You may trip over it, or avoid it with a ten-foot pole, or simply don’t know what to do with it. Is this your friend’s latest abstract sculpture? No – it’s a Bosu ball.
Although it’s a must-have for almost every gym, it may not be your first piece of equipment at the top of your list. A bosu ball is a hemisphere attached to a platform that can be used to improve your balance, strengthen your core muscles, work your upper and lower body, and get your heart pumping.
Whether you’re a Bosu enthusiast or not, finding new exercise and exercise tools can help keep your daily routine fresh. To get you on the right path, we’ve compiled a series of five Bosu training exercise that can help train your balance, stability and strength. Let’s jump right in.
What is Bosu Ball?
A bosu ball is a dome-shaped piece of gym equipment that resembles a Pilates ball that has been cut in half. As far-fetched as it sounds, the origin story of this balance training device isn’t far away.
American strength and conditioning trainer David Weck invented this balance training product in the late 20s of the 90th century to help him overcome chronic low back pain. 1 He tried to train his balance and core with a traditional Swiss ball, but found that cutting the ball in half made it a safer training surface. Over time, he noticed that his condition had improved and began to recommend it to clients.
Incorporating Bosu ball exercise into your workout routine can help you:
- Train balance and stability
- Strengthen your core
- Expand your mobility capabilities
Balance training exercises is an important part of any fitness program, as they can help correct strength asymmetries and potentially prevent the potential injuries that result from them. 2 In addition, there are many possible benefits of strengthening your core, such as:3
- Relieves low back pain
- Improve posture
- Increases balance and stability
- Improves performance in daily movements, such as bending, stretching, and lifting
5 Bosu Ball Exercise to add to your daily routine
Bosu stands for “Use on Both Sides” because you can practice on the flat or round side of the ball. With regular use, you may notice an improvement in your balance and core strength with and without the ball.
While the number of exercise you can do with Bosu Ball seems endless, we’ve narrowed it down to our five favorite variations to help you get started with Bosu Ball workouts.
#1 Lift on one leg
Start your routine with simple yet effective balance training. Performing a single leg raise on an unstable surface can enhance your ability to find and maintain your center of gravity.
Here’s how to complete the Bosu Ball exercise:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- Step into the center of the Bosu ball.
- Lift the other leg for 30 seconds. First, you can lift your feet a few inches off the ground, and then as your balance improves, you can raise your knees to hip height.
- Repeat on both sides.
Workout tip: If you have trouble balancing at the beginning, place yourself near a wall or support surface so you can hold on to prevent falls.
#2 Lunge forward
Lunges are the perfect exercise to try Bosu balls, as they already build muscle strength and stability in the lower body. Front lunges are especially good for working the knees, gluteal sides, and quadriceps. 4
Here’s how to combine a front lunge with a bosu ball:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- One foot is in the center of the Bosu ball and the other is on the ground behind him.
- Bend your knees as you lower your body until your front knees reach a 90-degree angle.
- Lift your body and complete the repetitions of that leg, then switch to the other leg.
Workout tip: To prevent injury, make sure your front knee doesn’t extend past your ankle when bending. If so, you may need to relocate you.
#3 Bosu Bobi Jump
Ah, everyone’s favorite but feared sport – burpees. To add an extra challenge to this burning workout, you’ll lift the extra weight of the bosu ball while jumping and double your balance during the push-ups.
Here’s how to do a bosu poppy jump:
- Place the Bosu ball on the floor in front of you with the platform side up.
- Take a high plank position and grasp the platform at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock.
- Jump forward with both feet towards the Bosu ball, hands still clasped.
- Push yourself into a standing position and lift the bosu ball all the way above your head as you jump upwards.
- Put Bosu back on the ground, jump your feet back into the high plank position, and do a push-up.
- Repeat as many sets as you like.
Workout tip: If you want to opt for the lighter version, you can skip the jump when lifting the bosu and the push-ups at the end. If you want to add some extra weight, hold the weighted fitness ball as you twist it from side to side.
#4 Abdominal torsion
Without Bosu balls, this core training and engaging exercise would have been quite tough. But if you’re ready for some extra difficulties, ditch the mat and switch to a bosu ball. Adaptation is fairly simple:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side down.
- Sit in the center of the bosu with your body in a V-shape and stretch your legs and arms forward.
- With core muscles involved, move the clenched hands from one side to the other.
Workout Tip: Want to work your arms too? Grab a weighted ball and move from side to side as you twist.
#5 Swing Board
If you’re looking for a workout that feels more like play than workout, then using a Bosu ball as a swing board is perfect for you. With this balance exercise, you’ll move in all directions at your own pace and see how long you can hold on without jumping. Follow these instructions to start the Bossu Ball workout:
- Place the Bosu ball platform side up.
- Stand on the board and find your balance.
- Slowly move forward, backward, left and right.
- Draw circles in one direction first, then in the other direction.
- Repeat this until you feel a burning sensation in your legs or you can no longer maintain your balance.
Workout tip: Keep your knees slightly bent throughout the Xi exercise to help maintain balance.
