The Slide Board is a little known tool that can reap incredible aerobic results, as well as put a fun twist on upper body and core exercises. While the Slide Board may be hard to find, it is becoming increasingly available at local fitness centers, and a staple of many high performance training outfits. The Slide Board consists of an 8-10 foot long lexan sheet with two bumpers at the end. The user wears booties to reduce the friction between their feet and the board.
The most common aerobic activity is using the skating motion. Setting the bumpers as far apart as comfortable for the user, the athlete lines up on one side and pushes off with their leg in a long exaggerated rollerblade stride toward the other end. When they have reached the other bumper, they absorb the impact with their knees and hips, and explode back toward the other side. This is also a mild plyometric activity.
You can apply the same principles for the lower body to the upper body. By placing the booties on your hands and assuming the push up position, this puts an increased load on your stabilizing muscles to keep your body in the proper position. You can do standard push ups in this position, or push side-to-side with your arms.
The Slide Board is a very versatile piece of equipment, and you are only limited by your skill and imagination. As with all exercises, ensure that a proper warm-up and stretching routine is performed before activity, and if you're unsure of an exercise, ask an expert so they can help minimize injury and increase productivity.
