Professional sports teams use the BOSU Balance Trainer to train their athletes for competition. "The BOSU Balance Trainer is an invaluable tool for U.S. Ski and Snowboard team members at all levels. It's a key tool for the United States Ski and Snowboard Department of Sport Science and Conditioning. The versatility and application of the BOSU Balance Trainer is so great our teams travel with them year round."
You can walk, run, step, hop, jump and leap on the BOSU Balance Trainer. Not only can these rhythmic activities be sequenced for an aerobic workout, they can be progressed or sequenced to challenge the anaerobic energy system as well. Whether you're working at an easy steady rate-pace that can be maintained almost indefinitely, or pushing the intensity with anaerobic intervals, you'll experience dynamic balance and stabilization challenges. This type of training replicates the "real" aspect of sport and daily movement requirements, where cardiovascular training transfers to real-life movement. Challenging the body's oxygen delivery and utilization (VO2) capability is not only effective on the BOSU Balance Trainer but the added elements of fun, stabilization, balance challenge and specific transfer to daily movement needs will make this type of training a favorite
Sports conditioning, by its nature, is dynamic. The qualities of sports movement that can be trained with BOSU Balance Trainer include endurance and power, cardiovascular conditioning, agility, balance, proprioception and flexibility. You can accomplish specific transfers to almost any sport through a variety of static balance exercises and dynamic balance drills. The variations are almost unlimited. One, two or multiple BOSU Balance Trainers can be used to set up drill patterns for sports goals.
Both active and passive stretches can be taught on BOSU Balance Trainer, with balance assistance and/or balance challenges. Active stretches use the muscles of the body to move a body part whereas passive stretching uses gravity or an outside force to put stretch-tension on the target muscle(s). While standing or kneeling on the dome, you can get an active and dynamic stretch by moving the upper body lower, higher, to the sides or by reaching for and picking up cards from various locations on the floor, or by touching and/or relocating cones that have been placed in close proximity to the dome. Stretching on the BOSU Balance Trainer can move from a static and passive approach to a dynamic, balance challenging and active approach.
Both core stabilization and mover - or isolation - trunk conditioning can take place in a variety of positions on the BOSU Balance Trainer. The abs work functionally in standing, kneeling, seated, sidelying, prone and supine positions and can be challenged with traditional isolation or stabilization exercises, where the goal of the exercise is to maintain a neutral and otherwise, properly aligned spine. Maintaining spinal alignment is important to low back health and sports performance, as is intentionally moving into and out of "perfect" or neutral posture.
