Want a fun way to mix-up your workout, improve coordination, and help with weight loss?

Try the Bosu Balance Trainer! 

This has become one of my favorite way to workout myself and train my clients, mostly just because it’s fun. Something about a burpee with a Bosu is just less awful than burpees on the floor. The ability to jump, bounce, and focus on balance helps to distract from the work that you’re doing with your muscles and how much your heart gets pumping. Which means this is a great tool for weight loss!

Although this post may sound like an ad, it’s really not. Just my professional suggestion for great exercise equipment because I really enjoy using it. I took a training on using these for group fitness a while back and it opened my eyes even more to ALL that you can do with them – plus it was a really fun workout and extremely tiring.

I’m a big fan of plyometrics for anyone who’s fairly fit to keep things interesting and get in cardio without having to get on an elliptical or treadmill, and this is one great way to do it.

Plus, the balance and coordination required will also help with toning your core, making you more coordinated and agile, and improving your proprioception (body awareness). Those are important abilities to have for daily functions, and especially as we age to prevent a variety of health issues and injuries.

One reason I suggest is as a Fit Tip for 2018 is that it’s very versatile for any fitness level. I use these for my own cardio bursts between strength sets, and I use it with very athletic clients for things like burpees, lateral tosses, knee tucks, etc. But I can also use them with very deconditioned clients for working on balancing. For some people, just standing on it with no hands is a major challenge, for others I can have them do modified burpees, stepping up and back with one leg at a time. I also like to have people do mini step-ups on this as they work on their balance.

It has two sides, one kind of like a half stability ball that’s firm but unstable for balance training or bouncing/jumping on. The other side is flat and hard, and you can flip it on either side for pretty much endless exercise options. Although the tool says on the bottom that you should not stand on it, everyone does 🙂 This can be fun for squats, or standing on and tossing a ball back and forth with a partner.

Here are some of my favorite ways to workout with a Bosu Balance Trainer:

 Most gyms have these lying around somewhere, and if not, you can buy one for around $100-$150, depending on whether you want the Bosu Pro (around $150-160) or the standard Bosu (around $100). The Bosu Pro has more guides for alignment and texture for traction, but in my personal opinion, the regular version works just fine.

Hopefully this will help you on your way to getting more fit and losing weight this year. If you need more specific guidance, don’t hesitate to contact me!