Fitness in the City - The body electric

A FEW weeks ago, I touched upon the subject of vibration technology used in fitness as a method for rehabilitation, strength, and general health improvement.
Vibration technology, as I mentioned, is one of the new tools of technology used in health and fitness, previously developed for rehabilitation.
There is another cutting-edge technology already in the market no one has heard off yet: ­electrical muscle stimulation (EMS).
EMS is the elicitation of muscle contractions using ­electric impulses. In medicine, it has been used for rehabilitation and ­physical therapy as well as to prevent ­muscle atrophy which can occur after ­musculoskeletal injuries, such as damage to bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
This alternate mode of health and fitness has received ­increasing attention in the last few years because of its potential to serve as a strength training tool for athletes.
It can also serve as a ­testing tool for evaluating neural and/or muscular functions, and as a post-­exercise recovery tool for athletes.
The use of EMS has been cited by sports science as a ­complementary technique for sports training, and published ­research is available on the ­results obtained.
► EMS for weight loss
The use of EMS makes your muscles contract harder when you work them regularly, thus burning more calories post-exercise.
Calories are burnt in ­significant amounts only when most of the body is involved in physical exercise, where muscles, the heart and the respiratory system are all engaged at once. 
If you are being sold the notion that an EMS programme can make you lose weight, I’d agree, but it is not a long-term solution to weight management.
The effectiveness of the ­devices for sports training has been under study and has ­resulted in positive results to those who have utilised EMS as part of their programme.
Apparently, even our national sports academy possesses a unit.
Non-professional devices ­target home-market consumers with wearable units in which EMS circuitry is contained in belt-like garments (ab-toning belts) or other clothing items.
I recently tried out a 20-minute session in an EMS vest hooked up to the device.
Before the session began, I was given a briefing about the EMS:
► There may be electrical ­currents running through your body, but the voltage is too low to cause harm.
(Those with heart conditions or other health ­problems may not use it)
► The zapping sensation of electricity to the muscles can be really annoying.
► Drink plenty of water pre- and post-session. Electricity travels best through hydrated bodies.
(Muscles will also be worked hard, so the body will quickly use up any liquids).
► EMS works stronger on areas that are muscle dense. So the glutes, pectorals and hamstrings may be more acutely sore.
(The explanation to this is that muscles pack in more blood, thus these areas will be zapped harder.)
For my session, I went through a quick low-frequency warm-up ­session ­with ­dynamic ­movements (­movements in ­multi-plane ­direction) and ­followed through to a ‘medium to high’ frequency session.
The workout I did consisted of general exercise moves without the aid of weights, ­meaning the usual array of burpees, crunches, pushups, lunges, squats, and jumping jacks done in time-based sets.
The warm-down session was on a ­lower frequency than the warm-up.
Post-session, I felt that the 20 minutes spent ­exercising was peanuts compared to what I am normally used to in a ­workout. My muscles did feel a slight twinge, however.
How EMS works is that while the muscles are put through minimal work, the contractions they exprience are amplified by the electrical surge.
My verdict: For a decently seasoned person, I experienced massive DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) on my abs and glutes that lasted a good five days. All this from only a 20-minute session.
Let’s be fit!
Jonathan Tan is the Club Manager of the Sports Toto Fitness Centre at Berjaya Times Square. He can be contacted at lifestyle.jonathan@thesundaily.com.