Wobble advice

[RunBrianRun]

I’ve given up looking as there’s so many, so I’m here after advice on getting a wobble board or any other equivalent device to help me strengthen my ankles.

Thank you 🙏

[Katnap]

LOL! I thought from the title you were asking for advice from MissWobble!

I don't have any sort of (un)balance aid or even having experience of such things but from a distance it seems to be to emulate uneven surfaces. So maybe get some trail shoes and do some easy off-road jaunts?

🐱 Katnap 🐱

[RunBrianRun in reply to Katnap]

Thanks for responding Katnap 👍 I’m on the IC at the moment with an ankle injury which put paid to any running and is why I’m looking for ways to strengthen the ankle joint and improve balance. This is where these wobble boards come in. The choice is baffling, no idea where to start.

I’m sure MissWobble won’t mind me using her name in vain 😂

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

I’m not familiar with any wobble boards. But so glad you popped in!

We did a series on ankle flexibility and strengthening some time ago ( healthunlocked.com/strength... ) but not sure if there are exercises at the level you need.

Another channel I’ve been using is one focussing on ankle strength and flexing or hikers ( tinyurl.com/5n7nste6 ), but again, it may be not perfectly optimised for sprinters.

So I do wonder if you might get better advice from your running club , as they might know your needs and context much better.

But its definitely worth a look into our targeted/injury folder at healthunlocked.com/strength... as there might be just the one or other idea you might be able to use!

And we’d love to hear about how you decide to move forward! Wishing you a great way forward! The journey has been exhilarating to read, so must have been so exciting to experience! I’m always looking forward to your nail-bitingly tense race reports!

[RunBrianRun in reply to CBDB]

Wow! That’s a lot of very useful information! Thank you. I’ve already done the dorsiflexion test and that’s an immediate area to address. I’ve also just gone through the ankle strength exercises for hikers and I’m pleased with my performance and it’s something I will be adding to a general daily routine along with the single leg balancing exercises. I think the wobble board will complement these very well too.

Incredibly useful and thank you!

I meant to add that ankle strength is crucial for sprinters. That joint needs to be as tough as steel!

[Oldfloss Administrator]

More ankle exercises here,, they are easy to do, quick, simple and they work... I use these a lot... and every morning my toothbrush exercises routine, as well as the squats, includes ankle exercises too!

In bed before I get up, I lie and do ankle stretches and rolls of the ankles too!

healthunlocked.com/strength......

Wild Ginger Running does a whole series of exercises for ankles...they really do help! Just type in ankle workouts!

wildgingerrunning.co.uk/tra...

[RunBrianRun in reply to Oldfloss]

That’s very useful too thank you  Oldfloss . I like the podcasts . There’s loads to consider!

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to RunBrianRun]

Lots... just choose the one that feels right for you, will fit in with your lifestyle and one that becomes a regular good habit

[Mudita11]

I’ve got a wobble cushion RunBrianRun which was a great help when I hurt my ankle a while ago. Got it from Amazon though I can’t seem to get a link to add here. Have a look. They are inflatable and can be used for other areas of the body and also you can do wobbly planks on them! I want to get mine out again now and use it for general fitness now so thank you for bringing this up 🤣👍🏻. Hope your injury clears up very soon.

[RunBrianRun in reply to Mudita11]

Thank you Mudita11 I’ve seen those inflatable cushions too. I’ll check them out. How easy are they to stand/balance on?

[Mudita11 in reply to RunBrianRun]

You can vary the amount of air inside which then affects how easy it is to balance on. I find the more air inside the tougher it is to balance

[RunBrianRun in reply to Mudita11]

This variety sounds perfect for me.

[ToothPickJafah 30D Graduate]

Hey Brian! I have a wobble/balance board that I got from Tesco a good few years ago, along with an ab roller. I’ve used the board a few times and I found it quite easy to balance on at first, but when I started doing some of the exercises I found on YouTube I found it really tested my balance!

I can now do 4 squats on it, but not used it for about a year…so I think it’s time to get it out again!

Here’s what it looks like…

Balance/wobble board

[RunBrianRun in reply to ToothPickJafah]

Yes! That looks like the ones I’ve seen online. I have seen others that aren’t inflatable but I think it would make it more fun and challenging if it is. Thank you

[ToothPickJafah 30D Graduate in reply to RunBrianRun]

No bother! An inflatable one does sound interesting!

[ToothPickJafah 30D Graduate]

This is what the other side looks like…

Underside of balance/wobble board

[RunBrianRun in reply to ToothPickJafah]

Just looking at the underside there I guess you would need to place it on a carpet or mat to stop it slipping?

[ToothPickJafah 30D Graduate in reply to RunBrianRun]

Yes! I used a thick yoga mat or my skipping rope mat. I made the mistake of using it in living room on wooden floor and nearly face planted the floor!!

[RunBrianRun in reply to ToothPickJafah]

😬 😱