History of Whole Body Vibration Technology

There’s nothing new about the benefits of whole body vibration technology; it’s been around for over 47 years.

The world first saw its effectiveness when the Russians started winning all the Gold at the Olympic Games in 1960.

Then, they started keeping their cosmonauts in space longer and longer — eventually, over a year longer than we could.

However, the Russians kept the technology of whole body vibration a secret until after the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989.

Therefore, the world didn’t learn the secret to the Russian’s superiority at the Olympic Games or in outer space for 30 long years.

It was one of Russia’s key sports scientists, Dr. Vladimir Nazarov, by experimenting with a vibration system, who began the research of this technology.

Nazarov was an active sportsman, a member of the Soviet gymnastics team and occupied a chair for sports biomechanics at the State College in Minsk.

Finding his experiment a success, he introduced this technology to competitive sports, ballet, and medicine in the former USSR.

The Russian Space Program continues to use the technology — while the cosmonauts are in space — as physical therapy to help the cosmonauts overcome the considerable decrease of bone mass and muscle tone that they risk during extended periods of weightlessness.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Nazarov’s research on whole body vibration made its way to Europe in the early 1990’s.

Then, just as in Russia, other European athletes began using this form of effective exercise.

Since 1990, Germany, Israel and South Korea have each done extensive research on whole body vibration.

In addition, the European Space Agency and NASA are actively using vibration technology in ongoing studies for the maintenance of muscle strength, mass, and bone density.

Now, all over the world, whole body vibration therapy is being used in hospitals, physical therapy clinics, and rehabilitation facilities.

Everyone from the elderly, the person with physical disabilities, to the general person looking to get toned is using this form of exercise.

Due to its many benefits, the technology is quickly gaining acceptance by universities, professional sports teams, and health professionals in the rehabilitation and medical fields. 

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Mechanically Driven Vibration Therapy Devices Have Shared Limitations