Happy Birthday Jacqueline Fernandez! Here's Why Jacky Uses Electronic Muscle Stimulation

When you hear the words cute, charming and fitspiration together, Jacqueline Fernandez is probably the first name you would think of. Sri Lankan Diva Jacqueline Fernandez celebrates her birthday today. Jacky made her debut in Bollywood only a few years ago and in such a short period, she has become a heart throb for the nation. Be it her charming personality, her beauty or her fitness goals, the diva has never stopped giving us reasons to admire her. But lets admit it, the one thing we just can't stop admiring about Jacqueline Fernandez is her fitness goals. Be it pole yoga or electric muscle stimulation, she never thinks twice before experimenting with different forms of workout. And thanks to the actress's versatility, she is one of the fittest divas of the B-town.

Bollywood celebrities today leave no stone unturned to maintain a fit body and inspire millions of their fans to adopt healthy and fit lifestyle. And recently, the hot and very scintillating Jacqueline Fernandez was seen adopting a fitness routine which is quite unseen and unheard of. In a post shared by celebrity Pilates trainer Namrata Purohit, Jacky was seen doing a forward lunge along with something called 'electric muscle stimulation'. "When Electric Muscle Stimulation is added to your training, it helps maximise your muscular effort by engaging a greater percentage of muscle fibers," mentions Namrata in the caption.

At times, a certain injury or even a minor accident leaves some of our muscles unused for a long period of time. This is one of the instances where electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is used. It is a process which involves stimulating muscles and forcing them to contract through passage of low-intensity electrical currents.

Ideally, EMS aims at building the basic tone of muscles, strengthening the weak ones and forcing the contraction of muscles in a coordinated pattern to strengthen the cognitive link between the brain and the movements. It is a sort of a physical rehabilitation for injured people, which helps them get back to doing challenging exercises by returning the muscles their required strength.

However, EMS is also used by people without injuries as well, as it enhances strength and improves physical performance. The technology has to be used appropriately in terms of specific settings, timings, frequency, and overall volume of work. This is the key to achieve maximum benefits from EMS. Research states that EMS provides similar benefits as voluntary training. The combination of conventional training and EMS provides a significant advantage as compared to when either of the methods is applied in isolation. The cumulative effect of both methods provides a boosted training scenario with less energy cost to the athlete.

In the meantime, there are some side effects of using EMS too. The Food and Drug Administration states that devices which perform such functions are often illegally marketed shortcuts to building muscles. As a warning, FDA warns that six-pack abs and similar results are unrealistic, but the devices are regularly used for therapeutic purposes.

Other risks involved in EMS are:

It may interfere with implanted medical devices

For people who are already on implanted medical devices, such as a pacemaker, there are chances that EMS can alter their function and may cause unnecessary shocks in the body.

It might cause muscle tears

At times, muscle tissues can become too tensed during the electrically induced contractions. According to a 2011 research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, certain types of muscle injury can be caused by EMS.

It may lead to tissue burns

As mentioned earlier, the key to using EMS is its appropriate usage. Accidentally, if there is a strong electrical current delivered through a small electrode, there are chances that skin might get burns and you might feel discomfort at the area under the electrode during stimulation.

It may cause skin irritation

This is a common side effect of using EMS. As a reaction to the electrode adhesive or the electrical current itself, you can feel irritation on the skin. As a preventive measure, you must clean and dry the skin exposed to the device thoroughly. Also, recently shaved skin may also be more prone to being irritated and inflamed by the flow of the electric current. Seek medical guidance in case you continue to feel skin irritation after taking the above precautions. 

Happy Birthday Jacqueline Fernandez!