Balance board training directly impacts overall health and is recommended for athletes and non-athletes of all ages and abilities.  Balance training requires physical and mental focus forcing your body and brain to feel comfortable in different postures and ranges of motion.  This enhanced focus and helps develop awareness of how your body moves and reacts in different conditions attuning your proprioception to different body movements.  Utilizing balance training teaches your body to quickly react and maintain an appropriate relationship with gravity and posture, reducing your risk of injury.   

Balance training has many benefits and an essential component of injury prevention. Although significant data has been performed regarding applications among athletes, individuals from of all walks of life are encouraged to engage in regular balance training. Data indicates individuals who engage in regular balance training improve muscle strength and awareness of the ankle’s position relative to the ground. Enhanced awareness allows the body and mind to quickly react and adjust to obstacles reducing the risk of suffering from ankle sprains.  Balance training may also improve core proprioception and prevent risks of experiencing knee injuries.

Benefits:

• Improved balance and coordination.
• Better proprioceptive awareness.
• Improved core stability and strength.
• Improved range of motion (R.O.M.).
• Improved flexibility and agility.
• Enhances performance in sports and daily life. 
• Injury prevention.

Individuals suffering from over use injuries including patellofemoral pain syndrome (runners knee) or patellar tendonitis are discouraged from engaging in balance training.  Balance training may exacerbate overuse injuries if performed before appropriate recovery has occurred. Individuals with a history of serious knee injuries should also speak with their physician or trainer before performing balance training.  Data indicates a previous history of knee injury coupled with balance training may cause these old injuries to recur.

Making balance training part of your daily routine may add ancillary muscle strength, hone your proprioception, and improve your overall health. Data is conclusive regarding ankle and knee injury prevention in basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and volleyball players. The benefits of regular balance training can also be appreciated by anybody seeking to improve their health.  Whether you’re a runner, swimmer, or computer programmer, there are obvious benefits to obtain from balance training.

Verhagen E, van der Beek A, Twisk J et al.  The effect of a proprioceptive balance board training program for the prevention of ankle sprains:  a prospective controlled trial.  Am J Sports Med.  2004.  32(6): 1385-1393. 

Karakaya MG, Rutbli H, Akpinar E et al.  Effect of ankle proprioceptive training on static body balance.  J Phys Ther Sci.  2015; 27(10):3299-3302.