There are no shoes on the plate unless you absolutely have to wear shoes for a foot issue. Shoes don’t allow you to fully integrate with the plate’s surface. The vibrations from the plate need to be correctly transferred to the body and this will be affected if you wear shoes.

The majority of people who use the Power Plate will say that they immediately feel energized, their legs feel “alive” and their mind feels more awake and clearer. It is also common to feel more flexible.

Many people will feel a slight itch on their body and their nose will be tingling during and after training on the Power Plate. This is a perfectly normal phenomenon due to the increase circulation. Some people might experience reddening of the skin, usually on the legs which can be unpleasant. For most, this is temporary, but if it persists, we advise you to cease exercising on the Power Plate and see a physician.

Whole Body Vibration Training can cause the blood sugar level to drop quickly. This can occur because this type of training activates almost 99% of your muscle fibers. As you are activating more muscle fibers you are also activating more insulin receptors which are the sponges for glucose or sugar. This means that it is easier to pull sugar from the blood into the muscle more quickly causing the blood sugar to drop more rapidly.

If you’re your diet is too low in protein or too high in refined carbohydrates, or you are skipping meals, you could possibly be coming into class with an already unstable blood sugar. This may lead to an increase risk of low blood sugar that can be aggravated by the training session itself.

If the blood sugar drops too quickly it can lead to shakiness, weakness, light headiness, irregular heart rate, excessive perspiration and a decrease in the benefit from the training session.

To minimize the possibility of a low blood sugar event proper pre-workout eating is vital. Please eat a small meal with high quality protein (roughly the size of a closed fist) and a low glycemic fruit such as granny smith apples, unsweetened berries or plums 60 to 90 minutes prior to your training session.

You can also use a pre-workout shake 30 to 45 minutes before training. Use a high-quality protein powder containing 30 - 40 grams of protein blended with 8 - 12 ounces of unsweetened almond, coconut, cashew milk or water and any of the previously mentioned fruits.

Remember though … what you ate the day before and the day of still affects the quality of your workout.

There is a window of opportunity 15 minutes after training when you should help replenish the muscles and to aid in recovery from the exercise session to achieve maximum benefits. You should replenish your body with optimal amounts of carbohydrates and high quality protein within that window. The best way to accomplish this is with an after training high quality protein and carbohydrate smoothie. The smoothie should contain a high-quality protein powder containing 35 - 45 grams of protein blended with 8 - 12 ounces of unsweetened almond, coconut, cashew milk or water and half to whole cup of any of the following fruits: cherries, pineapple, plums, strawberries, nectarines, blueberries or apricots.

Very Important: You must consume carbohydrate and protein within the 15 minute window for maximum results. If you do not consume your post-exercise smoothie within the 15 minute window your muscles’ insulin receptors become less active. This insulin down regulation can last for 7-8 hours after you exercise, which means that whatever you eat during that time will more likely be converted to and stored as body fat! However, when you consume the post-exercise smoothie within that 15 minute window insulin receptors stay active for 7-8 hours after exercise. This means then whatever you eat during that time is more likely to be used as a source of energy to help build muscle mass and to decrease body fat. To get the benefits of the post-workout smoothies we suggest making it ahead of time and bringing with you to your training session.

Headaches are normally caused by not taking in enough fluids prior to training. Research has shown that almost 70 percent of the population is suffering from dehydration as a result of drinking coffee and alcohol, smoking, stress and not drinking enough filtered water. Consuming plenty of filtered water is very important since more than 50 percent of our bodies consist of water.

Training on the Power Plate will result in a loss of body fluids due to the activation of the lymphatic system. We advise people to consume at least 10 ounces of water within one hour before training. You should continue hydrating yourself after your workout.

A Power Plate workout is intensive and quite taxing, and you will certainly perspire – albeit not as heavily as during an intensive cardiovascular program – especially when you expand the number of exercises or shorten the period of rest in between. You are physically exerting yourself, causing an increase in body temperature and metabolism, which will cause perspiration. The extent of exertion obviously depends on the program you perform – massage, relaxation or stretch exercises will most likely not make you perspire heavily.

Fit Vibrations sessions last 27 minutes.

Whole Body Vibrations research recommends full body workouts two to three times a week with proper rest and recovery time in between workouts. You can stretch and massage on the machine every day.

Whole Body Vibration Training is an unconventional form of training. As with any type of sports or physical exertion, you will have to allow your body to get used to a new type of workout. This is why we have scheduled several “beginner” classes.

The goal of any training program is to train within your training threshold … training hard enough to cause a response and not training too hard to cause a detrimental effect. You If you are highly trained then you will move more quickly through the classes than an untrained individual. Fit Vibrations has created a schedule of different classes that ensures you adapt to the stimulus before you move on to a more intense class. Rest assured, you will receive benefits in all of the Power Plate classes at Fit Vibrations.

We understand though that we need to stimulate our bodies constantly by increasing the intensity of the training or the efficiency of your workout will diminish in time. Therefore, Fit Vibrations has programmed more intense workouts for this reason.

As with any other training program you can over-train on the Power Plate.

Fit Vibrations’ programs are specifically designed not to over-train our clients. But everyone has a different physiology. And, all exercise is stress. This being said, you must be able to adapt to the stress of the training.

At any time during your workout, if you are struggling to keep up, feel dizzy, light-headed, nauseated or your form is breaking down, please stop and get off the Power Plate and inform your coach immediately.

Like any other exercise program there are contraindications. Whole body vibration has been studied extensively and used since the 1960’s and there have been no significant side effects or injuries reported.

We recommend a person consult a physician prior to starting any exercise program.

Contraindications to Whole Body Vibration Training

• Severe osteoporosis (T score of 4 or worse)
• Severe cardiovascular diseases
• Pregnancy
• Acute thrombosis conditions
• Pacemaker
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Fresh / open wounds
• Acute hernia, Discopathy
• Severe diabetes
• Recent implants
• Arterial circulation disorders
• Postoperative wounds
• Acute rheumatoid arthritis
• Gallstones, Kidneys stones, Bladder stones
• Chronic back pain ( after fracture, disc disorders, spondylosis)

Please do not come to class if you have the following:

• Acute Inflammations, Infections and/or Fever
• Acute migraine
• Fresh wounds
• Diarrhea
• Vertigo or Positional dizziness

Yes and No. Like any exercise program if you increase the intensity too quickly without your body adapting to the intensity, you will get sore. In the very beginning you might be sore due to the fact that the stimulus from WBV training is new to your body and it needs time to adapt. Most people get sore when they weight train mainly due to small micro tears in the muscles. In addition, there is lactic acid build up in the muscles which contribute to the soreness. WBV training minimizes the micro tears to your muscles while increasing blood flow and lymphatic drainage, therefore enhancing your recovery.