Whole Body Vibration
...of motion, muscle strains, as well as strength and conditioning are among one of the several categories that receive a significant amount of attention. High interest is placed in these categories because some way or another they affect the daily lives of everyone. It could be common sports injuries and unique methods to assist heeling or devices that help build muscle, but one way or another, many people are doing what they can to increase the vitality of their particular life style. An adequate range of motion of different joints is very important for performance in sports and daily life. Factors such as age, gender, training background, active and passive muscle tension, ligaments, bone structure, and soft tissues influence the range of motion of the joints. Some researchers propose that insufficient joint range of motion caused by low muscle flexibility is a possible cause of muscle strain. Athletes look for results in the shortest amount of time. Many different ideas are being investigated by anyone who wants to be healthier, stronger, and more flexible and would like to recover faster from an injury. One concept that is emerging in North America is whole body vibration training (WBV).
The history of WBV goes way back. Historians have found the first applications of vibrations for the improvement of human performance were developed in ancient Greece; a saw covered in cotton was used as a tool to transmit mechanical vibrations to the part of the body that was not functioning properly. It was also believed the saw was used to massage the area because of the cotton ends and because of the tool that would reciprocate back and forth. Historians also believe that the Greeks used ointments and other forms of medicine that would help the injury and to assist in the relaxation of muscles. Research of whole body vibration really took off in the 70's under the...
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