Core strength and stability play a vital role in every level of every sport due to its effect on skill and stamina. Balance training is a well established approach to achieving and maintaining core strength, and this mode of exercise is being used to supplement the workouts of various sportsmen and –women around the globe. That is why the team at McSport has made sure to source a variety of balance boards, wobble boards and other balance training equipment.
The most basic of balance exercises are designed to increase core strength by encouraging abdominal and trunk strengthening. This goes hand in hand with toning of the hamstrings, calf muscles and quads. By combining core strength training with balance exercises, athletes increase their stability by developing their brains’ proprioceptors, nerve cells that keep track of what all your body parts are doing at any given time, and is intimately linked to our sense of balance. Combine this with improved hand-eye coordination and posture and you can see why people who regularly participate in balance training report improved reaction times and increased body awareness.
Balance training is especially helpful in the following areas:
• Sports Training: Both static and dynamic balance is important in sports performance, but it is dynamic balance that constitutes the difference between an adequate player and a professional. If you are able to control your dynamic balance through proper training, then you will most certainly be able to take your game to the next level.
• General Fitness: Is your fitness routine becoming a bit stale? Are you seeking a greater challenge? Then upgrade your existing routine by introducing a balance trainer like the Balance Air Cushion. Versatile, compact and portable, this seemingly inconspicuous training device has the potential to supercharge your workout in a matter of minutes. Increase or decrease the difficulty level of your training program simply by altering the amount of air in the cushion.
• Rehabilitation: Did you know that after sustaining an injury your body attempts to discourage you from using the afflicted body part by numbing the corresponding proprioceptors in the brain? This has the potential to lead to chronic weakness in the afflicted area and the risk of further injury. Balance training can correct the proprioception, ensuring a quicker recovery time after ankle-, knee-, hip and other joint injuries. By using a wobble board or balance board you can further reduce your risk of injury by strengthening your trunk and abdominal muscles and improving general posture.
Have a look at the variety of balance gear we have in stock and supercharge your workout today! We also carry a large selection of fitness equipment that you might wish to peruse.