Mature Adults & Quality of Life

The potential of Vibration Training (VT) to improve the quality of life of the people who need it most is startling. As mentioned in greater detail in the above fields VT has been shown to have an endless number of applications not only in testimonials but in clinical trials performed by specialist medical doctors and PhD‟s in applicable fields like exercise physiology. There are gains in muscle tone, strength, power, balance, bone strength, healthy hormones, metabolism, flexibility and rehabilitation of various different physical ailments in a short period of time compared to conventional methods. It is because of these reasons that VT has also been demonstrated to rejuvenate older adults and give them a new lease on life.

A research team performed a study in a nursing home over 4 weeks with only three training sessions a week of 4 times 1 minute per training session. The non-VT group had an average age of 79 years and a group with an average age of 84.5 years represented the VT group. The results in this short period of time was nothing short of a miracle:

• 143% improvement in physical function (p=0.0002 between the two groups)

• 77% improvement in equilibrium and a worsening of 1% in the non-VT group (p=0.001)

• 60% increase in vitality (p=0.0006)

• 57% improvement in the quality of walking as assessed by the Tinetti test with a 2% increase in the non-VT group (p=0.0003)

• 41% improvement in pain (p=0.004)

• 39% decrease in the time taken to get up and go (they got faster) with a 14% increase in time for the non- VT group

• 23% improvement in general health (p=0.0002) (1).

   

  to improve their quality of life (1). In old age the development of sarcopenia causing frailty and muscle weakness

  makes VT a truly important development.

   

  There have been no recorded cases of any injuries in any clinical studies performed on vibration platforms. Under qualified supervision even nursing home bound patients can use VT to increase their quality of life. The safety of VT has been assessed on heart transplant recipients.

   

  Physiological readings were taken while dynamic weight bearing exercises were performed till exhaustion. The physiological measurements were the same as a similar study done on young healthy adults: maximum heart rate was 128 beats per minute, blood pressure was 132/52 and oxygen uptake was 48.8% of the maximum. Normal values returned after 15 minutes of rest. The results are similar to mild to moderate aerobic exercise (2, 3).

   

  These exercises were performed dynamically to exhaustion while weight bearing. The standard VT exercises are nowhere near this intensity. These exercises are to test the safety and maximum physiological exertion values, which were moderate at best. VT exercises on the elderly are performed for a maximum of 1-minute at a time. The risks to the elderly are categorised as negligible

   

  REFERENCE

   

1. BRUYERE, O., M.A. WUIDART, E.D. PALMA, M. GOULAY, O. ETHGEN, F. RICHY, J.Y. REGINSTER. Controlled whole-body vibrations to decrease fall risk and improve health related quality of life in elderly patients. Orlando, Fl: American College of Rheumatology: 2003 meeting: October 23-28, 2003: Abstract 1271.

2. CREVENNA, R., V. FIALKA-MOSER, S. RODLER, M. KEILANI, C. ZOCH, M. NUHR, M. QUITTAN, M. WOLZT. Safety of whole-body vibration exercise for heart transplant recipients. Phys. Rehab. Kur. Med. 13: 286-290. 2003.

3. RITTWEGER, J., G. BELLER, D. FELSENBERG. Acute physiological effects of exhaustive whole-body vibration exercise in man. Clin. Physiol. 20(2): 134-142. 1999