If you are a lucky owner of a balance board, you have probably tried different tricks on it. However, even if you are an acrobat, relaxation and stretching won’t do you any bad. On the contrary, these exercises will help you to keep balance much better.
We wondered what would be if yoga comes on a balance board?
Try this yoga-on-a-balance-board exercises and you will be surprised of a new way to meditate and stretch your muscles.
Exercise 1: Finding Balance
This exercise will suit everyone who is not acquainted with yoga or a balance board. It is aimed to introduce balance board to you and show what balance is about.
For this exercise, you have to prepare a balance board standing on a cylinder. Your starting position is a classical plank.
By the way, if you do not practice it regularly, start as soon as you can because it is a great exercise: it is quick, you can do it anywhere and it trains many muscles of your body.
Try to walk with your hands and feet, then slowly put your arms bend in knees on a balance board. That’s it, you have reached the final position.
Now you have to stand in the “balance board” plank as much as you can. Start with 30 seconds and proceed up to 3-4 mins.
Exercise 2: Half-Squat
There are many exercises and tricks on a balance board and this one seems to be also easy.
However, if you do not know how to stand on a balance board perpendicular, you won’t be able to do it. Let us make sure you can keep balance perpendicularly on a b-board.
Stand on a balance board as usual and balance for 20-30 seconds, then slowly and gently try to switch your position turning to the “head” of the board.
Imagine like you are going to walk along it. Find your balance and train it for 30-40 secs.
It could take a few days or even weeks but once you are done with perpendicular balance on a board, the door to many new exercises and tricks will be opened immediately.
Now try to squat. Start with half-squats as we offer in this exercise, but if you feel that you are ready for a classical squat — try.
Your aim is to keep balance and do as much squats as you can.
Start with 2-5 squats and raise the number of reps up to 20-25.
This yoga exercise is a great basic trick for a novice to learn how to keep balance, do physical exercises on a board, so one will proceed to more complicated exercises.
Exercise 3: Relax Has Been Never So Balanced
We strongly recommend to take your yoga mat, a cylinder and a balance board and go out since it is the most relaxing exercise we have even seen. At first sight you may say that we’re kidding, but we’re not.
The starting position is not basic: you have to sit on a balance board just like in lotus position in yoga. If you cannot sit on it and keep balance at once you can either hold some object (for instance, a table, an armchair) or ask your partner or friend to help you. Frankly speaking, the latter is the best.
With a firm hand, which provides support you can regulate the amount of support needed and it will be easier for you to keep balance by yourself in no time.
Note that there are people who meet lotus position challenging. For instance, if you have much excess weight, it is pretty hard for you to sit in this position. The “light” version of this exercise for beginners is to sit on a balance board with straight legs which push down the floor.
You should feel your buttocks and legs. Try to relax and keep balancing as much as you can.
But don’t be tricky — once you feel you have a potential and confidence to go further, start doing lotus yoga on a balance board.
It is an amazing exercise: its results will overcome your expectations.
Exercise 4: Standing Straddle Forward Twist
This is one of the most popular exercises in yoga since everyone can do it — people with excess weight or pregnant women.
This open twist is great even if you do in on the ground since it stretches your muscles and perfectly trains you to keep balance.
As well as with all previous exercises, we strongly recommend to try it first on the floor.
Then you can go further, but note — if you are not feel confident, if you are pregnant or you do not feel good doing it on a balance board, then take your time and keep training until it’s time.
Once you want to do this yoga trick on a balance board, start with basic position, stand on a board and keep balancing for several minutes. Start in a wide straddle bend forward from your stomach and try to reach floor with your right hand to the floor. Your feet must stay together during the whole exercise. The opposite hand should reach the ceiling. Hold there 5-8 breaths for each side.
If you feel super confident to go further, try to switch from side to side in 5-7 seconds. It is even more complicated since you have to keep balance and do twists at the same time.
During this exercise, you can take short breaks, but it is better to stay on a balance board all trick long, not to lose your balance.
Exercise 5: Tree on a balance board
Widely known as “tree” or “vrksasana”, this pose is aimed to clarify just how challenging standing on one leg could be.
Starting position is on the ground. First you have to switch your weight onto the left foot and bend your right knee. Draw your right foot up and slowly place it against the inner left thigh. Hands up and keep them together.
If it is hard for you to stand in such pose, you can help yourself with hands at first. That is it.
You have to stand at this pose at least 1 minute.
Mind your toes: they must be pointing toward the ground and your pelvis has to be directly over the left foot.
You can start with 20-30 seconds, but with regular practice, you will be able to stand in a “tree” long very fast — in a week or two.
Once you feel ready for a balance board, let us start practicing. First we recommend you to stand on a balance board just like that. Yes, standing may sound too easy, but it is not. Try to minimize rolling from side to side and stand still for 1-2 minutes. Then start to put your hands ups and keep them together. Then you can add the hardest part for your balance — legs.
Do not worry if you cannot do some part of this exercise as needed and don’t be afraid to help yourself with hands and leg muscles.
Exercise 6: A balance warrior
Various “warrior” poses are popular in yoga since they are easy to perform and effective for all muscles groups: your arms, your torso and your legs, buttocks.
Learn the basics of yoga, warrior pose or Virabhadrasana I. There are numerous variations of this pose but we offer you to do two simple ones.
It may seem strange at first sight to name a yoga pose after a soldier, a warrior, however, it is not that violent, is not it? But facing Bhagavat-Gita texts, one of the main manuscripts in yoga, the dialog between two famous warriors starts in a similar pose. Let us name it a “spiritual warrior”.
First practice it on the ground. Starting position is standing still, breath in and exhale several times. Then turn your body to 90 degrees to the right and bend at your right knee. The opposite leg should try to reach the ceiling and the right arm should be straight forward.
Keep standing in this pose as much as you can, start with 30 seconds.
When you are ready to take a balance challenge, take it. If you have already found out how to balance on a board standing perpendicularly, start with this position.
Slowly do a several squats and then try to go down on your knee. Then you can put your hand straight forward and keep balance in a classical warrior position.
Exercise 7: A kind warrior
This exercise is very similar to the previous one, however, the only difference is that it is more complicated. For this trick, we strongly recommend to try balancing before on a board.
Do it as usual and then try to do it perpendicularly. Once you are confident — go on.
Train different various warrior poses, do 3-5 times for each side. Your aim is not to be a slave of your hands.
At first you can help yourself bending your legs in knees or reaching walls with your hands. However, a true warrior pose in yoga on a balance board implies you should end in a final position grabbing your right foot with your right hand. Mind the opposite side — your left leg and hand must be straight.
Doing these exercises regularly, you will surely notice positive results to your body, it will be stronger, your stretch will be taken on a new level and your endurance will be boosted to the fullest.
Try with basic exercises and proceed to the most complicated to become a pro in yoga on a balance board.