What is a balance board and how to use it

In the late 90s, a series came out that inspired many little ones to get on a skateboard, a snowboard, to put on skates or ride a scooter. yes we are talking about rocket power, this team of extreme kids who had a widowed father with a beach shop in California. The bumps, drops and slams they had were still on display, showing a relatively real view of what it’s like to ride on wheels. Because beyond what it can be entertaining, at first it is very difficult to master. The most difficult thing is usually the balance, but a good way to strengthen it is to use the increasingly popular method balance board.

They have been on the market for a long time, but during the pandemic they have gained strength, both because of the restrictions that existed for leaving the house and because of the exercise possibilities it offers. While many have started to practice their balance with them, and thus strengthen their technique in disciplines such as surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, others less fond of extreme sports have also used it in their sports routine or as element of relaxation and fun.

Tightrope walkers and trapeze artists – and all circus performers in general – have been using balance boards since ancient times. But the rise of extreme sports and the need to practice balance have made them more well-known tools, which even have their own cultivators and specialists, with special tricks and stunts .

Also called rola bola or indo boards, they normally consist of a board — there are different sizes, but it is usually between 70 and 80 cm long, like a skateboard — and a cylindrical roller, which can also be in wood. PVC. The goal is to get on the board — which is in turn on the roller — and keep your balance.

“The idea is that the table does not touch the ground at its ends,” explains kinesiologist David Salas Barrera. That is, you have to balance your body weight from side to side so that the table always remains as horizontal as possible. It also reads easily, but in practice it is quite difficult. For beginners, Salas suggests “having something sturdy nearby that you can lean on in the event of a fall.”

Salas is also one of the founders of Physiocore , a sports medicine center where they receive personalized attention based on the most recent scientific evidence available. In it, for the rehabilitation of injuries or medical interventions, they have balance boards, ideal for strengthening the muscles without causing much impact on the body.

“Little by little you can progress by letting go of your hands and trying each time to maintain your balance for longer and without needing to assert yourself”, he specifies.

Keeping your balance on one of these boards is harder than it looks. If it’s already difficult when the metro or a bus suddenly stops or you have to tie a shoe without bending down, above these machines the challenge is greater.

Although we don’t notice it, in order to balance ourselves we need to use almost every muscle in the body. Mainly the legs, since they are the ones that exert the greatest strength, but also the trunk, which must remain straight and firm, and also the arms, which through their movements help to balance the weight of the body.

Therefore, the longer we manage to balance on a table, the more body parts we will exercise. The good thing is that it will not make the exercise more difficult, if not quite the contrary.

What gets exercised the most on a balance board is:

• Working the CORE muscles (abdominals, spinal erectors and glutes)
• Coordination
• Action, reaction and reflexes
• neuromuscular integration
• Proprioception (as the ability to sense the position of muscles and body parts is called)

Being a low-impact exercise, Salas explains that there’s no standardized or extremely rigorous metric for how many times a week it’s good to use the balance board.

What he recommends is including it in your warm-up routine before more strenuous activity. “It’s good that it’s an activation exercise because for 5-10 minutes it can increase your attention span and make your workouts more entertaining and challenging,” he suggests.

Obviously, it can be the perfect prelude to “extreme sports like surfing, kitesurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding or activities that require a lot of balance, concentration and motor skills together”. You can think of it as a method to awaken the body, activate it and focus it in just a few minutes.

The conventional way to use it is to simply climb on it and keep your balance. This can already be a big challenge and exercise for most, but it’s not the only way to enjoy it. Once you’ve mastered this balance, “you can add some complexities, like throwing tennis balls against a wall, trying to bounce them right into your hands, and alternating with aiming games,” Salas recommends.

Another way, a bit more dramatic, is to balance and juggle, as “it could be an additional strategy to unbalance the ‘focus of attention,'” he says. This can only be achieved in advanced users and who also have a knack for juggling. Unless you’re looking to star in a viral TikTok, newbies are better off.

When the balance board has a roll, it is difficult but not impossible to keep your balance. Its shape imitates that of surfboards, skates or snowboards, which is why it is perfect for anyone who loves these disciplines.

These boards are a bit easier to use, as they have a non-slip semi-circular base. The result is an experience similar to that of a roller, but with greater stability and security. It’s less difficult and challenging, but a good option for boys and girls or those looking for something less complex.

However, it is also used to improve balance and posture, and is widely used as an injury rehabilitation tool.

This model has a non-slip surface, which makes it perfect for all foot sizes. It measures 43 centimeters in diameter, its height is adjustable – between 5 and 8 cm, depending on the difficulty – and it weighs only 1 kilo, which makes it easy to transport.

*Prices for products in this item are current as of August 22, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.