Simply Fit Board: Exercises for Core, Balance, and Lower Body Strength

What Exercises Can You Do With a Simply Fit Board?

The Simply Fit Board is a dynamic balance board designed to engage your core, enhance balance, and strengthen the lower body through a variety of twisting, plank, and bodyweight exercises that leverage its unique rocking and pivoting mechanism.

Understanding the Simply Fit Board

The Simply Fit Board is a curved, balance-style board that allows for a rotational, side-to-side twisting motion. Its primary design encourages engagement of the core muscles, particularly the obliques, while simultaneously challenging balance and proprioception. Beyond its signature twisting motion, the board's inherent instability can be leveraged to intensify a wide range of bodyweight exercises, transforming familiar movements into more demanding functional challenges.

Key Benefits of Incorporating the Simply Fit Board:

• Core Strength and Stability: Primarily targets the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis.
• Balance and Proprioception: Improves the body's awareness of its position in space, reducing fall risk and enhancing athletic performance.
• Lower Body Activation: Engages glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps through stabilizing and movement patterns.
• Hip Mobility: The twisting motion can improve range of motion in the hips.
• Cardiovascular Element: Dynamic, continuous movements can elevate heart rate.
• Functional Fitness: Mimics real-life movements, enhancing everyday stability and strength.

Core and Oblique Engagement Exercises

These exercises directly target the abdominal muscles, with a particular emphasis on the obliques due to the board's twisting nature.

• The Basic Twist:

  • Execution: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, centered on the board. Keep knees slightly bent and core engaged. Initiate a rhythmic twisting motion from your hips, rotating your torso from side to side while keeping your head and shoulders relatively stable.
  • Muscles Worked: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, glutes.
  • Tips: Maintain a controlled pace. Avoid excessive upper body rotation; the movement should originate from the hips and core.

• Plank with Board (Hands or Feet):

  • Execution (Hands on Board): Place hands on the board, shoulder-width apart, and assume a plank position. The instability of the board will significantly increase the challenge to your core and shoulders.
  • Execution (Feet on Board): Place feet on the board in a plank position. This variation challenges core stability, glute activation, and hamstring strength.
  • Muscles Worked: Entire core, shoulders, chest, glutes, hamstrings.
  • Tips: Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Avoid letting your hips sag or pike up.

• Side Plank with Top Foot on Board:

  • Execution: Start in a side plank position with your lower forearm on the ground and your top foot resting on the Simply Fit Board. Lift your hips, maintaining a straight line from head to heels.
  • Muscles Worked: Obliques, gluteus medius, shoulders.
  • Tips: Focus on keeping your hips stacked and stable. For an added challenge, perform small, controlled twists or hip dips.

Lower Body Strength and Stability Exercises

The Simply Fit Board can add an instability challenge to traditional lower body exercises, forcing greater muscle activation for stabilization.

• Squats with Board:

  • Execution: Stand on the board with feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a controlled squat, pushing hips back as if sitting in a chair, keeping your chest up.
  • Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core (for stabilization).
  • Tips: Go slowly and focus on maintaining balance throughout the movement. You may not be able to squat as deeply as on solid ground.

• Lunges (Front or Reverse) with Board:

  • Execution: Place one foot firmly on the ground and the other foot on the Simply Fit Board. Perform a lunge, ensuring the knee of the front leg stays behind the toes. The instability will challenge the stabilizing muscles of both legs.
  • Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip stabilizers.
  • Tips: Control the descent and ascent. Maintain an upright torso.

• Calf Raises:

  • Execution: Stand on the board with your heels slightly off the edge (if comfortable and stable). Slowly raise onto the balls of your feet, then lower.
  • Muscles Worked: Gastrocnemius, soleus (calf muscles).
  • Tips: Use a wall or sturdy object for support if needed. The instability increases the challenge to smaller stabilizing muscles in the foot and ankle.

Balance and Proprioception Drills

These exercises specifically target and improve your body's ability to maintain equilibrium.

• Single-Leg Balance:

  • Execution: Stand on one leg in the center of the board. Hold this position for as long as possible, focusing on a fixed point.
  • Muscles Worked: Ankle stabilizers, glutes, core.
  • Tips: Start by holding onto a wall or chair. Progress by removing hand support and eventually closing your eyes.

