TRAINING TIPS FOR FREESTYLE BOARD
WORKOUT
Training with the MFT Freestyle Board enhances your performance, coordination, and balance.
You have tremendous potential to improve your muscle strength, fine motor skills, and coordination in a short amount of time.
Winter and water sports enthusiasts, as well as skateboarders, can also use the MFT Freestyle Board outside of the season to stay fit at home, even in bad weather.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes, three times a week, to perform these exercises. Start with 5 repetitions per exercise and 3 sets. You can then increase to up to 10 repetitions and 3 sets. For balance exercises, try to hold your balance for about 15 seconds at the beginning. Later, you can increase the time to 30-60 seconds.
Always take a break of 30-60 seconds between sets.
Enjoy your training!
Recommended Balance Board:
MFT FREESTYLE BOARD
EXERCISES & VIDEOS
EXERCISE 1: MOUNTING / DISMOUNTING
Mounting: Place the board on the ground tilted to one side. Start by stepping onto the board with your foot on that side, followed by your other foot. Gradually shift your weight onto the second foot and try to maintain your balance.
Dismounting: Again, position the board tilted to one side on the ground. Step down first with your upper foot, followed by the foot on the ground side.
EXERCISE 2: MAINTAINING BALANCE
The fundamental requirement to perform targeted exercises on the balance board is first to achieve stable balance. Start by standing with your feet wide apart on the board, keeping your back straight, and hold onto something for support (like a wall or stair railing).
Then, slowly try to let go of your hand and maintain your balance independently, ensuring that the balance board does not touch the ground. Just by continuously adjusting your balance, you will already activate your deep muscles significantly. Keep your hips relaxed on the balance board so you can properly stabilize yourself.
EXERCISE 3: BREATHING EXERCISES + KEEP HANDS RELAXED
As a recreational athlete, it’s common to hold your breath or breathe incorrectly during challenging exercises to focus on the physical effort. However, this is counterproductive; proper breathing is essential for strength and muscle development. Moreover, with the right breathing on the balance board, you will feel more relaxed overall.
Take a slow, deep breath in through your mouth or nose, followed by a long exhale. This provides you with the right energy in preparation. Also, make sure your fingers and hands remain relaxed.
EXERCISE 4: SHIFT WEIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
A fundamental movement that significantly enhances the training effect of the balance board while standing is the slow weight shift from one side to the other. Let your hands hang loosely by your sides for best results.
Stay relaxed in your legs and hips, and engage in a gentle rocking motion by alternating your weight onto the left foot and then the right foot.
EXERCISE 5: SHIFTING WEIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT – PROGRESSION VARIANTS
Here are two progression variants for the exercise of shifting weight from left to right:
Light Rocking Movement: Perform a gentle rocking motion while alternately shifting your weight onto the left and then the right foot, and additionally set the balance board down on the floor in the end position.
Controlled Rocking Movement: Perform a gentle rocking motion while alternately shifting your weight onto the left and then the right foot, and gently move the balance board into the end position without setting it down on the floor.
EXERCISE 6: THERABAND – FRONT ARM RAISES
To enhance the balance board training effect, you can incorporate a resistance band.
The resistance not only strengthens your arms but also supports the strengthening of the deep muscles in your legs, hips, abdomen, back, and more.
You can start with front arm raises by standing upright on the balance board. Lift your arms with the resistance band in front of you and slowly lower them back down. For balance board exercises focusing on the legs, you can slightly bend your knees and lean forward with a straight back.
EXERCISE 7: THERABAND – LATERAL ARM RAISES
You can start with lateral arm raises by standing upright on the balance board and extending your arms out to the sides with the resistance band. Slowly lower your arms back down and repeat the movement several times.
EXERCISE 8: SURFER STANCE
The Hang Ten is well-known in surfing. In this dryland exercise, the balance board provides the perfect foundation for learning the surfer move.
Start in the initial position on the balance board, standing sideways on the board. Now, turn lengthwise on the board and slowly try to walk with one foot toward the tip of the board.
You should aim to extend all five toes beyond the edge of the balance board. With that, you have already accomplished the Hang Five!
EXERCISE 9: PLANK
The plank is similar to a push-up. Here, you support yourself with both forearms on the balance board. Place your elbows directly under your shoulder blades, and interlock your fingers to form a triangle.
The large surface area on the balance board makes this position quite stable.
For additional protection against rolling, you can brace your legs against a wall. This exercise is also significantly less strenuous than push-ups on the balance board.
