When I think of working out the image of weights, waterbottles, trainers and a sweaty red face spring to mind as upping your heartbeat and putting muscles under tension helps to strengthen the body by working against the force of gravity. Yet astronauts found that when there is no gravity the body has to be stimulated in a different way to work the muscle fibres which is where vibration training came from. Obviously my kitchen has plenty of gravity as I live on a planet called Earth, but the same beneficial training techniques used by NASA can can be utilised in the comfort of my own home thanks to Skandika.
Taking exercise whilst vibrating on an unstable surface forces the muscles to respond and regain stability by contracting multiple times per second, and varying the vibrations frequency and speed ensures the muscles continuously face renewed challenge. Vibration may seem like an effortless form of exercise that on the surface may not do much but there are many health benefits to using this form of exercise because it can easily tone the entire body without vigorous exercise, working your core muscles to improve strength, balance, posture and flexibility as well as reducing cellulite, maintaining healthy bone density and promoting recovery following an injury through proper circulation.
The Skandika Home Vibration Plate 300 pack comes with a vibration plate, adapter, plug and cable, arm straps, remote control and manual so that you have everything you need to begin your workout. Unlike other more industrial looking vibration plates, the Home Vibration Plate 300 is beautiful, elegant and modern in a black matt and wood finish that blends seamlessly with my home. It’s compact design makes it easy to store in a cupboard or slip under the bed as it takes up very little space compared to the bulky, tall machines at the gym. Powerplates are used for four main reasons, building power in the body, assisting stretching, massaging muscles and enhancing relaxation. With very little effort you can achieve far better results from vibration than you would doing the exact same movements on the floor. An entire body workout is complete in just ten minutes each day and the remote control and LCD display makes controlling the triaxial 3D vibrations and direct drive system a doddle. The plate is extremely well-built, strong and sturdy with a soft grip surface to prevent slipping and I find working out in trainers gives me a perfect stance.
The plate comes preprogrammed with three training programs P1, P2 and P3 with the manual mode allowing for four intensity settings that you can change with the plus and minus buttons. When the plate is turned on an LED lights up on the front panel to highlight the program it is on that you can change with the remote. The programs are designed to run at varying frequencies for a set time before pausing and moving up in intensity allowing you to change position to focus on different areas of the body for power and muscle strength, flexibility, stretching, coordination and endurance. It is recommended that you exercise with the plate three to four times a week for no longer than twenty minutes at a time and you should wear trainers and drink a glass of water beforehand. There are a series of balance exercises explained in the manual which you can use water bottles or barbells as weights showing you how to properly do squats, lunges, tricep dips, bicep curls, upper back toning, crunches, push-ups, entire torso, inner thighs, hamstrings and gluteals, outer thighs, front thighs and calves whilst using the plate. There is also an advanced training section for straight abdominal muscles, push-ups, diagonal abdominal muscles, side lifts, torso, squat with bands, arched lower back, side support, shoulderblades and the entire back.
I find it particularly fun to use my Skandika Home Vibration Plate 300 for yoga balance postures as it really ups the control and balanced needed in my core to hold each position under vibration. The plate adds a whole new dimension to my fitness regime as the vibrations are felt across my entire body and I feel strong and energised after just a short routine that I wouldn’t have achieved if I’d have done the same moves on the ground alone; as a busy single parent I’m all for less effort and better results!
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