MOST New Year’s resolutions include living a healthier and more active lifestyle. However, this specific item on the list is difficult for most people to keep up with.
For those who have managed to lead fit and healthy lives, the secret to staying motivated is having fun doing so.
Enter the balance board.
While not entirely a brand-new concept, videos and photos of it for home workouts have recently made their rounds online. Simply put, a balance board is an object with an uneven base, on which users attempt to balance themselves. According to those who’ve mastered this balancing act, the multi-purpose board helps improve one’s mental focus and posture, develops one’s core muscles, reduces back pain, makes one stronger and burns the extra calories.
This fun piece of equipment has different kinds to choose from: the wobble board, which is multi-directional; the rocker board; the rocker-roller board, which is bi-directional but more challenging because the board slides; the sphere and ring board, an inflatable ball which is kept in place by the ring on the underside of the board; and the spring board, which is multi-directional and uses a spring between two boards rather than a fulcrum.
Adding a balance board session to one’s daily routine doesn’t require the person to set time aside from his busy schedule as it can easily be incorporated into his existing routine.
Just go with the flow. It can be used alongside other strength exercises when placed under a standing desk or can be used while doing household chores or during leisure time like checking out the internet or watching TV.
A quarantine-born business, Olas, owned by adventurous entrepreneur Aleli Louise Mejias, offers balance boards with a goal of promoting the well-being of a person through balancing the mind, body and soul. Olas also supports local manufacturers and artisans, especially those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Mejias saw the need to find an outlet to cater to one’s mental and physical needs.
“I realized that the most accessible, fun and unique way to achieve this was to promote the use of balance boards.”
As of now, the local brand has different designs of rocker-roller boards designed by Mejias herself: the classic Balance Board, a board for beginners with a same size of a surfboard; the Travel Board, a smaller board which is easier to carry around but more challenging to use; the Goofboard, which is like a longboard, and designed for beginners or intermediate surfers in mind as it gives the illusion of riding the waves on a “flat” day; and the Freestyle Goofboard, a board that has a 2-in-1 feature for it to be used either side-by-side or in a parallel way like riding a surfboard.
Here are some tips for beginners. One should practice up close to a wall or someone who can help them balance. Ride in an open area without any obstacle on the floor. Use the board only on protective mats like a yoga mat or carpet.
Check out Olas on Facebook and Instagram. S