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What is a Balance Board?

Balance boards have been around for decades - they used to be most used in physical therapy after an injury. At the moment they are one of the hottest types of fitness equipment around. These boards are used to help you develop coordination, balance and how you distribute your weight. The board rests on an unstable pivot, like a roller or a sphere, and you have to use your smaller stabilizing muscles to balance and stay on it while running through various exercises.

When should a balance board be used?

Balance boards may look like fun to use (and let’s face it they are!) but they won’t suit everyone’s fitness program. They can be great if you need to improve your balance due to specific problems or need to build up strength and fitness after injury. In general terms they can be used to increase ankle strength, to improve core stability, fitness and strength. You should always check with a personal trainer before you actually start using one to make sure you’ll see the right kinds of benefits.

Who should NOT use a balance board?

The fact that you can actually slip off a balance board makes them dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. These boards can be great for kids to help them learn balancing skills - but they should never use one unsupervised. It’s also not a great idea to use them without help if you have or are prone to back, leg or neck problems or have issues with bone density in case of falls. Needles to say, if you’re pregnant, a balance board is NOT a good idea.

There are all kinds of exercises you can do on a balance board - let’s take a look at some examples:

1. Two legged balance - stand centrally with both feet on the board, rock from side to side and see how long you can balance.
2. Two legged balance with eyes closed - as above but do it with your eyes closed! Try this one when you’re confident with the first exercise.

3. One legged balance - stand centrally with one leg on the balance board, rock from side to side and see how long you can balance.
4. Oblique one legged balance - stand with one leg placed diagonally on the board, rock from side to side and see how long you can balance.
5. Two legged balance with head movement - stand centrally with both feet on the board and rock from side to side. At the same time turn your head from left to right and see how long you can balance.
6. Two legged squat balance - stand centrally with both feet on the board and then bend down slightly in a squat, rock from side to side and see how long you can balance.
7. Two legged lean - stand centrally with both feet on the board and then lean to the left without letting the board move with you. Repeat for the right.
8. Step down - stand centrally with both feet on the board and then take one foot off the board and step down, keeping the board parallel to the floor. Bring the leg back on the board and repeat with the other leg.
9. Number work - stand centrally with both feet on the board and then take one foot off, keeping the board balanced. Use the free foot to draw imaginary numbers in the air whilst keeping your balance as long as you can.
10. Balancing push-ups - try push-ups but use the board to balance. Hold the board with both hands and do push-ups while keeping it level.

Using a balance board can add a whole new dimension to your fitness program. If you’ve never used one before then it will be worth your while to work with a trainer for a while until you become more confident. Remember you can always start off with simple exercises and hang on to a wall for a while until you feel ready to go solo!

Deciding to get fit is easy - doing it can be tougher! Making the decision to start a fitness program can make perfect sense - we plan a schedule, book time at the gym and make a start. But, then lose the motivation to carry it through and end up firmly back at step one.

Then to make things worse, we feel demoralized because we failed. But, believe it or not, you CAN start and CONTINUE an effective fitness program. All you have to do is to follow our 10 step plan:

Step 1 - Use A Personal Trainer

Keeping up a fitness program on your own can be hard - how do you motivate yourself? This needn’t be a problem if you work with a personal trainer as it’s their job to keep you motivated!

Step 2 - Use Your Friends

Make sure that you enlist both friends and family to support your efforts in your fitness program. It’s a lot harder to give up if you are getting encouragement at home (and the embarrassment if you do give up is enough to motivate most people!)

Step 3 - Know Your Limits

One of the main reasons that people give up on fitness programs is that they try to do too much too soon. It’s much easier to keep going if you start off slow and build up as you go along.

Step 4 - Keep Changing

In the gym boredom is your ENEMY. If you get bored with a routine then you’ll lose motivation and you’ll stop seeing such good results. So, change routines regularly and keep yourself challenged!

Step 5 - Set A Target

Decide why you want to get fitter, write the reason down on a piece of paper and stick it on the refrigerator. This way you won’t open the door for unnecessary snacks and you’ll have a constant reminder of what you’re aiming for.

Step 6 - Break Your Goal Down

Achieving a big fitness goal can be hard as some days it’ll just look like all work and no results. Breaking your goal down into smaller targets will make you feel better and you’ll be more motivated. So, if you’re aiming to lose 10 lb then set smaller goals along the way.

Step 7 - Treat Yourself

When you reach a target or feel a bit demoralized than give yourself a ‘fitness treat’ to make you feel better. Have a manicure or pedicure, invite the girls round for a DVD treat or take yourself off for the weekend.

Step 8 - Work on Your Whole Life

An effective fitness program isn’t just about getting to the gym - it’s about what you drink and eat. So, make sure that your diet is healthy. This will increase the results you see from the gym and it will make you feel better about your life as a whole which will make you feel better about continuing with your fitness program..

Step 9 - Get Fit Out Of The Gym

Taking regular exercise makes you feel better so don’t just use the gym as part of your fitness program. You can work exercise into any part of your day. Walk round the office to give a colleague a message rather than emailing. Take the stairs at the mall rather than the elevator. Go for a long walk at the weekend. It’ll all make a difference.

Step 10 - Scare Yourself

Being unfit and/or overweight can seriously harm your health - it can even shorten your life expectancy. Take a look at any online medical service and you’ll soon see the damage you could be doing. That should be enough to scare you straight into the gym!