Whole body vibration or WBV as it’s sometimes known is a method of training the muscles and the joints in the body using tiny vibrations which have been shown to be very beneficial to the body. It was studied in depth by both NASA and the Russian Space Institute who discovered that it was the best way to prevent muscle wastage and bone weakness in astronauts - who were notorious for suffering these problems in space.

It works on the premise that exposing the muscles in your body to different intensities of vibrations will dramatically increase the strength and flexibility in them, as the vibrations force the muscles to work hard just to stabilise the body on the vibration plate.

In fact, it is so successful at working the muscles while apparently doing ‘not much’ that it is used extensively in health spas and rehabilitation centres as well as gyms and physiotherapy units.

It works by using varying levels of intensity, which are controlled by frequency (how many vibrations a second) and amplitude (the size of the vibration). But for WBV to be most effective, the direction of the vibration is also very important.

Unlike local vibrations which work one muscle at a time, WBV works the entire body, hence the name. This is usually done by standing on a platform or sitting in a chair of some sort and either holding certain poses, or doing some simple exercises on it.

It can work in different ways. For example, some vibrations work by moving up and down, while others work by going side to side and front to back. Some even move in a circular motion.

The different movements of WBV trainers can have different effects on your body. So if you need to improve your flexibility, then an up and down movement will cause your muscles to stretch, while low speed WBV trainers can be useful to rehabilitate weak muscles.

Some whole body vibration trainers work on a pivotal platform – in other words the platform is unstable and means you have to work your core body muscles very hard to stabilise your body and prevent you teetering forward or backward.

Regardless of which type of whole body vibration trainer you choose, each type of whole body vibration trainer has its own unique health benefits such as increasing bone density, keeping your muscles flexible and giving your circulation a massive boost. They are perfect for helping to lose weight and their vibrating action gives your body an intense workout with a small range of motion and low impact, so it’s perfect for the elderly.