What is a BOSU, you ask? Well it looks like half a stability ball attached to a hard platform and the name stands for BOth Sides Up. It can make your workout both harder and easier, and at the very least, a lot more interesting.

Balance on it – When you get your feet off solid ground, by standing on either the ball side or platform side of a BOSU you’ll be improving your balance and strengthening stability muscles in your feet, ankles, legs and core. When you add weights to one or both hands and perform upper body exercises, you get two for the price of one.

Make push-ups easier/harder – Grip the handles on the BOSU’s hard side and it’ll take pressure off weak wrists for more comfortable push-ups. Make the move harder by tilting to each side as you perform the push-ups. Place your hands on the ball side and it creates more instability. Place your feet on either side and you’ve got two entirely new and challenging push-up exercises.

Modify squats and lunges – Placing one or both feet on a BOSU for squats and lunges also challenges new muscles and adds variety to a strength training routine. If you’re really steady you can even step on the hard side for added unsteadiness.

Use it as a step – Step aerobics can really scorch calories. Use your BOSU in place of a step to follow along to a step-aerobics video or make up your own, adding cardio intervals to any workout.

Work your core – Almost everything you do with a BOSU involves working core stabilizer muscles, but you can also use it to directly target the front, sides and innermost muscles of your abdomen. Regular or reverse crunches while balancing on the ball side, planks with arms or legs elevated, wood chops with extra instability – the options are endless.

Keep in mind BOSU’s don’t come cheap. If you’re just starting out or have never worked with the equipment before make sure to try it out before you buy. But if you’re looking for a tool that will help you in the strength, balance and cardiovascular departments look no further.

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Here are a few hints. It will help your body build muscle, but it’s doesn’t provide resistance. It can bring relief to sore, achy muscles but it doesn’t require costly appointments. And finally it can help with your balance but it’s neither a BOSU ball nor a wobble board.

If you guessed foam roller you really know your stuff. If you belong to a gym chances are you’ve noticed that these cylindrical shaped tools have earned a spot on the floor or in classes in the past few years. You may have noticed people rolling around on them or standing atop one while they lift weights and wondered what exactly this piece of equipment is supposed to do.

Admittedly a foam roller sounds a lot more boring than the BOSU. And it may seem completely unnecessary to those who don’t stretch after a workout anyways. But all those preconceived notions couldn’t be further from the truth.

Why foam rollers are breaking away from the pack:

1.Price – Sure if you have a membership at a fully equipped gym it doesn’t matter to you how much the equipment costs. If you’re looking for something useful at home you may not want to spend over $100 a pop, which is what a BOSU can set you back. Foam rollers on the other hand are often under $20.

2.Massage – Using myofascial release massage techniques (more on this in the next post) you can smooth out knots and target trouble spots without having to rely on a professional. If you get a foam roller to use for nothing more than self-massage, it’s still worth it.

3.Versatility – Foam rollers aren’t just good for muscle massage. By performing exercises while standing in different positions on the roller you can challenge your body’s stabilizing muscles and improve balance. It’s a great way to increase the difficulty of exercises you already do. Just try standing still on a foam roller and you’ll know what I mean. It takes a lot of practice to master the foam roller and you will really know you’re getting somewhere when you’ve worked up to just one full squat.

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The verdict is in. My 10 minute mile is not just real, I can do it both in and out of the gym.

When I ran outside and took 10 minutes to complete 1 mile (or 1.5 km for those more familiar with the metric system), I was a little unsure of whether I could duplicate the results. I also wondered if I’d be able to do the same on a treadmill.

It’s not that I’ve never spent time on a treadmil before, and yes I realize treadmill running is easier than road running (obviously, since the road isn’t revolving under your feet), it’s just that I tend to find the treadmill a bit boring. There’s nowhere to go and most of the time you end up staring at a wall, the backs of other runners, or a television that you can’t focus your eyes on without feeling nauseus. If you’re really lucky, you get a window view.

So I sucked it up and cranked the volume on my MP3 player. After a warm-up I increased the speed to 6 MPH, the incline to 1 percent and settled in for the not-so-long haul. And I did it pretty comfotably for 11 minutes, which took me past the mile marker. The best part was I felt comfortable enough to continue jogging at a reduced speed for another 10 minutes.

So now I know firsthand that the wisdom I impart to others is true. Small increases can help you reach your fitness goals without burning out.

Next goal…I think I’ll work up to a total running time of 30 minutes before addressing speed again.

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