All about balance trainers and half balls

Do you want to work on proprioception? Improve your posture? Gain flexibility, coordination and agility? Perform injury preventive work? Lose weight? You can achieve all this by exercising with a balance trainer (also called a half ball or Bosu ball). What you should know about him you will find below.

Benefits of a balance trainer

• Work and empowerment of proprioception.
• Postural control. Produces improvements in body balance, muscle balance and core stability, which helps to avoid discomfort caused by incorrect postures on a daily basis. Improving posture causes all muscles to work in a more balanced way. Many pains today are caused by poor posture.
• Improvements in flexibility, agility and coordination.
• Improved physical condition. Strengthening of various areas such as abdomen, knee, ankle, feet, buttocks or back. Strength and endurance are achieved, as well as weight loss.
• Injury prevention thanks to the previously mentioned strengthening. Also rehabilitation, “correcting” the consequences that they may have caused in aspects such as strength, balance or proprioception.

In summary, except for those who make it a priority to develop their muscle mass (bodybuilders …), anyone, from sedentary people to elite athletes, will find in the balance trainer a magnificent ally. This means that it can be used by all members of the family (for example a weight bench is not for everyone).

It is ideal for any small home gym, since to the aforementioned we must add that it is economical, it is forever, it takes up little space (therefore it is easy to store in any corner). Therefore, it offers the possibility of doing a very complete physical job without leaving home, which is ideal for those who are short of time.

Before using a balance trainer

A series of recommendations to take into account before starting to work with your half ball.

• As in all physical activity, you should start small. Over time you can progressively increase the amount of work to be done both in terms of the weekly number of sessions and their duration.
• It is advisable to do a short warm-up before starting to work with a minimum intensity. It can be composed of global and easy movements in the Bosu ball itself.
• While exercising, always try to keep your feet aligned with the rest of your body. Logically you will get out of this position by momentarily losing your balance in half ball, but the objective should always be to regain the starting position.
• When jumping on the balance trainer you must always land in the center.
• It is usually used with sports shoes, but to work your feet it is advisable to exercise barefoot. That is, until your feet get used to doing a moderate training since if not, the dreaded overloads will possibly appear.
• In the first sessions it is advisable to have the help of a professional (personal trainer or similar). In addition to recommending the appropriate exercises to achieve your goals, it will teach you to perform them in the correct positions.

Care and maintenance

The balance trainer is usually sold together with an air pump, usually standing, which allows it to be inflated. Keep in mind that they lose air over time due to the pressure exerted by the body during exercises. For correct inflation, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Never leave it in the sun, as its materials could deteriorate. Wash with a cloth and dish soap, rinse with water. If there are sticky areas, clean the product with rubbing alcohol, and rinse with water.

The best balance trainers

If you still do not have your balance trainer I leave you an article with the best balance trainers.