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Balance board
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A balance board is a piece of training equipment used to develop physical balance, coordination skills, and weight distribution. It is used in training for all sports. The balance board is a common device used in fitness training and rehabilitation after an injury.
Since the balance board was first recognized in the 1950s, it has gone though many evolutions. The new types have generally added to the range of balance boards rather than replacing old ones.
The balance board is usually comprised of a platform or board over an unstable ground contacting member. The user or rider stands on the board, and due to the unstable member, must use their balance skills in order to remain on the board. Thus the rider exercises the parts of the body and brain which deal with balance.
The degrees of movement through which the board can move depend on the form of unstable member, and the method by which it is constrained to the board if any. With each additional degree of movement, the rider must exercise more skill to remain in control of the board.
The list below outlines the most common balance boards, their available degrees of movement, their common uses, and examples.
Rocker board:
This is the most basic of boards. It comprises a flat board with a bar fixed transversely across the bottom as a fulcrum. Thus, with one foot placed at either end, the board can be tilted from side to side, and the balance point found.
This offers only one degree of movement – part rotation about the transverse axis.
These are generally made by gym equipment and sports manufacturers
Wobble board:
A board (often circular) with a semi-sphere attached to the underside in the center. This allows the board to pivot in all directions at once. Used in the same way as the rocker board, but allowing the rider to tilt forwards and backward as well as side to side, and anywhere in-between.
Simpler versions are made by replacing the semi-sphere with two semi-circular sections of wood perpendicular to each other.
These are widely used in child development, gymnasiums, sport training and physiotherapy. They are used on their own, and in conjunction with other exercises and equipment.
The wobble board offers full rotation about the vertical axis, and part rotation about the transverse and longitudinal axises, therefore having three degrees of movements.
These are generally made by gym equipment and sports manufacturers. Extreme Balance board is a top brand and an evolution of the wobble board
Rocker-Roller Boards:
A development of the Rocker board. Rather than a fixed pivot, the board is placed on a cylindrical roller. The axis of the roller runs transversely to the board. Thus the board can move sideways as the riders weight moves over the roller, as well as tilt from side to side.
The rollers take different forms. Some use a straight cylinder, others taper towards the ends. The roller may be divided in the middle such that one side can rotate independently of the other, allowing much faster spinning of the board. Different sizes and materials are available.
The ways in which the roller is constrained by the board also vary. Some simply have a stop at each end of the underside of the board to stop the board from sliding right off of the roller. Others combine this with a ridge which runs between the stops longitudinally. The roller must have a matching groove around its center, thus the roller is kept perpendicular to the board. If the roller has such a groove, a length of elastic can be run from stop to stop, holding the roller against the bottom of the board.
By combining different shapes of board, with different forms of roller, constrained in different ways, a rocker-roller board can be given many different characteristics leading to it being ridden in many different ways. This has made them especially popular with other board riders (e.g. skateboarders, surfers, snowboarders etc.) and has made them a sport in its own right. Tricks can be done, competition are run.
They are also widely used in child development, gymnasiums, sport training and physiotherapy. They are used on their own, and in conjunction with other exercises and equipment.
The rocker-roller board offers the same three degrees of rotation as the wobble board, and adds a degree of translation along the longitudinal axis, thus having four degrees of movement.
The brand leaders are Bongo Boards, Indo Board, Vew-do boards, Lush Longboards and Scrub.
Sphere and Ring Boards:
Although the concept has been around for years, these are only now being marketed and sold. The basic principal is to balance the board on a sphere, normally an inflated ball. By redistributing their weight across the board, the rider can move the board in any direction other then vertically. It can also be tilted in any direction as well as fully rotated. Thus sphere and ring boards give the greatest freedom of movement.
For safety, the ball needs a stop such that the board will remain on it. This is normally a ring or wall on the underside of the board. The ball is placed inside the ring, thus when riding the board, if the board is moved too far in any direction, the ball hits the ring giving the rider a chance to correct it.
Thus the area within the ring is the play area for the board. The bigger the ring, the more the board can be moved around. However, if the ball can move beyond where the rider can place their weight, control may be lost and the rider fall. Therefore there is a maximum size the ring can safely be for a given rider size. The ring can simply be circular or oblong in shape, or more complicated to use more of the potential play area, while keeping the rider within their safety zone.
These boards are increasingly being used by other board riders as the freedom of movement makes them a more realistic trainer (other than skateboarding, which is mimicked more closely by a rocker-roller board with a tapered roller). They are also being seen as an activity in their own right, with tricks being adapted for them.
Sphere and ring boards also have application in child development, gymnasiums, sport training and physiotherapy.
The sphere and ring boards give the most degrees of movement, allowing rotation about all axees, and translation in both longitudinal and transverse direction. The only degree missing is translation in the vertical direction. Thus they have five degrees of movement.
CoolBoard and Balance360 produce sphere and ring boards.
The fact that balance boards have been around for over fifty years in many different guises, and are continually being developed is testament to their usefulness in exercise, sports training, physiotherapy, and general fun appeal.