PoleVaultPower.com

This summer, as part of my workout program, I would like to incorporate some exercises to improve my overall balance and stability.

The gym where I go has a good amount of equipment to use (wobble boards, foam rollers, BOSU balance trainers etc.) but I don’t know how to properly use any of it.

The only results I generated searching the Internet were of sites selling equipment. If anyone out there knows of any good exercises that I can do to increase my balance it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Just use your imagination. It is impossable to hinder your balance by doing any activity that requires balance. The main thing is keep it challenging when one thing gets to easy modify it or come up with another drill or activity.

Probodx

Written by Marv Marinovich

Track down the book called Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. Read it and you will know more about proper functional training than 99% of the people at any gym. Balance, muscles working in coordination, proprioception, are all covered along with a base program on how to do functional exercises.

Also, I would strongly recommend it to anyone on this site that is serious about proper functional training. It is not an advanced book, but provides good information on how and why you train, how proper movement involves muscle chains, the definition of elasticity, etc. This is an extension of much of the work done by Gary Gray (if you are serious about functional training and movement, you should know who he is).

This will help dispell the poor information being provided by many PE coaches, self proclaimed athletic trainers, "certified" athletic trainers, weight lifters, coaches who instruct whatever they were instructed, etc.

Good stuff.

If you're looking for something that'll help you up top you can always to handstands. They help a lot with balance. You might need a spotter (or a wall) at first. Once you get it down try shifting the weight over a single shoulder and doing it 1 handed. Helps a lot with the last part of the vault. The other thing about them is you dont need any equipment to do them.