienced athletes can increase the number of exercises, the duration, and the intensity of the workouts faster than someone who is less or not trained.

It will also be essential to start training more functionally with the vibration plate, possibly using external training materials such as weights, exercise bands, balls, etc.

Do you need to eat and drink anything before your vibration training?

Because many people skip meals due to improper eating habits (for example, breakfast), they often have too low blood sugar levels.

If you start training with a low blood sugar level, you can get hypoglycemia (blood sugar deficiency) and experience an energy dip during your workout.

You then start to spin, you feel weak, you don’t get ahead, and you may even see stars or all black before your eyes! And that is a situation that is not productive for your physical efforts!

So don’t make the mistake of underestimating a whole-body vibration workout.

Eating and drinking is essential before vibration training to avoid a mid-workout slump. Failure to do so may result in lightheadedness, lack of strength and dizziness due to hypoglycemia, as would happen in any other training session.

Can you exercise with a vibration plate if you have diabetes?

As a general rule, diabetes is an exclusion criterion because of the rapid drop in blood sugar that can cause a diabetic to become ill quickly. However, a vibration plate is also excellent for helping diabetics improve their condition so always seek medical advice before training.

Several diabetic patients exercise on a vibration plate without any problem but remember that you will be doing a strenuous exercise so take the same necessary measures as you would for any other strenuous activity.

Can you exercise with a vibration plate if you suffer from varicose veins?

As a general rule, anyone who suffers from varicose veins could exercise with a vibration plate. When using a vibration plate, blood circulation is significantly stimulated so regular exercise with a vibration plate will improve the return of blood to the heart.

The arteries in our body carry blood from the heart to the legs. The blood then flows back through the veins to the heart.

Valves in our veins allow blood to flow easily back from the toes to the heart.

When those valves stop working correctly or are broken, blood doesn’t flow back to the heart as easily, and varicose veins occur.

When doing massage exercises on a vibrating plate, it is important to first massage around the varicose veins before bringing the varicose veins into direct contact with the surface of the vibrating plate.

After a procedure for removing varicose veins, we recommend that you take a certain period of rest in consultation with your doctor.

Once you start exercising again after the surgery, you should not do any massage exercises for a week, after which you can build up the intensity of the massage exercises.

Can you exercise with a vibration plate if you suffer from osteoarthritis?

Frequently asked questions about vibration plates invariably include osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is progressive, meaning that the cartilage quality continues to deteriorate.

As a whole, by moving and exercising with a vibratory plate, the cartilage is brought out of its sleep and retains its function. Exercise is an integral part of the treatment of osteoarthritis because exercise slows down further aggravation. It also reduces pain and therefore pain medication.

Cartilage acts like a sponge that is squeezed when pressed and then sucks itself full of joint fluid. In this way, the cartilage supplies itself with the necessary nutrients.

Muscles, ligaments, and tendons have a vital function when absorbing shock and providing stability in the joint and these tissues must also be trained on a vibration plate.

Some patients who struggle with osteoarthritis are prescribed medications for pain and inflammation and vibration training can sometimes have a negative effect because these drugs can suppress the natural warning signs of overload so that they are not always noticed.

Training will thus have to be built up slowly, and constant attention will have to be paid to the correct frequency and position during the whole-body vibration training.

If the pain and stiffness increase during and after loading, one will have to adjust the training program.

On the other hand, a vibration plate can also lead to a decrease in pain symptoms and a reduction in the amount of pain medication one takes.