The Tamesis
A month ago, my boyfriend walked into the living room and announced that I had finally lost it. As a partner of a beauty editor, he was used to my work experiments, but seeing me wearing a glowing red LED mask while standing on a vibrating board was jarring, even for him. I had seen vibration plates on TikTok and what they did for my lymphatic system and finally had to try them myself.
What is the lymphatic system? How does it affect our body?
“The lymphatic system is a quiet but extremely important system in the body, kind of like the body’s waste disposal system,” says Sigrid Ilumaa, lymphatic health expert and founder of Ilumaa Lymphatic. “Everything that doesn’t belong in the body—dead cells, bacteria, fat—gets collected. [lymphatic system] and is transported to the “lymph nodes,” where it is broken down and excreted back into the bloodstream for eventual elimination by the body. If the lymphatic system does not remove “waste” properly, our bodies can experience symptoms such as heaviness in the legs, fatigue, water retention, and skin problems.
How do vibration plates activate your lymphatic system?
The lymphatic system does not have its own pumps to move this liquid waste (called lymph) throughout the body, so it depends on body movement.
“Tightening and relaxing the muscles is what causes lymph fluid to travel upward,” says Iruma. This is why the lymphatic system needs to be stimulated regularly. Otherwise, excess waste will remain in the body. This is where vibration plates come into play: “When you stand on a vibration plate, the body is thrown off balance and the muscles react immediately, especially reflex and joint muscles,” she explains.
Frequency also plays an important role. The lower frequency ensures a change between tension and relaxation, thereby promoting a pumping effect,” Iluaa said, adding that she recommends staying below 30 Hz.
Still, research is limited, so using vibration plates shouldn’t be your only way to stimulate your lymphatic system. According to a medical review article from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, “low-impact aerobic exercise and gentle exercise” can stimulate the lymphatic system, such as shoulder rolls and walking in a chair; deep breathing exercises; and other activities that “strengthen large muscle groups” such as walking, swimming and yoga.
I tested the vibration plate every day for a month
Over the course of a month, I used the vibrating plate every morning for about 10 minutes. According to Iruma, this time is enough because “it’s about activation, not depletion.”
I make sure to keep my knees bent so my leg muscles stay active. After my first treatment, I found that I felt lighter and lighter. After a few days, I felt less puffy and less hydrated – the rings were looser and my skin was less sensitive to pressure. Another positive is that the neck tension caused by sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time and carrying a heavy wallet is significantly reduced.
my gains
Standing on a vibration plate has a benefit I never expected: improved mental health. Not only does standing on a plate help me wake up, but it’s also a calming start to my day. Instead of listening to music or podcasts like I normally would during the day, I decided to spend this quiet time in the morning. This takes some getting used to, but I really feel like it helps me be more focused and balanced.
