Exploring Current Exercise Trends with Medical Experts
We’ve consulted two medical professionals about three popular exercise trends: tai chi walking, weighted vests, and vibration platforms. These experts are Dr. Brian Y. Kim, a board-certified UCI Health specialist in family and sports medicine, and Dr. Freddy Alamshaw, chief of family medicine at Kaiser Permanente Orange County.
Tai Chi Walking: An Effective Exercise?
Articles in publications like The New York Times and Runner’s World have praised the benefits of tai chi walking—a slow, mindful form of exercise rooted in the tai chi practice. So, what do our medical experts think about this exercise trend?
Dr. Kim believes that the most compelling evidence supports this exercise trend for fall prevention. This is particularly relevant for the elderly or other individuals who may be at a heightened risk of injuries resulting from falls. The exercise focuses on balance, core stability, and neuromuscular coordination. Tai chi walking involves slow, purposeful movements with an emphasis on body control and breathing. However, this exercise might not be your best bet if you’re looking to burn a significant amount of calories.
On the other hand, Dr. Alamshaw stresses the importance of movement. Exercises like tai chi walking, which involve slowing down and taking intentional steps, could potentially strengthen your core, quadriceps, and hamstrings. These benefits could aid not only in avoiding falls but in recovering faster should a fall occur. This type of conditioning could prevent severe injuries such as hip fractures, which are common among individuals with profound osteoporosis.
Are Weighted Vests Beneficial?
More and more people are wearing weighted vests while walking or jogging, but do these vests genuinely offer huge benefits?
Dr. Alamshaw advises that you should not add more than 10% of your body weight to the vest and recommends starting with 5%. As for the benefits, carrying the additional weight could lead to an increase in heart rate and a greater calorie burn, resulting in a more efficient workout. However, care must be taken not to overload the joints, as even a 5-pound vest can add 20 pounds of pressure to your knees.
Dr. Kim agrees that while added weight can help your body work harder and burn more calories, you shouldn’t expect the muscle growth that other resistance exercises provide. Extreme caution should be exercised, as there have been cases where the use of weighted vests has led to injuries like stress fractures.
Vibration Plates: Fad or Fab?
Vibration plates are another fitness trend that’s been making waves. Some people are even purchasing these machines for home use, with the idea that they aid in weight loss, muscle toning, circulation, and more. Are these claims valid?
According to Dr. Kim, vibration plates might increase caloric expenditure due to the micro-movements they cause in your muscles. However, he stresses that simply standing on such a machine likely won’t have a significant impact. While there is some preliminary evidence suggesting that vibration plates may be beneficial for those with very low bone density or those unable to perform regular exercise because of injuries, this doesn’t apply to most people. The doctor also added that although vibration platforms may improve blood flow, this doesn’t automatically translate to better inflammation management.
Dr. Alamshaw, on the other hand, encourages any form of exercise. If someone is passionate about using a vibration machine, he would not discourage them. However, he points out that expecting a machine to do all the work while you just stand on it is a misconception. Some people are sure that they benefit from these machines, using them to perform exercises like squats or push-ups. While there is a hypothesis that vibration machines could aid bone growth or remodeling, the research is still limited.
As Dr. Freddy Alamshaw puts it, “It would be a misconception to think that a machine can do all the work for you if you’re just standing on it.”