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To have a better understanding on electrical muscle stimulation or EMS, it is helpful to know the following important information basing on its: definition, applications, and FDA regulation.

Your friend tells you about Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) that has been helping her tone her abs and so does your relative trying to prevent muscle atrophy. So what really is EMS? Here are important facts you need to know about Electrical Muscle Stimulation for better understanding:

Definition

Electrical muscle stimulation, otherwise known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation, is the method by which muscles are made to contract using controlled electrical impulses. Pads are adhered to your skin direct (SF7) to the muscles that need stimulation. These pads act as the terminal where electrical impulses go through. Different degrees of electrical impulses are given to different muscles as fibers are not the same among all muscles, causing them to react differently to different stimuli. Different patterns are also applied to particular muscles to achieve different results. For example, some programs or patterns will improve your endurance, while others will help you resist fatigue.

Applications

It was Luigi Galvani during the late 1700s who showed that current can acutally cause activation of muscles. Many researches and experiments were made from then on in an effort to come up with the electrical properties that can cause the movement of muscles. Studies were also made to understand the different applications and uses of EMS. To date, EMS is used for rehabilitative and therapeutic purposes, as well as for training and aesthetic functions.

• Rehabilitative and therapeutic. EMS is popularly known to prevent muscle atrophy or decrease in muscle mass. It also helps in rehabilitating patients who have undergone serious injuries, stroke, or major surgeries. EMS basically aims to recover impaired muscle functions brought about by the said conditions, without affecting the patient’s appearance. It helps relax muscle spasms and increase range of muscle motion. In addition, EMS can result to a more balanced mood in the same way as exercising does, thus making it helpful for those individuals with mild depression.

• Training. EMS devices are also known, since it has been studied in the 20th century, to help in the training of athletes by allowing them to gain more force and endurance through a series and pattern of muscular contractions.

• Aesthetic. Electronic muscle stimulation can benefit you in the same way as exercising does, but not to the extent that your muscles will increase its size as effected by strength training or even weight lifting exercises. Like what EMS belts do, as flex belt, it can tone and help shape your muscles. Although not proven, many claim that EMS devices can also help you lose weight, together with proper diet and exercise by burning calories in specific areas of your body targeted by EMS.

FDA regulation

All electrical muscle stimulation devices sold in the market are controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). EMS devices are categorized into two types under FDA’s control, namely over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription EMS devices. OTC devices are those mainly for personal use to tone muscles, while prescription EMS devices are those whom you are required of a prescription to get one for therapeutic purposes. This particular type of EMS devices usually require the supervision of a licensed physical therapist to ensure proper application. Devices that do not go through them are considered to be illegal and can be dangerous for personal use. There have been reports of shock, electrocutions, burns, and interference with other devices. FDA makes sure that these devices are properly designed and made to be safe and effective for different applications.

Electrical muscle stimulation has been a great discovery that answers certain medical, training, and aesthetic concerns. If you are planning to get one for yourself, make sure you know your goal, so you will know if using EMS device can actually help you. Make sure that you choose an EMS device that has passed the standards of and is accredited by FDA to make sure it is effective and safe to use.

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It has been recommended and proven by many weight loss advisers and individuals that a combination of cardio and resistance training will help you lose weight faster and more effectively. You can either do resistance training on certain days of the week and cardio exercises during rest days; do cardio training in an earlier session and resistance training in a later session on the same training day; or do both cardio and resistance exercises in one workout session.

The fast burning of calories brought about by cardio exercises combined with increased and continuous metabolism caused by resistance training would surely make your weight loss program faster and more effective. The best way to integrate these two exercises would be to find the best program that fits your time, your resources, and your endurance. Here are three different programs you can consider:

Do resistance training on certain days of the week and cardio exercises during rest days

Especially if you are just a beginner, always be reminded that when you do resistance training, you must give time for your body to recover. Three to four times a week would make a great resistance training program for you to lose weight and build up muscles. What is important is that you do it on a regular basis and you follow a strict program on progression of frequency and resistance applied. To integrate cardio exercises on your resistance training program to lose weight better, you can perform cardio exercises on your rest days to allow yourself to build up the lost energy and worn out muscles from resistance training.

For example, if you wish to follow four-days-a-week resistance training program, you can group certain muscle exercises on one day, making the second, fourth, and sixth days of the week your rest days, thus your time to do cardio exercises. Consider the following program as an example:

• Day 1 – legs and calves resistance training, such as leg presses and calf raises

• Day 2 – slow-intensity cardio exercise, such as biking at slow pace and strolling

• Day 3 – back, abdomen, and chest resistance training, such dumbbell row, exercise ball crunch, and push ups

• Day 4 – slow intensity cardio exercise that you can progress to medium-intensity after a few weeks or months; example: brisk-walking, 30 to 45-minute medium-paced workout at the gym, and jogging

• Day 5 – triceps and biceps resistance training, such as dumbbell triceps extension and alternate dumbbell curl

• Day 6 – slow-intensity cardio exercise

• Day 7 – shoulder and abdomen, such as dumbbell press and machine abdominal crunch

For your resistance training program, you can also use multi-purpose equipment similar to Total Gym 3000 that addresses multiple muscle exercises. Other equipment you can also use for resistance training are dumbbells, barbells, benches, elastic bands, weighted vests, leg presses, and exercise balls.

Do cardio training in an earlier session and resistance training in a later session on the same training day

Especially if you work out in a crowded gym or with limited training equipment, this combination would be advisable if you have time to exercise in the morning and in the afternoon. This combination of cardio and resistance training involves cardio training in the morning and resistance training in the afternoon. Especially for beginners, it is advisable not to do both exercises simultaneously as all your energy may be exhausted on your first weight loss activity.

Cardio training is better done in the morning, especially when you have not taken a full meal as you are able to burn the calories and fats that have been stored overnight. Never do cardio exercises with an empty stomach, though, as you need energy to endure your training. As long as you have not fasted the previous day, you are sure to still have enough energy to undergo up to an hour of slow to medium-intensity cardio exercises in the morning. It is also particularly recommended to be performed after about thirty minutes of being awake as you need time to get yourself more active. Thirty minutes to one hour of running, biking, or brisk walking would do great to burn enough calories and stored fats and to enhance your metabolism for the day.

As you give your body enough time to rest and recoup some energy, you can perform resistance training in the afternoon. One hour is enough for resistance training to be effective in losing weight and at the same time to keep your muscles for overworking.

Do both cardio and resistance exercises in one workout session

This step begins with the usual ways to begin an exercise, which is to warm up. After warming up, you can start with a medium-intensity cardio exercise limited to 30-45 seconds only. This short period of exercise is important to keep your energy until you finish your workout for the day. After your first cardio exercise, you can move on with a particular resistance training exercise with the exact frequency and resistance applied, and then go back to cardio training. Repeat the sequence until you finish your workout for up to forty five minutes only to keep your body from overworking. Always cool down and do not forget to drink water and other fluids in between exercises to keep you hydrated during your workout.

There are other individuals who endure cardio exercises after long minutes of resistance training to lose weight faster. This method is definitely not the best nor is it recommended, since your body gets tired and weary after resistance training, usually resulting to increased risk of injuries and less effective cardio exercises. Again, the best way to combine cardio and resistance training exercises to effectively lose weight is to consider your time, resources, and endurance.