Exercisers of all ages and fitness
levels-from the teenage lacrosse star to the
70-year-old with an arthritic hip-can benefit
from balance training. "Balance training" is
a broad term that can apply to any exercise
that has an element of instability. Sometimes
the term "balance training" is used
interchangeably with "core strength
training," because the same exercises can
often meet both goals: core strength
exercises promote better balance, and balance
training exercises can improve core strength.
Balance training helps to strengthen those
core muscles that can be hard to engage if
your strength training routine is limited to
using free weights and weight machines with
no element of instability. Specifically,
balance exercises can help target the
transversus abdominis (TVA) and the erector
spinae. The TVA may be of particular interest
to exercisers at this time of year-this deep
layer of abdominal muscle that extends from
the ribs to the pelvis can contribute to a
svelte swimsuit silhouette if you tone it up
with some balance training.
There are many ways to add balance training
exercises to a fitness routine. One of the
easiest options is to use a balance board or
balance disc to add instability to exercises.
Balance boards (sometimes called "wobble
boards") are available in different sizes and
levels of difficulty, and you can design
workouts for any fitness level.
Standing on a balance board, such as the
FitBALL®
Deluxe Board, may be enough of a
balance challenge for exercisers who are new
to balance training. But you can create a set
of exercises using the board, and introduce
them into a fitness routine to suit any skill
level. The FitBALL® Deluxe Board is more
versatile than other boards because its
larger size (19.5" x 27") can accommodate
exercisers of a wider range of sizes and
abilities compared with a smaller, round
board. And the Deluxe Board features six
slots around the edges, so the board can be
used with resistance tubing for more
challenging exercises.
Here are a few balance board moves to get you
started. Begin each exercise by standing on
the balance board with your feet about
shoulder-width apart.
- Easy: Hold onto a chair or other support,
and rock the board back and forth, and then
side to side. Keep rocking for 2-3 minutes.
- Harder: Without holding onto a chair or
other support, rotate the board around in a
circle, so the edge of the board touches the
floor at all times. Try to rotate for 2-3
minutes.
- Even harder: Rotate the board in a circle,
but DON'T allow the edge of the board to
touch the ground. Try to rotate for 2
minutes.
For a cross-training balance challenge, loop
resistance tubing through the slots, and do
bicep curls while standing on the board.
Fitness or physical therapy clients can
improve their balance in less strenuous ways,
too. A balance disc is thicker than a balance
board. The FitBALL®
Balance Disc, is made of
tough plastic and features tactile plastic
points on one side. A balance disc can be
used for balance training exercises that
involve standing, kneeling, or sitting, and
it is less challenging than a balance board,
so it's a great tool for beginning exercisers
or physical therapy clients.
Try these tips to work a balance disc into a
fitness routine:
- Sitting: Try sitting on the disc and placing
the soles of the feet together, letting the
knees fall out to either side. Sitting on a
balance disc to perform basic stretching
exercises adds a balance challenge and
engages core muscles.
- Kneeling: Try to keep your balance while
kneeling on a disc. When kneeling on the disc
becomes too easy, move to a standing
position.
- Standing: Try to stand on a balance disc for
a count of 10 seconds, then work up to longer
periods. Once you can balance while standing,
you can add light hand weights and try bicep
curls while standing on the disc.
You can find the FitBALL® Deluxe Board and
the FitBALL® Balance Disc at FitBALL.com.
Stay tuned for the July Healthbounce, with
tips for how to put some sizzle in your
summer workouts.
