Article provided by Scott Keppel CFPT, owner of Body by Scott Personal Training Studio in Tempe AZ. The Bosu Balance Trainer or the Bosu Ball as you may know it by was introduced in 1999. In the beginning it was used only by a select group of professionals and Olympic teams. After the great response it received from these individuals word of mouth brought the Bosu Ball to the mainstream.
The Bosu Ball which stands for Both Sides Up is used in many facilities as a tool to help clients increase their core strength, proprioception (the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body), balance and all around strength. When used correctly the Bosu Ball is a tool that will add variety to one's workout as well as engage more stabilizing muscles than will training with weights and/or machines alone. I enjoy using the Bosu Ball with clients of various types and fitness goals. For the client looking to lose weight it is a beneficial tool because it enables one to work more muscles during a given exercise thus burning more calories. For the athlete it encourages them to train on an unstable surface which in many sports can occur. The weekend warrior benefits from the variety it brings as well as strengthening those often neglected muscles in the core as well as the stabilizing muscles throughout the body. There are several other benefits the Bosu Ball offers, but before getting on one and using it consult with a professional trainer. Exercises may be modified for the beginner to the advanced trainee, however incorporating a Bosu Ball does require more skill than lifting weights or using machines alone.
