I do my balance board a few times a week (probably should do more) to keep up with my physical therapy for my foot injury. I've seen people do upper body strength workouts using a balance board
(affiliate link) or a BOSU Balance Trainer
. (affiliate link) I tried a few different times in the past but wasn't able to do it continuously. I was last night which was a pleasant surprise. Of course it didn't come without a lot of leg/knee shaking at times when I was really trying to balance with 30 lbs of weight doing upper cuts or front raises. But all in all I was proud at how well I did with it and will likely try to incorporate it more on strength days.
(affiliate link) or a BOSU Balance Trainer. (affiliate link) I tried a few different times in the past but wasn't able to do it continuously. I was last night which was a pleasant surprise. Of course it didn't come without a lot of leg/knee shaking at times when I was really trying to balance with 30 lbs of weight doing upper cuts or front raises. But all in all I was proud at how well I did with it and will likely try to incorporate it more on strength days.
What do you do to shake up your strength routine?
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It does make it a pretty tough workout when you add the balance element to it. You did a great job and balanced like a boss on that thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks! All I can do is improve from here.
DeleteAwesome job on the balance board...
ReplyDeleteWell I dont have a ST workout as of now:(...i know i know I need to do it..but for now Im trying to be consistent with gym..so sticking to elliptical...but I add hand movements while doing elliptical..using arms to push rahter than legs
Absolutely you need to get on that girl. Lean muscle mass increases the amount of calories you burn when you're doing cardio so even if you only do it once a week, it's better than nothing. Flex those muscles girl! ;)
DeleteI always thought I had good balance until I bought that thing. I get on it and I may as well be riding the bull at Gilly's. I get on it throws me off. That guy on the front standing on one foot, I want to pop him in the lip.
ReplyDeleteI used to do the same thing. I have a thick exercise mat so I started using it on that for more stability. Then after my foot injury, we put down those 1" thick foam floor tiles and I use it on there. It was much less stable than the 2" thick mat but I needed that. As I was in early recovery I was super wobbly but now I can stand pretty still if that's my objective. I do all kinds of stretches on it too and the chiro said that is THE best tool for leg strength so it's great for walkers/runners or just to build up strength for everyday. Don't give up on it, I promise, you'll get better!
DeleteI don't have much of a strength routine to mix up right now. When I was going to Curves I thought I didn't really like it all that much, but since I stopped going I realized how much I do miss it, and one of the reasons is the built in ST. Right now going back isn't in the cards so I'm trying to work on something at home with next to no equipment. I do like the idea of the balance board if it really is that effective for leg strength, but I'm afraid I'd fall down a lot at first. If buy one, I'll buy it through here so you can get your few cents, someday if you save those few cents carefully you'll be able to buy yourself a lottery scratch ticket.
ReplyDeleteJust keep 2 gallon jugs and 2 1/2 gallon jugs, wash 'em out well and fill them with water and voila...instant weights and good for the environment! :) My legs went from being completely weak in the front (shins, ankles, etc) to normal to stronger than average by the time my therapy officially ended. Practice on carpet or have a chair nearby to work up on it. I used to always have a chair close when I first started therapy and haven't needed it in months! :)
DeleteI really need to get on board (haha punny) and get one of those balance boards! I had to do a lot of balance exercises in my own PT sessions, and miss the challenge of it. I'm usually not very good about mixing things up and get stuck in ruts a lot...something I really need to work on.
ReplyDeleteHA! Punny pun pun! It is definitely a challenge and I'm so happy that I can now utilize it in a different way to help me kick up my upper body to include total body conditioning in the process!
DeleteI love my BOSU! Since I work almost exclusively with free weights and body weight, I switch out reps, pounds, and/or different exercises to keep it interesting. For my walking/biking, I have the freedom to switch routes, distances, intensity, etc. I'm rarely bored! :)
ReplyDeleteI wish we had room for 2 of those but we don't with everything else down there. Enjoy it for me!
DeleteI bought a balance board after you wrote about them! I need to do more with it because right now, I basically stand on it while watching Real Housewives. (Is that a workout? That counts, right?)
ReplyDeleteOf course it does! You're engaging your core! :D
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