Back in August 2009 I wrote a review on the Airex Balance Pad, a training tool I was introduced to when I first started Vestibular Therapy.The Airex Balance Pad is by far my favorite toy when it comes to unstable surface training as unlike other devices (which will remain nameless here), it mitigates your risk of injury (you're not going to go flying off this thing).
In perusing the piles of research that have piled up in my home office I came across research in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that supports unstable surface training when training the gluteus medius.
The research compared double limb stance squats to single limb squats and not surprisingly, found single limb squats placed more demand on the gluteus medius. The research also found exercises performed on an Airex cushion produced greater EMG values as compared with a firm surface.
If you're a runner experiencing lower limb injuries, weak glutes may be a likely culprit and incorporating single leg squats on an Airex Balance Pad should be a consideration for your workout routine.
Oh, and to keep myself honest, this weekend consisted of Workout A of the Turbulence Training 4-Week Bodyweight Program, Intu-Flow, and a 20-minute stint on the incline trainer.
Train hard; stay strong.
Peace.
Susan
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2 Responses to "Airex Balance Pad = Great Glutes"I looked at the previous post for Airex mats and was wondering if the same exercises that are done on stability ball pads. Just to what extent can the Airex mat recreate those conditions?
There is still a great deal of debate about the true value of unstable surface training in conjunction with the different surfaces available (Airex, BOSU, stability ball pads, et al). Ultimately, I don't believe it's an issue of re-creating specific conditions using one surface versus another. What surface is used is going to be dependent on the overall fitness level of the individual involved.
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