Find out about this revolutionary approach to staying toned, fit and flexible – without breaking sweat…
- Would you like to exercise more, but often feel too tired or lethargic to achieve this goal?
- Would you like to give your body an invigorating workout in just 5 to 10 minutes?
- Could you do with some ‘automated’ help in staying fit and healthy in your own home?
The FlexxiCore® Challenger ® combines the technology of the specialist Whole Body Vibration Training equipment used in many Health Clubs and Gyms with a convenient, versatile and affordable design that can be used either at home or in professional settings.
Whole Body Vibration Training (“WBV” - also known as “Acceleration Training ” or “Biomechanical Oscillation”) was first developed in Russia and was used to help astronauts recover from muscle atrophy, as well as to help athletes improve their flexibility and strength. 
Further research over the years led to the development in the Netherlands of sophisticated vibration devices that have become popular as a means to enhance the fitness training of ordinary people in health clubs and gyms. They make efficient use of vibration force to stimulate rapid-fire, involuntary reflexive responses of almost all muscle groups throughout the body.
More recent clinical research over the last 10 years or so has shown a wide variety of potential healthcare and rehabilitation benefits that can help with a spectrum of conditions such as high blood pressure, low back pain, reduced bone density and hardening of the arteries.
What exactly is “Acceleration Training”?
The great benefit of WBV training is that it accelerates the effects of any exercise, stretch or even
massage by virtue of the increased intensity of the body’s automatic response to the vibration force. The
human body is designed to withstand the force of gravity. Each time the platform drops (the downward part of the vibration) the body’s nervous system automatically responds so as to retain balance. The muscles contract and then relax again. Because each beat of the vibrations occurs rapidly, a series of muscle responses is triggered in a high-intensity continuum, improving their flexibility and strength.
Our bodies were designed to adapt to constantly changing conditions, but modern lifestyles have led to much more of a “steady-state” existence. This deprives our nervous system of regular opportunities to exploit our innate capacity to cope with varying levels of exertion within short intervals of time. WBV also known as Acceleration Training has the great benefit of allowing the body to experience high-intensity exercise in a relatively short period of time; you can feel the 
difference yourself in just 5 to 10 minutes
Unique Design
The FlexxiCore Challenger was launched in 2015 and offers an ingenious variation on the original WBV format. It has a wider platform which combines vibration force with a secondary oscillating motion. This oscillation (alternate tilting of the platform from one side to the other at varying speeds) creates an additional dynamic movement for the pelvis, muscles and joints to work with as the body responds naturally to the motion.
The oscillation happens simultaneously to the vibration of the platform, and a further variation is created in real-time when
using the automated speed changes that are programmed into the 3 pre-programmed “auto-modes”. Alternatively you can use the manual mode which allows you to change the speed yourself during the course of your session.
In this way the Challenger’s design allows for even more variation in the way that the body is constantly challenged to respond to the vibration force while at the same time retaining body balance by adjusting to the constantly changing tilt angle of the platform. The beneficial effects of WBV are increased if you are exercising or consciously stretching while on the vibrating platform. By experimenting with different movements, stretches and poses you can force your body to engage muscles in ways that are outside your normal movement patterns.
Another unique feature of the Challenger is it's ease of handling. With a roller at in end, and a handle at the other, it is easy to pull or push across a carpeted or hard floor surface. Its flat shape means it can be easily stored - either on its feet or upturned on one side or one end. 
Versatility
Another advantage of the Challenger’s design is its wide and unobstructed platform – it has control panel flush with the platform, unlike traditional WBV equipment which typically has a control tower with handle bars standing on one side of the platform. The Challenger’s unobstructed platform gives you maximum freedom to use a broad range of exercise postures, stretches, and massage positions. This versatility means that people of all ages and fitness levels can use it to target their particular goals - with many different options available to them.
To get maximum benefit from any exercise regime it is important to slightly vary your routine each time. By making small changes, you can keep challenging the body on every level. Without constant variation your body will coast on a sort of plateau, instead of being forced to keep making extra use of its resources. To keep your innate vitality, you need to “use it - or end up losing it.”
