Fun bosu for serious workouts

If you cut half of a rather large rubber ball and “put” it on a hard, stable platform, and inflate the ball again, you get bosu, a small but multifunctional trainer. Bosu stands for “Both Sides Up” or “Both Sides Used”. Indeed, the simulator can be used from two sides: with a hemisphere up or down.

Bosu was created in 1999 by David Weck, an athlete, trainer and inventor working on fitness research. After a minor motorcycle accident, he suffered from chronic back pain. When choosing a complex for medical gymnastics, he found that balance and balance exercises greatly improved the condition of the back. Then it occurred to David to install an elastic hemisphere on a rigid support. Improving his work with bosu, he found out that exercising with this simulator strengthens not only the back, but practically all the muscles of the body.

So, bosu is a rubber dome-hemisphere about 30 centimeters high, fixed on a plastic base with a diameter of about 60 centimeters with two handles on both sides for easy portability. The rubber canopy can be made more or less elastic by inflating more or less. Bosu can be placed on the floor with the platform down or vice versa, with the hemisphere down. Bosu – trainer for aerobics and meditation, for push-ups and working out the press, the variety of exercises is almost endless.

How does it work?

Classes on bosu are somewhat reminiscent of step aerobics, the difference is that instead of a hard step step, you have a soft, springy rubber surface under your feet. In addition to the usual stress, the body has to balance in order to constantly catch and maintain balance. This is the advantage of bosu: all muscles work, posture is corrected, a person begins to feel his body better and control it more confidently.

Bosu can also be used in Pilates practice in place of the Fitball, the large gymnastic ball commonly needed for this exercise.

A person of any level of physical fitness can work out with bosu. Moreover, these workouts are more gentle than regular aerobics. They are also available for people who have problems with the spine or joints, because the soft dome takes some of the load on itself. At the same time, the load on the muscles increases in comparison with aerobics, and the result is achieved faster.

Bosu simulators are today in many fitness clubs. If you like group activities, you can enroll in a group and practice, following the instructions of the instructor.

But you can buy bosu and go home. This is one of the most comfortable self-training simulators. It can be placed on almost any surface, very little space is required for training (about 1,5-5-2 square meters, the main thing is that there is a place around the simulator where you can jump), special clothing and other devices are not required. The only thing – you need to take care of sneakers that hold the ankle well, with a non-slip sole. It is also worth preparing a soft, absorbent cloth or paper towels so that if you sweat during exercise, you can wipe the rubber dome so that you will not slip.

You can take Bosu with you on a trip or on vacation. The air is released from the hemisphere, and the simulator turns into a fairly compact “plate”. Inflating it quickly and easily.

Before starting an independent study, it is still worth attending a few workouts in the gym and practicing on bosu under the supervision of an instructor. He will support you, point out mistakes and show you exercises. After 2-3 sessions, you will get used to the simulator and begin to get real pleasure from the sessions. It’s really very funny!

At home, you can vary your exercises. Read about the various complexes on bosu.com, the site of David Wack, the creator of bosu (there is also a video there), or on the Russian-language page bosufitness.ru dedicated to this simulator.