Wobble board

[Flora]

I have been thinking about getting a wobble board, as my physio says they are helpful for develping poor balance. Any ideas where I could get one and how much they cost??
flora

[Shelley]

Just thought i'd warn you that wobble boards are quite an advanced skill... you need to have practiced balancing on the ground first, with and without your eyes closed. And then try graduating to balancing on a pillow.... same deal, open eyes, closed eyes.... and then i'd be going on a mini-trampoline.... wobble boards are for that end stage i think !

i'm sure you can order them online if thats what you want to do... or a physio should be able to order one in for you through their supplier

[Guest]

I have to agree with Shelley on this. Wobble boards are great once you have a certain amount of balance and your ankles are stable. I used them a couple of times at my physios when we had done a 6 week course of pilates type exercise. That is not to mention the 8 months I had of one on one exercise sessions. I still found the boards hard-ish due to my ankles not been strong. I would suggest you try a wobble cushion first (You can even stand on these)then an exercise ball. If your balance is improving then try a board by all means.

If you don't have problems with your ankles and balance then the above info is of course mute

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Flora, I agree with Shelley and with Az with regard to the wobble cushion. You don't say whether your physio has just said they are great try them or whether you have been having ongoing physio and have been using them already. A google search will bring up various sources and prices! I can't remember to be honest if there is a link to a site in occupational therapy to a site with this type of equipment on so it may be worth having a look see.

nonya

[Flora]

thanks for the info all, My physio mentioned that I might find it useful, but due to money problems in the area if there is no significant improvement in a set period then they discharge you, which is what happened recently with me. I do have a exercise ball thing somewhere, but with the contents of Granny's house in here at the mo, it is hidden a bit! I have some problems with balance, but only have difficulty with one ankle. Unfortunatly the good one is connected to the worst knee, so I will try starting small and building up.
ta all Flora

[JessicaNJpa]

I just got my wobble board in the mail! So excited!

Just wondering if anyone has used these and any specific exercises you thought were good on there. I got one to help with intrinsic back muscles and knee stability as well as general propioception stuff. Do you do shoes on or off?

[JessicaNJpa]

Hi, you're right i should have said only try it if you have strong ankles and a health professional gave you the go ahead.... not to mention do it right by a grabbable counter! My chiropractor ordered mine for me. I love it so far!

[Rosie]

Hi all

The physio tried me on an (easy) wobble board a few years back. I couldn't even let go with one hand, let alone balance without holding on at all. It was at that point that she registered how poor my ankles and balance actually were.

Rosie

[Spireite]

I practice on the wobble boards at the gym. There is one which is hard and one which is very hard. They are particularly good for ankle proprioception. I was totally rubbish for many years until I started to get treatment to tighten my ankles and now I am steadily progressing. I balance on one leg and two legs and recently as I have improved a lot, do mini-squats on the less hard of the two wobble boards. I do it with trainers on as that is how I spend my day! You can also go round in a controlled circle.

Start really easy by gentley touching something to help with balance or have a stick in one hand on the floor again to help balance originally.

But if your ankles and feet are very lax, as mine used to be, and more lax than the health professional has seen before, then the wobble board will be too much.

[roqchiq]

Wobble boards can vary in difficulty too; it depends on how big the ball bit in the centre is. The first one I got was pretty small and fairly easy to balance on - with practice!

Then I got a different one at the last HMSA residential which was bigger and a LOT harder! 2 years later I can just about balance on it but always make sure there's something handy to grab hold of. I usually use it on the landing so I've got the bannister on one side and a wall on the other.

[cracker]

i cant do the wobble bord it too hard but i can do the wobble cushion just about & i can do the balance cushion

[Rosie]

Hi all

I have never been able to manage a wobblr board, but this week I did manage to baance for 3 seconds on the one that only goes side to side. Progress!

Rosie

[Spireite]

The wobble boards at the gym disappeared and I like to practice on them everytime. I have been steadily improving over the years. I wrote a comment card and the response was that someone has gauged a hole out of the brand new flooring with them so they have been withdrawn! I am allowed to use one (the hard one, the less hard one has disappeared) if I ask at the office for it and take it straight back! I'm not happy.

I have found the hole in the flooring eventually, and I don't think a wobble board could have caused that. I don't even leave a mark and granted I am a lightweight. But the hole is a huge, deep hole about the size of the entire circular centre piece. It looks to me as if there is a sunken bit underneath the new flooring. Has anyone else experienced the power of a wobble board to gauge a deep hole in one spot of flooring?