For more details of the Challenger's unique design features, please read our Features and Benefits page.
Suitable for ALL Age Groups and Fitness Levels
The beauty of the FlexxiCore Challenger is that it can be used at the performance level you choose yourself, based on your fitness and health status, condition, and personal goals. The remote control handset and pre-set automated programs are easy to use, and keep you in control of speed, time and chosen program at all times.
Even if you are elderly or feel your health status is below par, you can use the adjustable manual controls or choose a less challenging program to enjoy a session suited to your fitness level. A session on the Challenger combines all these variable factors -
- vibration
- oscillation
- variations in speed
- how you move, stretch or hold yourself on the platform
This amazing degree of variation ensures that you ‘challenge every fibre’ every time you use the FlexxiCore Challenger – without necessarily breaking a sweat.
As we get older, we are more likely to lose muscle mass and strength, our bones become more brittle and our balance gets worse.
Low muscle strength is linked to a decline in our ability to carry out daily activities like eating, bathing and getting dressed on our own. Muscle weakness and poor balance are also the two most common modifiable risk factors for falls, which can lead to injury, hip fractures and make us more likely to end up in hospital or need social care.
The current Chief Medical Officers' guidelines for physical activity recommend that older adults do at least two sessions of muscle strengthening and balance activities per week.
Yet very few people meet this target, and awareness of these guidelines even among healthcare professionals and physical activity providers is low.
Experience & Trials
We have produced a training video which gives tips on how to start using the FlexxiCore Challenger.
A second traing video with slightly more advanced moves is also available here.
You can also review here some of the many different Ways To Use the FlexxiCore Challenger - here you can see and get more understanding of the wide range of potential ways to exercise, stretch and get various types of massage on the FlexxiCore Challenger.
Patrick Moriarity is an 85-year old gentlemen in New Zealand who was so impressed by his first 2 months' use of the Challenger that he wrote this "Report on an alternative approach to traditional exercise for the elderly and the recovering patient."
Energy for Health ran a Pilot Study with 10 participants in 2015; you can read a summary of the results here.
As a result Phase 2 Trials were held in 2016. A Summary of the Results of these Trails with 42 Participants can be read here.
To learn about possible Contraindications, please read this list of Cautions regarding pre-existing medical conditions and, in case of doubt, check with your doctor or other medical practitioner.
Research
Regular exercise is vital in many ways including maintenance of muscle tone, flexibility, bone density, metabolic rate, lymph and blood circulation, better sleep, and boosting endorphin release. Several clinical studies have reported WBV-induced increases in strength, power and performance in young healthy adults1. WBV training is equally or perhaps even more beneficial for older individuals and those with less than optimal health. Studies show a broad range of benefits including: 
- increased oxygen consumption2
- improved cardio-respiratory fitness3 , lowered blood pressure 4 and reduced hardening of the arteries5
- fat loss6
- improved flexibility7
- relief from low back pain8
- increased muscle strength and muscle mass9
- improvements in bone density10
You can read here a Sample of Published Clinical Research Studies on WBV Training, which shows a broad spectrum of positive results across a variety of conditions.
For more details of the Challenger's unique design features, please read our Features and Benefits page.
References
1 Delecluse et al. 2003; Roelants et al. 2004; Ronnestad 2004; Savelberg et al. 2007; Bosco et al. 1998; Lamont et al. 2008, 2009, 2010; Di Giminiani et al. 2009; Torvinen et al. 2002
2 Hazell et al. 2010, 2012; Gojanovic et al. 2012; Vissers et al. 2009
3 Bogaerts et al. 2009
4 Figueroa et al, 2011 – 14
5 Otsuki et al. 2008
6 Hazell et al. 2010
7 Sá-Caputo et al. 2014
8 Del Pozo Cruz et al. 2011
9 Bogaerts et al. 2007, 2009
10 Gusi et al. 2006; Liu et al.