Introduction to the Balance Board

The balance board is a fitness piece of equipment that offers an efficient and enjoyable way to train your balance. It also improves your motor coordination skills, and it strengthens your core. Many people also practice on it because they feel calmer and more relaxed after a session.

Skiers and surfers used it first so they can practice their skills during the off-season. It is now used in therapeutic setting (knee rehabilitation, children with developmental disorders, proprioceptive training) and in fitness training. Athletes continue to take advantage of this fitness tool to improve their performance.

 You can easily acquire a balance board to exercise at home. It offers a fun way to strengthen your balance and your core. The difficulty depends on the type of board you are using. Some of them are very easy to practice on. Little kids and elderly people can use them safely. While other boards are much more challenging and require great skills.

There are 4 types of balance boards.
Rocker Boards
It improves static balance and is an easy way to start
Rocker-roller Boards
More challenging, they improve dynamic balance.
Wobble Boards

They offer a good comprise between the rocker boards (easy) and the other boards with un-attached fulcrums (the rocker-roller and the sphere-and-ring boards).
Sphere-and-ring Boards
The base is un-attached and the board can move in all direction making these types of balance boards the most challenging ones.

Balance boards can be very challenging causing falls, sprained joints, and sometime broken bones! So you need to take it gradually and start easily. Choosing the right balance board is the first step to a safe practice. Start with an attached board (rocker or wobble) as they are easier to use than the non-attached. Starting with easy exercises to gain confidence is important. 

Here are 4 movements you can start with:
1. Stand with both feet, and rock the board left to right, and front to back and have the edge touch the floor. Do it for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Roll the board in a circle touching the edge on the floor. Do it for 2 minutes.
3. Balance the board trying to keep the edges off the floor as long as you can.
4. From exercise 4, squat slightly (45 degrees). Repeat 10 times.
These 4 basic movements will help you improve your balance, strengthen your core, and increase your stamina.
It also has been linked with less falls during old age.

Source Moutassem Hammour .Chir

Complete Core BOSU® Workout

The BOSU® Balance Trainer, now a staple in nearly every fitness facility, has been around for nearly 15 years. While the product can be easily integrated into all areas of fitness, core remains the number one use for this popular piece of equipment. The unique design and unstable surface enables you to work your core in a variety of positions with comfort and appropriate challenge. Whether you’re looking for exercises to add at the end of a cardio class or you’re in need of a full core workout, the following 5 exercises will help you strengthen from the inside out.

Each exercise has start and finish photos, along with a brief description. For additional set-up and progression or regression suggestions, follow the link provided. Additional core exercises are available on the BOSU YouTube Channel.

Double Crunch

Position the small of your back in the center of the dome. Find balance with your feet off the floor, in line with the knees. The knees should be bent to 90 degrees and positioned over the hips. With hands behind the head and neck in neutral, begin by extending the lumbar spine slightly. Then, slowly flex the trunk to bring hips off the dome, slightly, and chest toward legs. Pause at the top, then slowly lower back to the starting position. To regress the exercise, perform the upper crunch with feet off the floor or on the floor. Perform 10-15 repetitions.

Lateral Balance

Position your waist on the top of the dome and the forearm on the floor (elbow aligned with the shoulder). The other hand can be on the front of the dome for support as you lift both legs until they are parallel to the floor. Once you find your balance, begin to challenge it by removing the bottom arm from the floor and then the top. Hold the balanced position for 10-20 seconds. Lower and return to balance position for 2 additional repetitions.

BOSU® Supine Bicycle

Position the small of your back in the center of the dome. Find balance with your feet off the floor, in line with the knees. The knees should be bent to 90 degrees and positioned over the hips. With hands behind the head and neck in neutral, begin by flexing the spine slightly and holding the ”curl” position. Begin alternating the legs in a small bicycling motion. As you become comfortable with the leg movement, add trunk rotation toward the bent knee. Explore with range of motion to increase the challenge. Perform 10 rotations to each side.

Prone Tuck & Extend

Begin prone with stomach centered on the dome. Relax over the dome (forearms, knees and lower legs resting on the floor). Slowly extend the spine and hips until the body is parallel to the floor. Then, as you find balance, experiment with lifting the body and legs higher than parallel. Hold the balanced position for 10-20 seconds. Lower and return to balance position for 3-5 additional repetitions.

V-Sit with Trunk Rotation

Center hips on top of the dome. With hands on the sides of the dome for balance, bend knees and place toes lightly on the floor in front of you. Lean back slightly while maintaining neutral posture and begin to lift the feet off the floor to come into V-sit balance. Begin the rotation by tilting the legs to one side and the torso to the other. Then, reverse. Perform 10 rotations to each side. You can also perform the rotation with one foot lifted or both feet on the floor.

Of course, these exercises merely scratch the surface of core-focused exercises that can be performed using the BOSU® Balance Trainer. This workout was adapted from the BOSU® Complete System. Learn more about BOSU Complete. BOSU also offers an app to create 15-, 30- and 60-minute workouts. Visit the iTunes App Store or Google Play, or click here for more information. Or join BOSU at a live training to learn more about adding BOSU to your programming.

 Source Shannon Fable, 2013 IDEA and 2006 ACE Instructor of the Year