Using Power Plate to Increase Your Movement:

Does using the Power Plate increase your movement or your ability to move your joints? Yes, very much so. The Power Plate is a whole body vibration platform that causes reflex muscle contractions of 25-50 contractions per second, depending on the setting.

When first using a vibration platform, most of the positions are stationary. For example, you would step on to the platform and squat down to a comfortable position and hold this position for 30 seconds. If you have balance issues you can grip the handles for support.

In this squat exercise your muscles are contracting as they hold you in this position. When vibration goes through a contracted muscle you cause reflex muscle contractions to occur. These reflex contractions are where the strengthening occurs, along with increasing your circulation and creating an endorphin release.

Athletes use the Power Plate as part of their warmup because of this increased circulation to the muscles and joints. It also stimulates the nervous system, preparing your body for the movements to follow, as well as creating heat in the muscles from all the contractions. Basically, it shortens the time needed for a good warmup, prior to exercise.

So while it may seem strange that a stationary position on this platform can increase your movement, it does, because of the reasons just mentioned. Depending on your goals, you can use it by itself for your exercise program or as part of a workout, where you include other "normal" exercises. I like to use it to stretch, either prior to exercise or in between sessions to help recover faster.

When I use it this way, I will also use it to massage different muscles prior to stretching. A relaxed muscle stretches much easier than a tense muscle does. The results will also last longer. I have found that this combination of massage and stretching with the Power Plate gets much faster results than traditional stretching. Combine this with other forms of stretching and joint mobility movements and you can increase your ability to move easily and efficiently.

After using it for a while you can add more movement while on the platform, such as squatting up and down, with or without any additional weight such as a dumbbell. Most of these exercises occur without moving very far, however. As you attempt to stand up straight you take tension off the working muscle.

When you remove tension from the muscle you take away the reflex muscle contractions. If you were to stand completely upright on the platform, all the vibrations would pass by the muscles and go straight to your head, feeling uncomfortable and a little bit dizzy. When I see some of the other platforms on the internet and the people are standing completely upright, it tells me that these platforms don't have as much power as the Power Plate, or that the manufacturer doesn't know the science behind it.

Either that or their machine works on a very different mechanical property. I have clients do these stationary positions on the platform and then go right to another exercise, such as pushups, lunges, bridges, or resistance band exercises while standing(off the platform). By combining all these different exercises and movements, they get a lot of done in a short amount of time. We make the workout more efficient this way by using exercises that use several muscles and joints at the same time.

In this manner you can use the Power Plate for fat loss. If you aren't able to do a lot of exercise because of physical limitations, many of you can use the platform for your exercise and movement needs. Those with pacemakers and certain illnesses, such as uncontrolled diabetes would not be candidates for this type of routine.

When you add up all the reflex contractions that occur on the platform with other exercises done off the platform, that is a lot of muscle contraction, which is why you can get results without spending an hour or more to exercise. For those with limited time this is an ideal way to exercise.

You can see results by only doing exercises on the platform. If you've got more than 20 pounds to lose, its doubtful that you will accomplish this just through the vibrations, but you would see some increase in your metabolism, losing some weight.



For more information on Power Plate stretching, click here.

Stretching and the Power Plate:

The Power Plate whole body vibration platform is a great tool for stretching. Close to 30 professional sports teams use it with their athletes, primarily as part of their warmup. With around 30 reflex muscle contractions per second, you get the muscles warmed up in no time.

All those muscle contractions occur while you are holding a stretch for thirty seconds. Besides creating a lot of heat in the muscle and connective tissue, those contractions also make a change in your nervous system. The end result is greater flexibility in a relatively short amount of time.

That's one of the reasons athletes use vibration platforms - it speeds up the warmup process and gets you ready for the movements to follow. If you're not an athlete but need to increase your flexibility, the Power Plate can help with that.

If you've read my articles before, you know that I am a big movement person. I believe that most of us don't move enough and thus aren't as healthy as we should be. Many of the physical problems I've dealt with in clinic settings have been movement related - not enough of some movements and too much of others (overuse injuries).

Which is why I generally advocate movements such as joint mobility or some type of dynamic stretching, in order to move more efficiently and to be flexible in motion, which is more important than being flexible in a stationary position.

