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Bosu Balls can offer many benefits but you may want other options. What are some alternatives to Bosu Balls with similar benefits?
The Bosu Ball is a piece of fitness equipment that you can describe as the top of an exercise ball attached to a flat surface. Among other benefits, you can use this equipment to do a variety of exercises to strengthen muscles, improve balance, strengthen ankles, etc.
Whether you don’t enjoy using a Bosu Ball, you want a cheaper alternative, or you want an alternative for any other reason, these alternatives to Bosu Balls can help you train similar areas of your health.
Keep in mind that implementing these alternatives can offer benefits but like any exercise, there is always some risk of injury. Especially with balance workout equipment. Make sure you use these equipment options in a safe way and if needed, get guidance from an expert.
1. Off-brand Bosu Ball
The name Bosu Ball is generally used to describe the half ball, half platform piece of fitness equipment but this is actually a brand name. That means that you can find cheaper “Bosu Balls”, the same equipment but from other brands.
Since this is basically the same piece of equipment you can use it to do similar exercises for the same areas of your physical health like Bosu Ball squats, pushups, planks, etc.
The advantage of going for an off-brand option is mainly the price. You can often find very similar equipment options with great reviews but at half or less of the price of the Bosu Ball brand name.
The disadvantage is that you don’t get the same quality guarantee. These other options are often rated high but you don’t get the exact same ease of mind as when ordering a Bosu Ball brand name model.
Check half ball balance trainer prices
2. Balance board
A balance board is an unstable surface to stand on with the goal of improving balance and other benefits. They come in different shapes and sizes. Some balance boards only allow you to move side to side, others can move in the full 360 degrees.
You can use balance boards for a variety of exercises that are very similar to what you would do on a Bosu Ball.
One of the benefits of balance boards is that they are a great, possibly even better, alternative to Bosu Balls when it comes to training your balance fitness component. They are also often many times cheaper.
The main downside of this alternative is that you don’t get the same ankle or wrist strengthening effects as the rounded part of the Bosu Ball. You can definitely still strengthen these body parts with a balance board but not in the same way.
3. Exercise Ball
An exercise ball, also known as a stability or yoga ball, is a soft elastic ball. Basically the same material as the top part of a Bosu Ball but in a complete ball. There are exercise ball exercises for a lot of similar areas of your physical health.
A stability ball is not a better or worse alternative than a Bosu Ball. They just have a different focus. One or the other may be better for your personal situation and fitness goals.
An exercise ball will generally be more helpful for training your balance while standing on your hands with your feet elevated. Exercise ball core exercises are also generally more effective than the Bosu Ball alternatives.
On the other hand, the Bosu Ball will be more useful for improving ankle strength and balance while standing up. With an exercise ball, it is a lot harder to train these things.
Another thing to note is that exercise balls are a lot cheaper compared to Bosu Balls.
4. Balance pad
A balance pad is a thick piece of foam that sinks when you put the weight of your body on it. The concept is very similar to the round part of the Bosu Ball but the material is different.
Balance pads are mainly a cheaper alternative to Bosu Balls for strengthening your ankles and wrists. You can use it for typical bodyweight exercises like lunges, squats, pushups, etc but also just for moving your ankles around to strengthen them.
The downside of balance pads is that they are not as versatile as the Bosu Ball. You do get a little more balance training on the balance pad compared to doing the same exercise on the ground but not to the same extent as a Bosu Ball.
5. Roller board
A roller board set is made up of a board and a cylinder object to balance the rolled board on. This option is mostly used to train your balance.
The benefit of a roller board is that it can help you train your balance more than a Bosu Ball.
At the same time, the difficulty level of roller boards is also a possible downside for a lot of people. To be able to start training your balance with this piece of equipment you already need to be at a certain skill level.
You also do not get the same ankle or wrist training as when doing certain Bosu Ball exercises. The number of different exercises on a roller board is also not that big so once you can balance without a problem a roller board can become slightly more boring.
6. Balance discs
Balance discs are plastic inflatable discs sized to put one foot on them. Because of the air in them, they are an uneven surface. You can describe them as a mini version of the round part of the Bosu Ball. The exercises you can use them for are similar to the Bosu Ball.
The benefits of balance discs as a Bosu Ball alternative are that you can train similar components of your physical health like balance, ankle strength, and wrist strength. Something else is that they are a lot cheaper than a Bosu Ball.
The downside of balance discs is that the possible range of motion is not as big. This makes it so the training of these similar aspects of your physical health will not be as intense as the Bosu Ball. In turn that can lead to less or slower training progress.
7. Slant board
A slant board is a board you can put at a tilted angle. This piece of equipment is mainly used to stretch your calves but it can also help you strengthen your ankles to some extent.
Besides this small ankle strengthening benefit, slant boards are more of a Bosu Ball alternative with a different focus.
If you are looking for something to improve balance and strengthen ankles and wrists as much as possible some of the other options on this list are likely better choices.