EXERCISE 10: CLASSIC PUSH-UP
Your balance board also serves as a supportive fitness tool for your exercises on the mat. You can ideally combine both in the balance board workout, making the board perfect for push-ups.
In this exercise, you maintain the usual push-up position, but your hands are not supported on the ground; instead, they are on the balance board. This means that your arms and shoulders are not only engaged in the powerful lowering and pushing movements but also in maintaining your balance on the rolling board.
These are push-ups 2.0, reaching down to the deepest muscle layers. You will notice significant muscle development with regular balance board workouts in terms of strength enhancement.
EXERCISE 11: PUSH-UP VARIATION 1
Keep your arms and shoulders stable while rolling the balance board alternately to the left and right, maintaining your balance.
EXERCISE 12: PUSH-UP VARIATION 2
Keep your arms and shoulders stable while rolling the balance board alternately to the left and right, maintaining balance. Additionally, perform a classic push-up in the end position.
EXERCISE 13: TAPPING
Another exercise that helps you get a better feel for the balance board is tapping. Quickly shift your weight from the left side to the right and back again.
For those who want a bit more of a challenge, try to touch the ground with the tip of the balance board (without falling off).
ÜBUNG 14: SNOWBOARDER
Versuche das Board schräg über die Rolle zu stellen und dann über die Kante zu „schwingen“.
Du trainierst dabei das Feingefühl und die Stabilität für die Bewegungen am Snowboard.
EXERCISE 15: WALKING ON THE ROLLER
Another exercise is balancing on the roller. With just the roller, you can walk both forwards and backwards. However, moving backwards is a bit more challenging.
EXERCISE 16: SIDE PLANK
In the side plank, you are in a lateral push-up position on your elbow. Place one forearm on the balance board, raise your hips, and rest your feet on the ground.
The side plank is significantly more challenging than the regular plank. It's best to experiment a bit with the position of your supporting arm to find a spot where you can maintain your balance.
EXERCISE 17: SIDE PLANK WITH LEG RAISE
In this exercise, you perform a side plank while additionally lifting one leg. Focus on maintaining good body tension throughout the movement.
EXERCISE 18: SQUATS
For balance board squats, stand with your feet wide apart and sideways on the balance board. Slowly lower yourself down with a straight back, holding briefly at the bottom before rising back up.
You don’t need to aim for the ambitious execution typically required on the mat. Your hips don’t have to go below your kneecaps; go as low as you comfortably can—this way, the training effect on the balance board for your legs is still significant.
The continuous balancing on the balance board specifically targets your deep muscles. You will quickly notice the positive effects with regular training.
EXERCISE 19: SKIING IN THE SKIING POSITION
Balance the board while in the skiing position. This exercise trains your movement awareness for gliding and strengthens the muscles of the legs, core, and glutes.
EXERCISE 20: KNEE JUMPS
At first, it’s sufficient to just lightly lift yourself off the board. You can also hold onto a stable object, such as a staircase railing, with one hand for support.
EXERCISE 21: STEPS
To test the limits of the tipping stability of your balance board, stepping forward and backward is ideal. With each step, you'll need to readjust your balance alignment each time, challenging your stability and coordination.
EXERCISE 22: 180° JUMP
With improved balance, you'll gain the confidence to attempt a half turn on the balance board. The upward jumps from Exercise 20 (Knee Jumps) are the perfect preparation for this.
Once you master those jumps, you’ll be close to being able to turn 180° on your board without falling off or sliding the balance board off the roller.
EXERCISE 23: 90° ROTATION
During the rotation, turn the entire board 90° on the roller. From the starting position, shift your entire weight down to increase grip for the rotation. With one motion, rotate the board on the roller, allowing your board to balance lengthwise on the roller.
EXERCISE 24: KNEE DIP
From the Hang Ten position, with both toes extending over the edge of the board, you can transition into a "Knee Dip." To do this, pull one foot back into a short lunge, then immediately rise back up and pull the foot forward again.
EXERCISE 25: CRANE POSE
The crane pose is one of the most well-known yoga exercises. Performing this pose on the balance board can be quite challenging, so be sure to practice it on a stable surface first before attempting it on the balance board.
In the crane pose, you squeeze your arms between your knees and shift your weight further forward until you achieve a floating position. This exercise primarily engages not only your arm and shoulder muscles but also your abdominal and deep core muscles.
