bosu and i are now friends

it happened the other day, while narrowing my workout class choices down to fit my schedule... which basically means the day had gone by way too fast and well, i had not yet worked out!! horrors! it became obvious that the only class that i could get to was BOSU!!! ughh.... cue beethoven here.

what is a bosu? sounds perhaps like a japanese food or maybe a massage?  a bosu is a piece of equipment that is incorporated into a fitness workout.  much like it's cousin "the stability ball", the bosu is inflated and is supposed to help strengthen the body's core and assist in obtaining greater balance...the difference is that the bosu is a half-ball, with a hard plastic base. (some would even say "hemisphere", but why get so technical?)

now, i have had other opportunities to become acquainted with the bosu....usually for floor work, such as sit-ups, crunches, or planks, but for an entire class? ...how boring would THAT be?

apparently, a guy named david weck invented the device and started making these things out of his father's garage to sell.  BOSU stands for "both sides up" or "both sides utilized", depending upon whether you are referring to the product or the "philosophy of BOSU".   the first athletic team to train using the bosu was the u.s. ski team!

well, i discovered that yes, you can workout out for an entire hour with a bosu! ...and yes, you will like working out with it!  do you remember how much fun it was to try to jump on a pogo stick or learn hoola hoop?  the boso turns a regular, run-of-the mill aerobic class into something slightly tricky and challenging. the trick is that instead of the floor or a regular aerobic step, you do most all of the normal exercising on the BOSU! ...even running in place!  i could almost say the workout was fun! (almost...) :)