Whole body vibration is sometimes referred to as WBV and its application and uses were first discovered by a Russian scientist in the 70’s who was looking for ways to exercise the muscles of astronauts in space and to prevent muscle wastage. Since then, it has turned into a serious way to help the body stay fit and healthy.

Because space has no gravity, it can cause problems with muscle wastage and weakness in the body, since the lack of gravitational pull means that an astronaut’s body isn’t challenged in the same way as it is on earth. So, the Russian aerospace industry came up with WBV training as an easy way to maintain muscle strength and prevent wastage.

It isn’t new though. Although the Russians used it to train their astronauts to increase strength and flexibility in the body and increase bone density to prevent the incidence of fractures, WBV actually dates much earlier than this.

An early form of WBV was developed by the Ancient Greeks who used a saw covered in cotton wool to create vibrations to the body manually. The vibrations were used to treat parts of the body which weren’t functioning properly.

It was also used by Dr Kellogg in the late 19th Century for treating patients at his sanatorium to improve their ‘wellness’. He used a variety of whole body vibration items such as tables, platforms, bars and chairs.

However, the real turning point came when whole body vibration training became more modernized to include oscillations which are a type of cyclic vibration in the 1960’s by German scientist Dr Biermann.

In more modern times though, WBV training has been tested extensively by NASA and the Russian Space Institute who were looking to further their understanding of its effects on the body. They needed a way of helping astronauts who suffer relentlessly from muscle atrophy or wastage and weak bones when in space for more than a few days. In the past, this meant cutting space missions short and bringing astronauts back quickly to prevent long term damage to the body.

Whole body vibration training has meant that astronauts can spend very lengthy periods of time in space without the fear of muscle wastage in their bodies. Whole body vibration platforms work every muscle in the body by training skeletal muscles and building strength and flexibility within them.

Because it is so successful at preventing skeletal and muscular problems, it is now being used in health spas, rehabilitation centres, physiotherapy units and gyms all over the world. Many homes have whole body vibration trainers in their homes so that they too can benefit from increased muscle strength.