balance boards

Reach Up and Roll Down

Prepare

• Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 45 degree angle. Arms by your sides, palms up. You are in neutral spine. Take a moment to breathe, open your chest, let your back ribs drop, and relax your shoulders.
• Legs are parallel - make sure hips, knees, ankles and feet line up.
• Extend One Leg - the knees are at the same height
• Leave your ribcage down as you bring your arms in an arc overhead, as you would in arms over.

Inhale

• Bring your arms over head as you nod your chin toward your chest and begin to roll your upper back off the mat.
  Keep your shoulders down and your scapula engaged in your back.
  This part is a similar move to Roll Up.
  
• Continue the move as you come up and reach for your toes.
  This is a powerful moment where you have to just go for it. Use your abs and breath, not momentum. Think of energy shooting out the extended leg away from the deepening inward pull of the abdominals.
  
  tip: Don't try to pull yourself forward with your shoulders or throw your arms.
  When you come up, your lower back is in a slight C curve and your chest is lifted and open.

Pause

Exhale

• Roll down beginning the roll down with the lower abs, using abdominal control as you sequentially allow the spine to drop each vertebrae down to the mat.
  
• As you roll the upper spine down the arms will travel back over head. Keep your shoulders down and don't allow the ribs to pop up.
  
• Rest, Breathe and Repeat 4-6 times, changing extended legs.
  As your strength increases you can go for a fluid, non-stop rhythm of curl up, roll down.

 

Description:

This is a great exercise for strengthening the glutes (buttocks).

Instructions:

Show Individual Steps

• 1Lie on your back on a mat or on the floor with your heels on a balance board. Your arms should be relaxed at your sides. To make this exercise more difficult, keep your arms off the floor.
• 2Exhale and push into your heels, lifting your buttocks off of the floor. Your neck and shoulders should remain relaxed. Slowly lower your buttocks down to the floor, keeping your buttocks and core engaged at all times.
  
  Repeat 8-12 times, rest, then repeat the exercise if desired.

 

Triceps Dips with the Balance Board

Description:

This is a challenging triceps exercise using a balance board.

Instructions:

Show Individual Steps

• 1Sit directly in front of the balance board. Grasp the balance board behind you with both hands. Lift your buttocks about one foot off of the floor.
• 2Bend your elbows and try to avoid letting them flare out to the sides, then straighten them again.
  
  Repeat 8-12 times, rest, then repeat the exercise if desired.

The first exercise will help improve your core stability and balance. You can do this exercise on any sort of balance board, Indo board, etc.

Starting Position Begin by sitting on your right hip with your legs stacked to your left, your right arm straight, and your right hand on a balance board, placed directly underneath your right shoulder (not pictured). With legs and feet stacked, slowly lift your right hip away from the floor, keeping the right arm straight and extending both legs to balance in a side plank position (pictured). Action Breathe steadily as you hold the side plank position for 15-30 seconds, keeping your abs engaged and the right side of your waist pulled away from the floor at all times. For added intensity, extend your left arm up toward the ceiling (pictured). Gradually work your way up to holding the plank for 1-3 minutes for an isometric core challenge. Repeat on opposite side. Special Instructions Hold your body as still as possible and try to keep the balance board steady, too. Remember to breathe. Try to square your chest and shoulders with the front of the room, keeping your body in one plane. To decrease intensity, place left hand on the hip instead of extending it (not pictured). Make it easier: Instead of stacking your legs and feet, stagger one leg in front of the other.