Balance exercise equipment includes stability balls, BOSU balls, balance boards, balance discs, and wobble boards. They work the core muscles and offer different levels of difficulty. The stability ball offers the most variety, while the wobble board is the most difficult and recommended for advanced athletes.
There are several types of balance exercise equipment available through fitness stores for use at the gym or at home. These can be purchased through websites as well as sporting goods stores. Options include but are not limited to inflatable stability balls, the BOSU ball, wobble and wobble boards, and balance discs, with each type of balance exercise equipment offering a different challenge and degree of difficulty. This piece of equipment is intended to be incorporated into an exercise routine to work the core muscles of the body, which include the muscles of the abdominals, lower back, hips, and pelvic floor.
The balance exercise piece of equipment that offers users the most variety is the stability ball, which, because it can roll, creates an unstable environment in which to exercise. Available in various sizes to match the height of the athlete, the stability ball is an inflatable rubber ball that averages about 21.6 inches (55 cm) in diameter. With exercise options for disabled, novice, and advanced athletes, one can use the ball to increase the challenge on core muscles by sitting, leaning, lying on top, footing, or even kneeling on the ball. Unlike other forms of balance equipment, the stability ball can also be used for stretching.
A similar option for balance training is the BOSU ball, suitable for all fitness levels and widely available in big box stores and online. The BOSU is a half sphere, with a rounded rubber surface on one side and a flat surface on the other. When the rounded surface is face up, one can stand, kneel, or lie on the ball and perform exercises without the instability of the stability ball, while when the flat surface is face up, users have the option of standing on the BOSU for 360 degrees of instability. It can also be used flat side up for exercises like push-ups.
Another type of balance exercise equipment that offers users a variety of options is the balance board. The balance board is an elliptical platform perched on all fours a few inches off the floor that can be adjusted to increase or decrease stability. It is primarily intended for standing while performing exercises with barbells or tubes, but can also be used for bodyweight exercises like lunges and pushups. The difficulty level of the balance board is relatively low.
A little harder on one’s stability is a type of balance exercise equipment known as the balance disc or cushion. Typically sold in pairs, the balance disc is an inflatable cushion about the size of a dinner plate that you’re meant to stand on, one foot on each, while performing squats and various exercises with dumbbells, barbells, or cables. It offers users less variety than the previous three forms of equipment, and because it is considered more difficult to handle than the balance board, it may not be recommended for novice athletes.
Among the most difficult balance exercise equipment available is the wobble board. Sold in square and round versions, the wobble top features a flat and often wooden top perched on a narrow wedge or rounded base. The square board is typically 16 inches (40.64 cm) wide, has a long, narrow base, and is designed to train side-to-side or front-to-back movements only. Similar in size, the round top has a round base that is significantly smaller than the platform and is designed for 360 degrees of instability. It is recommended only for advanced athletes.
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