It’s been nine months since I first walked into the My180 Health center (located in the Publix shopping center on County Line Road,) and I am still a raving fan member. I am as intrigued now by the technology as I was then, and I am pleased to be able once again to tell their story.
In regard to Whole Body Vibration, or WBV, recently I became aware that the technology has been used by European Olympic teams for decades. A Russian doctor by the name of Vladimir Nazarov, who himself had been a member of the Russian Men’s Gymnastics Team, was the first to apply the concept of WBV to athletes, and also found that cosmonauts returning from extended periods of time in space were being able to recover their bone density and muscle mass with surprising speed.
The applications have exploded, and the FDA has deemed WBV machines as Class 1 medical devices. They are now used in nursing homes, rehab centers, sports training centers and universities around the world. While I understand the “if it sounds too good to be true, it is” reaction of some, I have personally seen too many profound changes in the quality of life of people who range from being elderly and needing a walker, to young, in their prime, and out of shape.
My180 Health manager Josh Brigadier is one of the younger guys who functions as a “walking billboard” for how well it works. It was his sister who first told him about My180, and in January of 2015 he walked in, determined to keep his New Year’s resolution to get back in shape. At first he was skeptical, but then, the more he listened, the more the idea made sense. In the past he had done a good deal of bodybuilding, but was now was sporting a beer belly, so he knew he had some serious work to do. However, what had caused him to give up before was how much his joints would start to hurt when he began to build some bulk, and for obvious reasons he was expecting to have to face that again. To his surprise and delight, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (or DOMS) was virtually non-existent. He lost his beer belly, regained his muscle mass, and was so enthusiastic that he and his family decided to get involved in the “My180 Health Community.”
Josh’s other job is to help his dad with his father’s government contract consulting business, and Josh is in the process of completing a training certification program for fitness center staff and professionals who use WBV as their primary means of helping clients. As a result of his studies, he was able to help explain to me in laymen’s terms how WBV technology works. The human body basically has two types of muscle fibers that it uses to enable us to do everything from standing still to doing back handsprings. They are called slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers. I asked him why I hardly got sore after working out, and he explained, “WBV helps the body release more pro-anabolic hormones, (which help with growth and repair,) and modulates the cell signaling effect of cytokines, which are small proteins. Because the cells are therefore now communicating differently with the groups of muscle fibers, the body does not react with nearly the same level of soreness.” That certainly has been my experience, and is one of the things that keeps me going back.
Josh found that 10 minutes of properly applied effort felt like a 60-minute workout, and has the results to prove it. There are others, too, who are doing things they never could; a young woman with Fredrick’s ataxia is walking, as is an Athens doctor who has a different type of ataxia. A Vietnam vet has discarded his walker, and there are others from hugely varying levels of fitness who have tried the gym, and swear by WBV. Yoga can be applied to WBV, as well as the use of weights and bands.
There are other important amenities at My180 Health. For a small fee, members can get Vitamin B-12 shots administered by an RN. There are now group classes on Tue nights, called ReVibe for beginners, and FitVibe for more advanced students. And finally, members can pay for hourly Thera-Gem treatments. The Thera-Gem system uses light refracted through various gemstones to help the body strengthen itself in overcoming all manner of conditions.
Freshly made alkaline water of varying pH levels is available at no charge during work outs, and members are encouraged to take water home with them. The alkaline water machine is made by Kangen, and is top rated in the industry. There are now three infrared saunas, something I use regularly in my fight against Lyme’s disease. And the best part: there is a community of like-minded people who have one goal, and that is, as co-founder Chip Wilson would say, to “Stay STRONG Through Technology.” Free 2-day passes are available, and I would encourage you to come and see what is causing all the “buzz.”
My180 Health
12090 County Line Road, Suite N, Madison, AL 35756
256-232-8153
Hours: M-F 8-7, Sat 8-2 Sun 12-4
www.my180health.com.
Facebook: My180 Health
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