• Dynamic Balance with Reaches:

  • Execution: While standing on the board (either two feet or single leg), perform controlled reaches with your arms or a free leg in various directions (forward, sideways, diagonally).
  • Muscles Worked: Full body stabilization, core, glutes.
  • Tips: Keep movements slow and deliberate. The goal is to challenge your balance without losing control.

Dynamic and Cardio-Focused Movements

While not a primary cardio tool, the Simply Fit Board can be incorporated into dynamic routines to elevate heart rate and burn calories.

• Twisting with Arm Swings:

  • Execution: Perform the basic twist with added arm movements, swinging your arms rhythmically with your torso rotation. This increases the total body engagement and calorie expenditure.
  • Muscles Worked: Core, shoulders, arms, glutes, legs.
  • Tips: Maintain a smooth, continuous motion. You can vary the speed and range of arm swings to increase intensity.

• Side-to-Side Plank Rocks (Advanced):

  • Execution: Start in a plank position with your hands or feet on the board. Gently rock the board from side to side, maintaining a stable plank.
  • Muscles Worked: Deep core stabilizers, obliques, shoulders.
  • Tips: This is an advanced movement requiring significant core control. Keep the rocking motion small and controlled.

Integrating the Board into Other Exercises

The Simply Fit Board's instability can be used to enhance other bodyweight exercises.

• Push-Ups (Hands or Feet on Board):

  • Execution: Place hands or feet on the board during a push-up. This increases the demand on core stability and upper body strength.
  • Muscles Worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
  • Tips: Start with knees on the ground if placing hands on the board to reduce difficulty.

• Glute Bridges (Feet on Board):

  • Execution: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet placed on the Simply Fit Board. Lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
  • Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, core.
  • Tips: The instability will require greater activation of the hamstrings and glutes to stabilize the board.

Programming and Progression

To maximize results and ensure safety, consider how to integrate the Simply Fit Board into your routine.

• Beginner Modifications:
  • Perform exercises near a wall or sturdy object for support.
  • Start with shorter durations (e.g., 30 seconds per exercise).
  • Focus on slow, controlled movements.
  • Practice two-foot balance before progressing to single-leg.
• Advanced Progressions:
  • Increase duration or repetitions.
  • Add external resistance (e.g., light dumbbells for squats, or resistance bands).
  • Perform single-leg variations.
  • Close your eyes during balance drills.
  • Increase the speed of dynamic movements, while maintaining control.
• Workout Structure:
  • Warm-up: Light cardio and dynamic stretches (5-10 minutes).
  • Main Set: Choose 3-5 exercises from different categories. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions or 30-60 seconds per exercise.
  • Cool-down: Static stretches, focusing on the core, hips, and lower body.

Safety Considerations and Proper Form

Proper technique is paramount to prevent injury and maximize the effectiveness of your workout.

• Foot Placement: Always ensure your entire foot (or as much as possible) is in contact with the board to maintain stability and distribute weight evenly.
• Controlled Movements: Avoid jerky or uncontrolled motions. The goal is smooth, deliberate movement, especially when first learning an exercise.
• Core Engagement: Maintain a braced core throughout all exercises. This protects your spine and enhances stability.
• Listen to Your Body: If you experience pain, stop the exercise immediately. Some muscle soreness is normal, but sharp or persistent pain is not.
• Appropriate Footwear: Barefoot or athletic shoes with good grip are recommended. Avoid slippery socks.
• Clear Space: Ensure you have ample space around you to prevent collisions with furniture or objects if you lose balance.
• Consult a Professional: If you have pre-existing conditions or are new to exercise, consult with a healthcare provider or certified fitness professional before starting.

Conclusion: A Versatile Tool for Functional Fitness

The Simply Fit Board, while seemingly simple, offers a robust platform for enhancing core strength, balance, and lower body stability. By introducing an element of instability, it transforms conventional exercises into dynamic, functional movements that challenge your neuromuscular system in new ways. When used correctly and integrated thoughtfully into a well-rounded fitness regimen, it can be a valuable tool for individuals seeking to improve their overall fitness, athleticism, and functional capacity.