 "Photo: Joslyn Brown")
Are you looking for a new way to work out, or do you want to try a new piece of equipment? Is running in circles on the indoor track for your cardio workout leaving you bored and unmotivated? Is doing the same old crunches and abdominal exercises leaving you with minimal results?
There is a new alternative being offered for free at the Peters Recreation Complex: BOSU classes. The fact that it's free might have piqued your interest, but now you might be asking, "What is BOSU?"
BOSU stands for Both Sides Utilized and it's a relatively new fitness phenomenon. What started out as just a new piece of equipment has turned into an entirely new way to train your body. BOSU focuses on a more mindful workout, keeping the participant focused and training them to become more aware of muscle movements.
The BOSU ball looks like half of a resist-a-ball with a platform bottom. Like the name suggests, it can be used with the platform side down or, for more of a challenge, with the ball half on the ground. Skiers and other sports enthusiasts have been using the BOSU to train in the off-season or as preparation for events for a few years now, but the general population can gain great fitness benefits from the BOSU as well.
The BOSU is an appropriate tool for people of any age or fitness level. It can be used as a cardiovascular workout, a balance training tool, a flexibility training tool or in place of a bench during strength training exercises.
The BOSU has numerous functional training benefits for older adults as well. Becky Cortez, a certified fitness professional who writes for FitnessForHealth.com, wrote an article called "Jump on It," which discusses the benefits of this workout.
"Functional training not only refers to sports specific training, but everyday living and movement of the body," Cortez wrote. "On the BOSU, you have the advantage of your training since you are engaging more muscles, neuromuscular and sensory training, which help you in everyday living, and athletic training. From a broader perspective, the stronger demands you put on your muscles, the more they respond and perform. As we age, we lose muscle mass. With the BOSU you gain muscle mass by using your body weight to balance on an unstable surface, calling on more muscles for support and strength."
Cortez goes on to explain that after training on a BOSU, users have increased reflexes and balance and therefore better coordination during everyday activities. Actress Eva Longoria has also been quoted in magazines as saying that the BOSU has "changed the shape of her abs."
What can you expect from a BOSU class offered at the Rec Complex? Typically, the first half-hour of the class is devoted to a cardiovascular workout. This involves stepping, running, bouncing, squatting and many other moves to get your heart pumping. During this time, your core muscles are working to stabilize your body.
The second half of class is dedicated to toning. Hand weights are used along with the BOSU to hit every major muscle group. Modifications are offered for every fitness level, as with all classes offered at the Rec. Finally, the hour is finished with a series of stretches to enhance flexibility, all while using the BOSU ball.
If the group fitness scene isn't for you, trainers at the Rec Complex can integrate the BOSU into client workouts as well. If you want to try the BOSU on your own, a ball is available in the Combatives room upstairs in the rec where yoga classes are typically held.
If for no other reason, try the BOSU just to change your exercise routine. Everyone from the beefiest guy to the most dedicated cardio-junkie can appreciate this strange blue half-ball.
Kendall Hall is a senior in kinesiology and a certified personal trainer at the Peters Recreation Complex. Please send comments to sports@spub.ksu.edu.
