The Bosu Ball: Is It Good for Core Training?

Are you giving your core muscles a good workout? In recent years, fitness experts have emphasized the importance of training the core muscles – the muscles that wrap around the body and stabilize the spine and pelvis. Strengthening these muscles not only flattens and tones the abdominals, but provides stability for the entire body while reducing the risk of sports related injuries. Many people use core strengthening exercises to get six pack abs, but the benefits of core training extends far beyond this.

One of the newest ways to exercise this group of muscles is to use a Bosu ball for core muscle training. This is a ball that resembles an exercise ball cut in half – the flat surface is placed downwards which provides a padded dome for performing exercises. It was developed years ago to help train the U.S. ski team. The theory behind using a Bosu ball for core training is the belief that doing exercises on a domed surface adds additional instability that forces the muscles to contract harder to compensate. Whether you’re doing squats or exercises using hand weights the belief is that standing on an unstable dome makes the muscles work harder.

Using a Bosu Ball for Core Muscle Training: Is It Effective?

If you’re considering purchasing a Bosu ball, you may want to save your money. A new study performed at Eastern Illinois University showed that using a Bosu ball for core muscle training was no more effective than doing the exercises on the floor. In fact, they may even reduce the amount of muscle contraction with each repetition – making the exercises less effective. Plus, using a bozu ball for core muscle training can increase the risk of injury since it’s an unstable surface. One benefit of using a Bosu ball is that it may improve balance, but there are other ways to do that which don’t require this expensive piece of equipment.

Using a Bosu Ball for Core Muscle Training: The Bottom Line?

There’s little doubt that it’s important to train the core muscles. Having a strong core helps to reduce the risk of back injuries and makes it easier to carry out every day functional movements; but there’s really no need to invest in a Bosu ball which can cost up to $125.00. A less expensive way is to invest in a good core training DVD that you can do on an exercise mat – or better yet check one out of the library. Bosu balls may be the latest fitness trend, but they don’t necessarily give you a better core workout.