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Discover
the Latest Rave to Hit Fitness Centers
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by: Emily
Clark
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You may have seen them in the gym: half of a large
rubber ball
that’s flat on one side. They’re often blue in
color and look
like a gigantic outtie belly button. “What are
those things?”
you wonder. Well they’re BOSU balls (or balance
trainers). It’s
the latest rave to hit fitness centers across
America.
BOSU is an acronym that stands for "Both
Sides Up". You can use
the balls, also referred to as trainers, or
balance trainers, on
either side. Whether the rounded bouncy dome part
is up or the
flat 25 inch platform side is up, you’ll get
different types of
balance challenges.
This cross-training fitness invention has its
origins in the
field of medicine, balance, functional and sports
specific
training. It offers a different means to make
exercise more
appealing and effective for average people,
fitness fanatics and
highly trained athletes.
So what do you do with it? You can walk, run,
step, hop, jump and
leap on the BOSU trainer. You can work it at an
easy steady
rate-pace that can be maintained for long periods
or push the
intensity with anaerobic intervals. Or do some
stretching on it.
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 move 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. It’s great
for working your trunk too. Maintaining spinal
alignment is
important to low back health and sports
performance.
Many sports teams use BOSU training too. Says
Bennie Wylie,
Assistant Strength Coach of the Dallas Cowboys
"I implement the
BOSU trainer during our off-season program for
core strength
training and rehabilitation of ankle and knee
problems. It is a
great piece of equipment and gives us an important
extra
dimension to our overall fitness program. Almost
all of the
players use the BOSU trainer in some fashion on a
regular
basis."
So the next time you overhear a conversation in
the grocery store
or your friend tells you that she’s going to the
5:30 p.m. BOSU
class at the Y, you’ll know what they’re
talking about. Better
yet, give it a try yourself!
The information contained in this article is for
educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose,
treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before
beginning any
health care program.
About the author:
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle
Health News and Medical
Health News
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and
information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.
Circulated by Article
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