The benefits of balance boards are plentiful. They are of course great for exercise and fitness, with the ability to hone your workout specifically to fit whatever you’re looking for from it. We recently outlined some of our top exercises for you to try if you’re looking to improve a certain part of your fitness. Sometimes though, you don’t want to do a big session working on improving your core stability, you just want to have some fun!
One of the reasons we love the balance boards is because they’re such a great way to have a good time, so we’ve gathered some of Team Swifty’s top ways to kick back and have a play with your new board.
SHOP OUR FITNESS EQUIPMENT FOR USE AT HOME
HANG 10
With the roller resting on one end of the board walk onto it from the back (facing with the board) In small steps slowly walk yourself to the tip of the board and dangle your toes off the end.
Hanging 10 is a classic surfing manoeuvre and one of the most difficult things for a surfer to do. Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to do on your balance board.
To hang 10 means to have all ten toes hanging off the end of the board. This means your feet will be next to one another, which will be a good test of your ankle strength and balance. Fortunately, the fins on the Swifty Fitness Balance Board mean you won’t go flying over the edge on your first attempts!
If you’ve got the hang (no pun intended) of Hanging 10 on one end, you can try walking from one side to the other to alternate which side you’re hanging off.
KNEE DIP
Stand facing in the direction of the board. Lower yourself down so your knee is resting on the board, hold and slowly bring yourself back up to standing. Repeat on the other leg.
This exercise is a great way to switch up your balance direction. The common way to balance on the board is feet side by side, so by swapping it so one is in front of the other you have to think about things on a different plane.
The position you find yourself in at the bottom of the dip is similar to that of a surfers position when they're getting onto their feet. Resting your knee on the board will give you another anchor point to help gain balance but your back leg will be doing a lot of the work to keep you stable so it can be a deceiving challenge! As a tip, you'll want the roller generally under the position of your knee when at your lowest point.
You can rest your hands on the board to help gauge your centre of gravity, but don't curl your fingers under the board as you could easily trap them on the roller.
Balance Boarding is a great way to make the most of Multi-Planar Exercise. Learn more about what it is and the benefits.
KICK THROUGH
Standing facing with the board, lower yourself down and place your right hand on the back of the board. Take your right leg and kick it out in front of you, so your weight is being held by your hand on the back of the board and your leg on the front. Bring it back, stand up and repeat with the other leg / hand.
This is a good challenge on several fronts, first of all, it will reset your balance as it completely throws your body of axis. Balancing on one arm and one leg is challenging enough to adapt to, and with your leg moving through your centre of gravity will constantly be changing.
It's also a great way to test your coordination as the move involves your whole body working and moving in harmony. It will feel a bit like a game of twister at first but once you've got the knack it will give you a solid understanding of your balance and centre of gravity on multiple levels!
180 SPIN
Stand balanced on the board with your feet wide apart gain a solid stand on the board. Do a very small hop and spin 180 dragging the board around too with your feet. Regain balance and repeat.
We’re looking to skateboarding for this move. It's a take on a shove-it - where the rider kicks their board 180 under their feet and hops back on - but in our variation, the rider spins along with the board too.
You'll want to make sure you have a solid grip on the board with your feet for this exercise, so give them and the board a little wipe down if you're struggling.
When it comes to spinning moves like this make sure you have cleared some extra room around you should you find yourself going flying on your first few attempts!
Looking to target a specific part of your body with your balance board workout? Explore our top exercises to work your core, upper and lower body as well as cardio!
180 JUMP
Stand on the board feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, jump up and spin 180 degrees. Land and regain balance.
So, you’ve 180’d with the board, now it’s time to do it just yourself! A 180 jump sounds simple but can be just enough of a challenge to get you thinking about your balance in a new way.
Jumping off the board, spinning in the air and landing back down are all challenges for your body and coordination on their own, so combined in one quick movement it’s an opportunity to test yourself.
To ease yourself in you could practice the jump and spin while the board is stationary on the floor so you’re confident you can land in the right area.
With exercises like this and the one before also be careful to take a couple of minutes away from the board if you're starting to feel a bit dizzy. You don't want to be tempting any accidents!
Sideways Boarding
Place the board lengthways over the roller. Rest your hands on the roller to hold it in place and jump your feet on. Gain your balance and stand. Spin around so you're facing the side of the roller.
This is one for the pros out there looking for a real challenge. The principles are the same as using the board the 'right' way but by cutting down the area you have to play with it lowers your margin for error and will give you a solid test of your control.
Note that we don't have any fins on our board on these sides so there is nothing stopping the board from going flying if you lose your balance completely; make sure to clear some room around you when you try it!
Hopping on your balance board is a great way to get yourself out of sedentary lifestyle habits we're all guilty of. Learn more about what we can do to combat these habits
Test Your Coordination - Throwing and Catching / Juggling
With a ball in hand stand comfortably on the board and get your balance. Throw the ball against the wall and catch it again. Try throwing it high in the air and catching, or spinning and throwing it at the wall behind you.
If you’ve mastered balancing on the board and are looking to hone your upper body coordination at the same time, then have a go at juggling or throwing at catching.
Juggling is an art in itself that will need some practice to master, but most people have a ball and a wall around that they can use. If you have a friend that you can throw the ball to you that’s ideal too, this way they can aim it to different sides and height that you’ll have to adapt to. If they too are on a balance board then you can make a game out of it!
Focusing on something other than the board itself is a good mental challenge and is an effective way to put your concentration to the test.
There are just a few different ideas for you to try if you’re looking for something a bit different with your balance board. As we’ve done here you can take a lot of inspiration from exercises used by similar board sports like surfing or skating.