5 Bosu Ball Exercises You’ll Love
You could trip over it, avoid it with a ten-foot pole, or just not know what to do with it. Is it your friend’s newest abstract sculpture? No—it’s the Bosu ball.
Even though it’s a staple in almost every gym, it might not be the primary piece of apparatus you gravitate towards. A half-sphere attached to a platform, the Bosu ball may be used to enhance your balance, strengthen your core muscles, work out your upper body and lower body, and get your heart pumping.
Whether or not you’re a Bosu buff, finding recent exercises and workout tools might help to maintain your routine feeling fresh. To set you on the proper track, we’ve compiled a series of 5 Bosu ball exercises that might help train your balance, stability, and strength. Let’s jump in.
What’s a Bosu Ball?
The Bosu ball is a dome-like piece of gym equipment that resembles a pilates ball someone cut in half. Even though it sounds far-fetched, the origin story of this balance-training equipment isn’t to this point off.
American physical trainer David Weck invented this balance training product within the late Nineteen Nineties to help him in overcoming chronic lower back pain.1 He tried training his balance and core with a conventional Swiss ball, but found that cutting the ball in half made it a safer surface to coach on. Over time, he saw his condition improve and started recommending it to his clients.
Including exercises with Bosu balls in your workout routine can allow you to:
- Train balance and stability
- Strengthen your core
- Expand movement capabilities
Balance training exercises are an important a part of any fitness routine, as they might help correct strength asymmetry and potentially prevent potential injury that may result from it.2 Moreover, strengthening your core has a plethora of possible advantages, similar to:3
- Relief of lower back pain
- Improved posture
- Increased balance and stability
- Improved performance in day by day movements similar to bending, reaching, and lifting
5 Bosu Ball Exercises to Add to Your Routine
Bosu stands for “each side utilized,” as you’ll be able to execute exercises on either the flat side or the round side of the ball.1 After regular use, chances are you’ll see improvement in your balance and core strength on and off the ball.
Although the variety of exercises you’ll be able to perform with Bosu balls are seemingly limitless, we’ve narrowed them all the way down to five of our favourite variations to assist get you began together with your Bosu ball workout.
#1 Single-Leg Raise
Kick off your routine with a straightforward yet effective balance training exercise. Performing single-leg raises on an unstable surface can amp up your ability to search out and maintain your center of gravity.
Here’s the way to complete this Bosu ball exercise:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- Step onto the middle of the Bosu ball with one foot.
- Hold the opposite leg up for 30 seconds. You’ll be able to start by just lifting your foot a number of inches off the bottom, then lift your knee as much as hip height as your balance improves.
- Repeat on each side.
Exercise tip: Should you experience difficulty balancing to start with, place yourself near a wall or supportive surface you’ll be able to grab onto to forestall falling.
#2 Forward Lunge
Lunges are the proper exercise to try on the Bosu ball, as they already work to construct muscle strength and stability in your lower body. The forward lunge specifically works to focus on your knees, side glutes, and quads.4
Here’s the way to mix a forward lunge with the Bosu ball:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- Step onto the middle of the Bosu ball with one foot, with the opposite foot planted on the bottom behind you.
- Bend your knees as you lower your body down until the front knee reaches a 90-degree angle.
- Raise your body back up and finish your reps on that leg before switching to the alternative one.
Exercise tip: To forestall injury, be certain that that your front knee doesn’t extend past your ankle when bent. If it does, chances are you’ll have to readjust your position.
#3 Bosu Burpee
Ah, everyone’s favorite yet dreaded exercise—the burpee. So as to add an additional challenge to this burn-tastic workout, you’ll be lifting the added weight of the Bosu ball whenever you jump and dealing extra hard to balance yourself through the pushup.
Here’s the way to do a Bosu burpee:
- Place the Bosu ball on the ground in front of you, platform side up.
- Assume a high plank position, grabbing the platform at 9 and three o´clock.
- Jump your feet forward towards the Bosu ball, still holding on with each hands.
- Push yourself right into a standing position, fully lifting the Bosu ball over your head as you jump upwards.
- Lower the Bosu back to the ground, jump your feet back to a high plank position, and do one pushup.
- Repeat for as many sets as you want.
Exercise tip: Should you’d wish to go for a lighter version, you’ll be able to skip the jump upon raising the Bosu in addition to the pushup at the tip. Should you’d wish to add some extra weight, hold a weighted exercise ball as you twist back and forth.
#4 Abdominal Twist
This core training and interesting exercise is fairly tough without the Bosu ball. But when you’re ready for some added difficulty, ditch the mat for the Bosu ball. The difference is fairly easy:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- Sit in the middle of the Bosu and create a v shape together with your body, extending your legs and arms in front of you.
- Along with your core muscles engaged, move your clasped hands from one side to the opposite.
Exercise tip: Seeking to train your arms as well? Grab a weighted ball to maneuver back and forth as you twist.
#5 Wobble Board
Should you’re searching for an exercise that feels more like play than a workout, using a Bosu ball as a wobble board is for you. With this balance exercise, you’re going to be moving in all directions at your personal pace with this one, seeing how long you’ll be able to last without jumping off. Start the Bosu ball workout with these instructions:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side up.
- Stand on top of the board and find your balance.
- Slowly move forward, backward, and side to side.
- Make circles in a single direction, then the opposite direction.
- Repeat until you are feeling the burn in each legs or can now not maintain your balance.
Exercise tip: Leave a slight bend within the knee throughout this exercise to help in maintaining balance.
Begin Your Bosu Training with Chuze Fitness
From lower body to balance exercises, the Bosu ball is a flexible equipment that may workout many alternative muscle groups. Yet, It might be intimidating to check out a recent piece of fitness equipment for the primary time in a gym, especially one as difficult because the Bosu ball. That’s why selecting a gym with a community culture that uplifts and supports each member is important to actually enjoy your fitness journey.
At Chuze Fitness, growing our members’ confidence is our primary priority. From exercise suggestions to form corrections, our trainers are desperate to allow you to tick off those exercise goals. Find the closest Chuze location near you by looking for “gyms near me” and allow us to be a component of your fitness journey by getting began today.
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ yr profession in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives together with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
Sources:
- Physical Culture Study. The History of the Bosu Ball. https://physicalculturestudy.com/2018/03/21/the-history-of-the-bosu-ball/
- PubMed. Balance training exercises decrease lower-limb strength asymmetry in young tennis players. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24790496/
- Harvard Health. The actual-world advantages of strengthening your core. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-real-world-benefits-of-strengthening-your-core
- Livestrong. What Muscles Do Lunges Work? https://www.livestrong.com/article/439335-what-muscles-do-lunges-work-out/