Bosu ball

[Headdoc]

Guys check this tool out. Now for the past 6 years my training has been mostly weights and minor aerobics. After knee surgery 4 years ago, I did PT and used yoga and the bosu for rehab. I stayed with the yoga ever since. Injured the other knee and rehab again included yoga and bosu. 5 months ago I added pilates to the weight training and yoga. Last month the pilates instructor added some bosu ball training in ways that I have not been challenged before. Last weekend, I took a bosu certification course. The training was awesome. I use the ball for aerobic warm up, stabilizaton, some strength, and stretching. For those of you who find ab work and core strengthing boring, check out the bosu and accomanying video.

http://www.bosu.com/

[chatadmin]

For anyone wondering, BOSU is short for "Both Sides Up", meaning it's used on both sides. In the past I have actually taught a group fitness class using the BOSU and found it to be a great workout that really helps your core. I would highly recommend it.

I have also taught pilates with a mat and machine. Pilates can help you develop strength and flexibility through many different ranges of motion, something that regular weight training lacks. Pilates is a great addition to other types of training and can also help with injury prevention, as well as provide a way to come back from an injury. In fact, Pilates intially was conceived by Joseph Pilates ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Pilates ) as a rehabilitation method.

[Headdoc]

since starting to do a little bosu work with each of my workouts, I have achieved an incredible improvement in stability and balance. This was most notable in one of my yoga classes this week. I had been making slow improvements on my "Tree" pose for the past 4+ years. I have always needed find a fixed point on the floor to keep my orientation. Last class, not only could I look straight into the mirror, I could look around the class while in pose and keep my hand and arms straight and locked over my head.

sorry, for those of you who don't take yoga and may find this challenge meaningless.