Question from a Jen's Corner Reader

I asked David to answer this question because I knew he'd be able to offer some great information... and he did!

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Hi

I have weak feet and ankles, I have very small slim feet and suffer terrible cramps during warm ups and cardio exercises, my ankles are also weak and ache terrible when exercising.
The bosu ball was recommended to me to strength my feet and ankles but I am unable to find any information/exercises that agree with this. Could you advise me?

thank you
RB

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Dear RB

The BOSU Balance Trainer is one of the best tools for strengthening (and coordinating) the feet and ankles for enhanced movement capabilities and less fatigue/cramping. While it is impossible for me to give you specific recommendations without assessing your situation personally, I can give you some recommendations. I suggest you seek professional assistance from a qualified Personal Trainer or Physical Therapist before engaging in these exercises.

I recommend barefoot training on the BOSU Balance Trainer to address foot/ankle issues. You can begin with simple endurance exercises such as standing while turning your head, closing your eyes, shifting your weight, performing gentle pulses/bounces. Stay within your comfort range (both in terms of the stress on your feet/ankles and in terms of your balance). With barefeet, don't get too dynamic so that you can always step down to the ground safely. You can also find an external support (we sell a stability platform to accompany the BOSU Balance Trainer - see www.bosu.com ) to hold onto if you feel uncomfortable with your balance atop the dome surface of the BOSU Balance Trainer.

If your feet cramp, this is normal. Don't try and work through the cramp, but rather step off the dome and stretch, massage, and/or shake out the cramp. Then get back on the dome. With consistent practice, you should find your cramps begin to subside as your feet get stronger and more coordinated. Drink plenty of water to prevent cramping as well.

You can then progress to standing on one leg atop the BOSU dome. You can use the other foot to assist your balance as you bare most of your weight with one leg. When you can stand atop the dome in this manner for 1 minute without fatigue (the more time the better), you should feel improvements in your feet, ankles, as well as the rest of your body.

This strategy should help you improve your situation and hopefully prepare you for more intense work down the road.

Please let me know how it goes and share your progress.

Very best in health,
DW

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Thanks for your question, RB! Let us know how you progress!

Happy BOSU-ing!
JEN

Question from a Jen's Corner Reader

Hi Jen,
I just recently (last week) bought the bosu and have been doing the boxer crunch a lot. I am able to do about 50 three times a week, but lately I've been doing less so I can do a different kind of boxer crunch where I lift one of my knees and crunch at the same time. I started using the bosu about a month ago at where I workout.

My question is what is the number of boxer cruches (reps) I should do and how many sets or Should I do them all at once? I workout 5 times a week.

Thank you,
Steve

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Hi Steve,

Thank you for your email! I’m glad you have been enjoying the Boxer Crunch!

To answer your question, I would suggest working the Boxer Crunch into 3 of your 5 workouts. I like to do my workouts in a circuit-style format so I usually end up doing about 3 sets of 20 reps, performing one set at the end of each block of exercises I do. For example, after a warm-up, I usually do a lower body exercise, an upper body exercise, a trunk exercise and then a balance or cardio drill and then I repeat the block 2-4 times depending on the day. Some days I might use the Boxer Crunch as my trunk exercise in all 2-4 sets OR some days, I might use it in only 1 set. The days I use it in every set, I usually do about 20-30 reps each time. The days I use it in 1 set, I would probably do as many as I could while maintaining good form.

I think the key to choosing how many reps of any exercise you do should be how well you are able to maintain excellent form. It’s really up to you how often you decide to add the Boxer Crunch to your workout. If it’s an exercise that you love and look forward to, don’t hesitate to do it as often as you like!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Happy BOSU-ing,
JEN