RollingSands Harmony Blog

Add a Balance Board to almost any exercise to up the challenge. Here’s another example showing that you can add a Balance Board in a Side Plank pose. My only tip to add on this exercise / yoga pose, is to stack your shoulder over your wrist.  What other balance poses or exercises would a Balance Board work with?  Last week we showed a video doing the Seated “V” / Boat Pose, so you can’t suggest that one!

The Seated “V” (which is known as the Boat Pose in Yoga) can be pretty challenging for most folks. If you feel like you’re strong in those pose/exercise, add the challenge of sitting on a Balance Board while doing it:

Following are some exercises that you can perform on the Balance Board (or also known as a wobble board). These exercises are listed from easiest (#1) to hardest (#10). We’d strongly recommend that beginners start with #1 and progress down the list as their strength, balance, and reaction times improve. Doing so with a chair or wall near by is helpful too. As you improve, you’ll use these props less and less, but it’s nice to have them near you if you need the extra support!  Once you feel strong enough and comfortable enough, then challenge yourself without a wall or chair…starting from the beginning.

We carry a wood Balance Board by TKO. They look simple enough, but can be quite challenging (especially for beginners). They are great for athletes who depend on agility and need to perform quick turns on their feet (basketball players and soccer players, for example). Balance boards will strengthen the ankles and lower legs in addition to training proprioceptors, which are sensors in our bodies that warn us that our ankles are turning over. This is why they are also used in rehab therapy for people who have twisted or injured their ankles.  It’s a good tool for anyone looking to improve strength and balance.

Exercises to do on a Balance Board:

1.  Sitting on the floor, place the balance board under the feet and slowly rotate it a number of times in each direction.

2.  Stand on the balance board, feet shoulder-width apart.  Hold on to a chair for support if needed and rock the board forwards and backwards, then side to side.  Do this for 2 to 3 minutes.

3.  Stand on the balance board, feet shoulder-width apart.  Rotate the balance board round so that the edge of the board is in contact with the floor at all times.  Do this for 2 to 3 minutes.

4.  Stand on the balance board, feet shoulder-width apart.  Rock the board front to back for one minute then side to side for one minute.

5.  Balance on the balance board for as long as you can without the edges touching the floor.  Aim for over 2 minutes without touching the floor.

6.  Rotate the balance board in a circle, but do not allow the edge of the board to touch the floor.  Aim for 2 minutes.

7.  Stand on the balance board with one leg.  Rock the board from front to back for 1 minute and then side to side for 1 minute.

8.  Stand on the balance board with one leg.  Rotate the board in a circular motion in one direction for 1 minute then repeat in the other direction.

9.  Stand on the balance board with one leg.  Try to stay balanced.  How long can you hold it?

10.  When you have mastered all of the above you should have strong, stable ankles and be an expert.   Want to challenge yourself further?  Try these exercises with your eyes closed!

Here’s a video on using a wobble board for rehab purposes. We’ve touched on some of these exercises and benefits of the wobble/balance board in a prior post, but sometimes it’s easier to understand when we see a video versus just reading instructions.

You can use a balance board as shown in this video, or a balance disc as well. Our balance board has a round base in center underneath that allows you to rotate in all directions. A balance disc works similarly, but is made of PVC and will ‘give’ in all directions versus tilting.

Balance Board Exercises – Try Doing That At Home!

Author: Gary Gordon

Balance boards may look like something children play with, but the truth is that balance boards are great for physical training and rehabilitative therapies. All physical activity requires various degrees of balance and equilibrium. A person’s sense of equilibrium and balance are absolutely critical to normal bodily function, hand-eye coordination, and motor skill activity. However, they can easily be damaged. Balance boards are used to repair a person’s sense of balance and equilibrium. But even a seasoned athlete can receive benefits from balance board training. Balance boards are a fun way to improve balance, strength, coordination, and reaction time for people needing to improve their agility. Soccer players, skiers, and any board sports enthusiast will find the benefits of balance board training invaluable.

The goal of balance board training is to challenge balance, sense imbalance, react quickly, and recover quickly from the imbalance through subtle physical adjustments. Even people at the peak of their physical fitness will find balance board tasks to be a challenge until their bodies become proficient at making balance adjustments. So it’s advisable for all beginners to hold onto a chair or a table, or even use a wall, for extra support until they get accustomed to the exercises.

Balance board exercises are easy and fun. We have broken down the exercises into three levels:

1.  Beginner Training

2.  Athlete Training

3.  Strength Training

Beginner Training:

There are three basic movements associated with beginner training:

- Front to Back

- Side to Side

- Circular Rotation

To accomplish these movements, it’s as simple as standing on the board and rocking in the aforementioned direction. If these movements seem difficult at first, use a chair or something to hold on to that will aid you from falling. Once you’ve mastered these three basic movements, try kneeling on the board and doing them. With all exercises, attempt to maintain your balance for as long as you can and make it your goal to progressively increase that time with each attempt.

These movements are also standard recommendations for people with balance problems and for those in rehabilitative therapy.

Athlete Training:

Athletes who consistently train with balance boards will increase proprioception and ankle strength. This will improve coordination and overall athletic ability as well as decreasing the risk of potential ankle injury on the playing field.

- Try to maintain your balance for at least 30 seconds.

- Repeatedly throw a ball against a wall and catch it.

- Stand on the board with one foot and with the other foot, draw numbers and shapes in the air

- Try to maintain your balance with your eyes closed. *NOTE* This movement is very advanced and risky.

Strength Training:

- With your hands placed at each end of the board, do push-ups

- While sitting on the board, do crunches

- With one foot on the floor and the other on the board, slowly rotate the board. This will gently stretch your lower leg muscles and ankle.

- Do a set of squats. You’ll find these to be advanced movements but very effective.

Balance boards are wonderful core stability trainers, but people with back, neck or leg problems should be carefully instructed before using them. They’re considered to be on the “extreme” end of fitness training equipment and should be used carefully. There is a good chance of falling, so anyone with bone density loss should be very careful.

About the Author: To learn more visit our physical rehabilitation therapy section or read more about use of balance boards.  Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Balance Board Exercises – Try Doing That At Home!

At RollingSands Harmony you can find a round Balance Board/Wobble Board by TKO to help strengthen your ankles, lower legs, and to improve your balance or reaction times.