Whole body vibration platforms offer a perfect solution as whether to do static (stationary) stretching or do some type of movement to increase your flexibility. Do static stretching with a Power Plate and then do some type of movement afterwards to get the best of both worlds.

Combining these techniques will give you a synergistic effect, where the sum total is more than either of the parts on their own.

If you don't have access to a WBV platform you can do some type of self-massage first, to release tension in your muscles. When you have tense muscles that may have some triggerpoints, they won't stretch as easy and will quickly return to their previous length.

Golf Fitness - Chasing Tiger:

You may never play golf like Tiger Woods but you can play better by focusing on your fitness levels. Yesterday, while flipping channels on the TV and occasionally napping, I caught some golf action. Phil Mickelson ended up winning this particular tournament.

One of the commentators noticed a much slimmer Mickelson and also said that his playing partner had lost weight. Its no secret that Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world. Its also no secret that he works hard to stay in shape.

Yes, he works hard on his golf game and is highly skilled and also highly driven. This hard work carries over to his fitness workouts. You can take one look at his physique to see that this is the case. While many golfers have less than impressive physiques - John Daly comes to mind - staying fit has definitely helped Tiger.

Besides adding some power to your swing, doing some strength training will help support your lower back, an area vulnerable to injury. Between the speed of the golf swing and all the twisting, your low back is at risk of injury.

So if you aren't looking to take on Tiger or any of the PGA players you can still benefit from some off the course training. Flexibility is definitely needed and often lost as you get older. Strength is also gradually lost without specific training. Baby Boomers and Seniors looking to play golf as long as possible should consider a golf fitness program.

This would include core training to support and strengthen your back. Simple exercises with dumbbells and/or bodyweight will help with your strength and also help your muscles from getting too stiff. You don't have to start a bodybuilding program and you don't have to spend hours at the gym, either.

You should be doing something to stay healthy and fight the aging process anyway, but if that isn't your priority for whatever reason, it will definitely improve your golf game and reduce your risk of injury. Let's face it.... you can't play much golf if your back is sore.

For more info check out these articles:

joint mobility training, golf fitness, core training for a strong back and abs

Stretching and Science

Today let's take a look at some of the recent research on stretching. A couple of studies recently published looked at different types of stretching done as a warm-up before exercise. Both of these studies showed a decrease in performance directly after static stretching. It seems the muscle-tendon junction relaxes too much and can't store elastic energy very well.

One of these studies also showed improved performance after dynamic stretching. These dynamic stretches are similar to the actual movements that will be performed and this likely contributes to the gains that are seen.

This doesn't mean that static stretching isn't useful, it is. It just means that you would want to wait about 30 minutes before attempting any explosive movements, such as running or jumping.

Static stretching is more useful after exercise or when used between bouts of exercise to help with recovery and prevention. There are some exceptions to this, but dynamic stretching is generally more effective prior to exercise. This involves movements similar to what you will be doing, gradually increasing your speed of movement and stretching a little farther as your body adapts. In very hot settings this would require less time than colder settings.

For example, when playing softball in 90 degree weather your body warms up much faster than it does at 55 degrees. Your muscle and connective tissues will be much more pliable when warm. In colder weather, you will need more time to warm-up and go a little slower with your movements - common sense.

Some other points brought up in the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit include: for most of us, its better to be somewhere in the middle, not super inflexible or super flexible, either. I would agree with this very much.

While I talk about mobility and dynamic flexibility a lot, I'm not saying that you need to do the splits or put your foot behind your head, just have enough movement for your normal activities. And if you don't move enough, you may have some stiffness and/or pain.

Another idea was that if you have been sitting for 50 minutes, you need to stand up and move around a little. I agree strongly with this one. Also, stretching is beneficial in work or industrial settings where you are sitting or standing in the same position for a long time. In this case, stretching can improve posture and reverse muscle imbalances.

This is a big reason that I love mobility work so much, because it involves movement and many of us don't move enough and end up with stiffness in our muscles and joints. Posture is also a dynamic process and not just static.

My philosophy on movement can be summed up in the words of the 14th Century physician Tissot, "movement as such may take the place of many remedies, but all the remedies together can never take the place of the effect of movement."

For more information on mobility and different types of stretching, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com