If you're looking to amp up your workout plan this festive season, the Bosu Balance Trainer (or Bosu ball) may be just the right training device for you. Made famous by reality star Kourtney Kardashian (who, along with her sister Khloe, has been giving us serious body envy for a while now with her killer workouts)—from stretching to balancing, rehabilitation, strength and plyometric training—this ‘half exercise ball' mounted on a rigid plastic base ensures you push the boundaries, thereby enhancing every move and making every exercise even more challenging. Since, it's flat on one side, you don't have to worry about the ball rolling away, the way stability balls often do.
“Most gym weight-training machines position you to push and pull on handles that move through set tracks, building muscular strength and endurance, but not the sort of co-ordination you need to stabilise free weights as they move unrestricted through space,” says fitness trainer Priti Panchmatia. “Doing your workout on the Bosu trainer, on the other hand, forces your core to work constantly throughout the entire motion. If you can do a full set of push-ups, lunges or squats with good form, try doing them on the Bosu trainer and you'll find yourself working harder.” Her Body Quest class, currently conducted at The Space in Juhu in Mumbai, includes the TRX band as well as gliding in conjunction with the Bosu Ball. “In addition to the benefits above, the Bosu also helps coordinate muscles and nerves, in turn helping with your balance on unstable surfaces even outside the fitness studio,” adds Panchmatia.
Whether you're looking to tone and strengthen, improve core strength, lose weight, or simply get healthy and fit, the Bosu Balance Trainer seems to check all the boxes.
