Un-Stable can be good!

Un-Stability can be good, sometimes. Of course not when seen from the ‘mind’ point of view! But un-stable surfaces while performing exercises can be very useful in improving the effectiveness of your workout!

And un-stable surfaces have been popular since long and easily available in the markets in the form of REEBOK Coreboards, Wobble Boards and BOSUs and many more. There are many trends in the Fitness industry as well, which tend to fade away after the initial craze, but core-training and core-stability are some of the few concepts that are here to stay. This is also because, efficiency of the core muscles is an important factor for Activities of Daily Living – small and big, and hence core-training is very functional in nature.

The Coreboard from REEBOK is highly interesting, in that it works in three dimensions. It can tilt sideways and front and back, it can rock along the same planes, and it can also twist around the pivot, thereby giving it mobility in the third dimension as well. This is very useful in training the reflexes, balance and the side abdomen muscles and is also used in athletic training.
The Wobble boards are like a flat circular surface, placed on a half solid sphere below at the centre, and thus wobble onto either side. It is a great equipment to train for balance and co-ordination and strengthen all the core muscles.
BOSUs (Both Sides Up) look like the opposite of the Wobble boards, and resemble half cut solid spheres with the spherical portion on top. This spherical surface is used to stand on and train the muscles.

All un-stable surfaces basically recruit the neuro-muscular system and thus are very effective in reflex training, balance and co-ordination training.
Incase none of these equipments are easily accessible to you, a simple trick would be to stack the gym foam mats three or four over each other and then perform the standing exercises on them!! You will easily begin to feel your whole body working together in a co-ordinated manner to maintain stability!