Gravity Fx Fitness

Vibration training along with resistance exercises can provide increased bone mass to help prevent osteoporosis in women. A study published in 2004 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research showed an increase in bone density at the hip, along with increased muscle strength and postural control in post-menopausal women.

Various studies have shown the ability of vibration training to build or maintain bone mass.  The study mentioned used a Power Plate vibration platform.

This type of training is not widely used in the United States but is more common in Europe.  Various sports teams and strength coaches have used these devices in the warm up and rehab of their athletes.

The platforms create reflex muscle contractions of between 25-50 times per second, depending on the frequency setting.  These multiple contractions can increase circulation, flexibility and enhance balance, while causing a positive hormonal release which can assist your metabolism to burn more fat.

It should go without saying, that you need to do resistance training in order to maintain bone density as you get older.  Use it or lose it applies to this, as well as muscle strength, which usually declines with age but even more so for those with sedentary lifestyles.

I’ve seen a positive change in bone mass while training a woman in her mid to late 60’s – my mother.  At age 63 she had a bone density test done and it said she had osteopenia, which is slight loss of bone mass.  She was given a prescription to help with this but she wasn’t able to tolerate it and stopped taking it after 10 days.

About two years later I started training her on the Power Plate, putting her in various static squat positions and doing bodyweight strength training off the platform, such as step ups and hip lifts (bridges) on a mat.   We did this twice a week for 4 months and she took her bone density test again.

This time her score had increased and I was slightly surprised that this occurred with this amount of training.  She stopped training and two years later her score had dropped again for the bone density test, which is not surprising.

Presently she has resumed training with me, doing the same type of workouts along with some time in the warm water pool to ease stress on her achy knees.  She has dropped 18 pounds in two months, which is pretty good at 68 years old.

She has a friend who recently tripped and broke her hip while carrying some items up a flight of stairs.  This woman is similar in age to my mother and not overweight.

The doctors told her that she could have stepped wrong off a curb and broken her hip, because her bone mass was so slight.  She didn’t just break a bone, she sheared it right off, leading to a hip replacement.

As someone who doesn’t have the best balance, has fallen before and has somewhat limited mobility, I am very happy with the progress my mother has made in the area of weight loss and she definitely needs to keep up with her exercise in order to minimize the risk of breaking her own hip in the future.

Different facilities around the country such as the Stand Strong clinics have adopted vibration training for this very reason – fall prevention.  Vibration platforms cause an increased accelerative force of gravity to go through the body.

For example, at 30 hertz in the low setting, there is 1.8 G occurring during the muscle contractions, which is almost double the force during normal bodyweight exercises.

They also help with balance by providing a slightly unstable surface to challenge your nervous system.  There are handles to hold for those who need additional stability.  Minimizing use of the handles will obviously translate to better balance training.

Single leg positions are also used for increased balance and strength training when appropriate for the individual.   Power Plate information.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Lifting three pound dumbbells won’t help you lose fat  and it sure won’t keep you from losing bone mass!

There’s a common misconception that lifting light weights for high reps is good for “toning” or “shaping.”  This is a myth that needs to be forgotten.  Lifting weights lighter than your gallon of milk is not enough resistance to make a change in your muscles.

You need to challenge your muscles with some type of resistance training.  This doesn’t mean you have to lift heavy barbells – it could be something like the weight of your own body, resistance bands or sandbags.

If fat loss is your big goal, than doing some type of circuit or interval training will do the trick.  You don’t need to isolate muscles like a bodybuilder, instead, choose exercises that let you work several muscles at the same time.

Not only is this more time efficient, you increase your muscular coordination, making everyday tasks easier.  Not long ago, I had a female client in her early 50’s work up to using a 25 pound dumbbell for one arm rows after 3 months of training.

So not only did we increase her grip, arm and back strength, we also strengthened her bones, decreasing her risk of osteoporosis.  And her muscles didn’t grow too big or look masculine. 

If you think lifting the pink dumbbells will do anything for your bone mass, I wouldn’t bet on it.  A couple years ago I watched a special program on aging.  One of the participants was a 101 year old woman who was still vibrant, had her mobility and sang in the church choir.

She was a regular exerciser and they showed her lifting weights.  The dumbbells looked like they were about 8 pounds a piece, which is reasonably heavy and maybe a big part of her youthful appearance!

Actress Jessica Biel isn’t afraid to do higher intensity exercise and it shows.  I’ve read that she does plenty of athletic movements like running sprints and such.  She appears to be in pretty good “shape” to me. 

Many in the entertainment field were lucky enough to be born in the upper end of the gene pool and can do almost anything and look better than you or me….but doing some type of interval strength training will help you get the body you want without looking bulky.

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