Fitvibe™ is a piece of exercise equipment that relies on a technology called whole body vibration. The idea behind this form of exercise is that vibrations put a constant subtle strain on muscles so that even standing on a vibrating platform puts the body under a small amount of stress. Due to the constant stress on the body, people are potentially able to get more benefit from doing less strenuous exercises on these platforms. Machines like the Fitvibe™ are popular for normal fitness routines, and they’ve also become very popular for rehabilitation because they're so low-impact. Some skeptics worry about potential health dangers of these machines and question the overall effectiveness of whole body vibration as a fitness technology.
There are three different kinds of Fitvibe™ designed for slightly different purposes. Most people can get the most benefit from the Fitvibe™ excel, which is a general-purpose machine for people looking to improve their fitness. In addition, the company also carry the Fitvibe™ medical and golf models. These include special programming for fitness routines specifically geared towards healing people with disabilities and improving golf performance.
Most people would consider the Fitvibe™ to be a relatively expensive device, and the marketing is actually targeted at selling it to businesses. The Fitvibe™ includes a special slot for reading credit cards so that gyms can charge people for time on the machine. It’s also available for sale to regular individuals who are willing to spend the money.
The idea for whole body vibration devices like the Fitvibe™ was initially developed by the Russian space exploration program. They were looking for a way to keep astronauts from suffering physical deterioration while in space. Vibration was a way of putting the body under duress that didn’t require gravity, so it suited their needs. Using this technology allowed the Russians to keep people in space for a longer period of time than the Americans while maintaining a minimal level of muscle and bone atrophy.
Whole body vibration machines have many potential benefits. For one thing, they put very little strain on the body overall. By simply standing on the machines, people will begin to sweat, and they may not even feel that they are exercising. Most routines rely on holding static positions that strain particular muscle groups for different amounts of time. Sometimes people also perform other workout routines while standing on the machines, which supposedly gives almost three times as much benefit as doing the exercises normally.
Some experts question whether or not whole body vibration is really safe. Some fear that the more aggressive machines might have the potential to cause brain damage. These people believe that the constant shaking might cause too many impacts between the skull and the brain, which might lead to gradual deterioration. There hasn’t been very much study of this hypothesis, and the companies that make theses machines generally suggest that they're safe as long as people don’t overuse them.