Fit Friday | Why I want a vibration plate, like right now.

I've been really proud of myself lately for not spending any money on fancy gadgets.  My last purchase was the Redken Steam Flat Iron.  It seems like I've been stricken by the bug once again.  Officially on my wish list is a power plate machine.

Why do I want this thing so badly?  Because it's awesome.  No, seriously. During my little research I learned that the technology become popular when it was discovered that Russian astronauts were able to retain muscle mass while in space.  As a result, Russian space missions lasted many times longer than U.S. missions.  Turns out that the Russians were leveraging vibration technology that allowed their astronauts to retain muscle mass and bone density even while in zero gravity.

at·ro·phy

ˈatrəfē/

verb

1. 1.

   (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution.

   "without exercise, the muscles will atrophy"

   synonyms:

   waste away, become emaciated, wither, shrivel (up), shrink; More
2. 2.

   gradually decline in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.

   "her artistic skills atrophied from lack of use"
3. 
   

Atrophy.  I learned the meaning of this word back in middle school. Once I knew of the evils of atrophy, I  vowed to do everything in my power to fight the slow demise that occurs unless we take action to stop it.  For the astronauts, the vibration plate was the most effective way to combat the atrophy of not using their muscles in space. For us, the vibration plate can provide the benefits of a full gym workout in only a few minutes a day.  If you want to see a clear example of atrophy in action, go back to that image of the fatty thigh muscle vs. the lean one.

How is is possible that a vibrating machine can impact the body?  Let's take it back to physics class.  You may remember a formula that described Force as Mass X Acceleration.  When we go to the gym, we use mass (weights) to create force needed to build muscle and build bone density.  With vibrating plates, we are leveraging acceleration to create force. When on a vibrating plate, our muscles are engaged in response to the vibration.  This makes the workout more intense.  A lunge on a vibration plate is not the same as the basic lunge using no resistance. Best of all, you don't have to put extra stress on the joints to get similar benefits.

Yet another benefit of these vibrating plates is increase circulation and the ability to stimulate the lymphatic system.  Circulation, my dearest friends, is the key to youth.  Proper circulation, my darlings, is the key to youth.   Our internal blood flow and circulation is highest when we are young.  Take a look at the skin of a child, notice how you can practically see the blood flowing into their cute little cheeks.  From there, blood flow continues to decline (atrophies) until we die. Death = zero circulation.
I read somewhere that being on a vibration plate is similar to receiving a deep tissue massage, meaning it wakes up the lymphatic system.  Whenever I received an intense massage, I remember the person advising me to drink lots of water to flush toxins out so I will make certain to drink up after every session.

Other benefits I read about were increased human growth hormones that contribute to thicker skin, lean muscle mass and overall youthful appearance.  Some also say that the increase circulation can combat cellulite.  These plates are said to have the power to increase flexibility and produce faster healing times after injury.   Enough talking about the benefits. I mean, is there anything else I can say to convince you of how awesome these things are?  I'm currently doing my research to find the right machine for me.  They range in prices from a few hundred dollars to many thousands.   Based on my past experience, when I invest a little more an a quality product, I get much more value in return.

(p.s. I have a fantasy where I'm sitting on one of these machines while giving myself a stimulating scalp massage......too much.......I said too much).

Will update when I get one.