Competitive cyclist Lance Armstrong, Olympic skier Shannon Bahrke, actress Eva Longoria and the Howard Head Sports Medicine Center in the Vail Valley in Colorado share a common affinity. They all enjoy the bosu balance trainer. The bosu accommodates sport-specific, body-toning, aerobic and physical therapy workouts. The bosu trend began in the late 1990s, and has not yet become redundant to the fickle fitness industry. Since inefficient workouts are eventually discarded as fads, most people probably benefit from bosu exercise.
What's a Bosu?
The bosu, whose name stands for "both sides up" or "both sides utilized," is a dome-shaped half-ball that is mounted on 24-inch diameter platform. Personal trainer and bosu inventor David Weck created the device to enhance balance training. The device facilitates exercises in the standing, seated, prone, supine and side-lying positions, and is usable in conjunction with weights, resistance bands, medicine balls and even stability balls.
Functional Balance Training
The term functional training refers to activities that train full-body movement. It incorporates balance, proprioception, which is your body's awareness of its position in space. Reflex training is another aspect of functional training. The tilting reflex response, for example, occurs when you ride a bus or train without holding the handrails. If you lack tilting reflexes, you might fall sideways when the vehicle makes a sharp turn. The platform side of the bosu functions like a wobble board. It allows you to practice transferring your weight from foot to foot, thereby improving lateral balance. Ankle and knee proprioception decreases after an injury.The enhanced proprioception resulting from bosu training is useful for injury rehabilitation.
Sport Training
Increasing the distance of your drives off the tee requires, strength, speed and balance, says "Golf Digest" professional adviser Randy Myers . Myers, in a March, 2005 "Golf Digest" article, shows a series of golf swing simulating exercises performed while standing on the bosu. When the bosu is in its dome side up position, it resembles a ski slope mogul. Scott Higgins, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association team physiologist, explains that world-class mogul skiers must flex and extend their legs in concert with the shape of the mogul. Performing ski jumps on the dome side offers effective training for this purpose.
Toning and Stretching
The bosu shape increases the range of motion of many stretches and strengthening exercises. The abdominal crunch, for example, is more challenging when the spine extends over the bosu dome side.. Perform dynamic upper body stretches by placing the bosu with the platform side facing up, kneeling on the floor with your arms extended over the platform and gently rocking from side to side. Stretch your back extensor muscles by lying supine over the dome.
References
- Bosufitness.com; Articles
- Performbetter.com; Condition With Purpose; Scott Higgins
- PTonthenet; What is Functional Exercise?; Paul Chek; June 2000
- IDEAFit; Bosu Workout; Douglas Brooks; February 2003
- Womenhealthmag; Bosu Jumps
- Access Hollywood; Eva Longoria's Wedding Bootcamp Workout Routine, Patrick Murphy; June 29, 2007
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