Although balance boards have been around for over half a century, Revolution Balance Boards offers a new outlook and purpose built boards tailored to focus on a variety of different skills. Besides general balance and fitness needs, a balance board can be an effective training tool for several sports, including skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, and surprisingly off-road motorcycling.

I first stumbled across balance board training while getting into trials riding years ago. The internet provided tips and techniques for increasing balance, and eventually I came across YouTube videos of trials and enduro racers training on balance boards. Intrigued, I found a DIY to make my own “budget version” out of a 2 liter bottle and an old skateboard. There were many flaws in the design. It didn’t last long and my cheap contraption was actually quite dangerous, especially for beginners, something I realize now after using a professionally built balance board.

"Our goal is to provide fun and functional training tools to make exercise less boring, and give athletes often overlooked skills in the form of improved balance and body control." - Brendon Mrzlak, Owner and Designer of Revolution Balance Boards.

No experience required! You can choose the difficulty of your FIT by swapping bases, or adding exercises.

Revolution currently offers six boards in their line-up. There’s something for everybody, from beginners, advanced set-ups for those who want to do tricks, and our preference – the Revolution FIT, designed to be incorporated in a workout routine. The FIT comes with three bases that increase in difficulty – a Rocker, a Wobble, and a Roller. Each offers a unique feel that require separate sets of skills to master, turning the FIT into three different work-out machines in one package.

So how exactly can a balance board increase your riding skills? It’s actually quite simple! The motion of the board rolling back and forth replicates the feeling of riding a motorcycle through loose or slippery terrain. For example, imagine riding over a rock the size of your fist. Under pressure, the rock rolls to the side, kicking out the rear wheel, giving you that “Oh crap!” moment. This is actually the same feeling you get the first time you mount a balance board. Through practice, you’re subjecting yourself to repetitive “Oh crap!” moments until your nerves calm, and your body start to become fluid with the motion of the board. Eventually, “Oh crap!” becomes “Ah, I see…” Learning to balance board can be intimidating, but then it becomes fun and surprisingly addicting.

There are dozens of ways to incorporate the FIT into your workout routine, but I think one of the most beneficial to off-road motorcyclists is simply doing squats. What’s the first thing we do when riding into technical terrain? We stand up! Going from seated to standing throughout a long day of trail riding can get tiresome, so getting used to doing squats while balancing can really reduce fatigue. Using the FIT can feel a lot like riding up a greasy hill climb, all while staying stationary in the safety and comfort of your home.

Three bases are included with the FIT that vary in difficulty - A Rocker, a Wobble, and a Roller.

The FIT is designed for fitness, but it’s so fun you’ll find yourself using it even when you’re not working out. It’s great to use while watching TV. I even brought it to a friend’s house and we came up with some interesting and humorous challenges while balancing, like touching all four corners with each hand, push-ups using only one leg, or smacking away incoming projectiles (stuffed dog toys and foam Nerf bullets). My friends were eager to learn and all said the same thing, “I’ve gotta get me one of these!”

While teaching others to use the FIT, the hard foam Rocker base was very user friendly. In fact, it may be easier to learn your workouts on the Rocker first before attempting them on the Roller. The Wobble is the second most challenging base and users will need to practice balancing front-to-back as well as side-to-side. It can even be inflated or deflated to increase or decrease the level of difficulty.

The FIT works best on flat surfaces.The FIT system works on most flat, smooth surfaces. Using the Roller seems easiest on shallow carpet or rubber matting, although it won’t work well on uneven or rough surfaces. That being said, you can balance board almost anywhere - at home, in your garage, or even in your office building – a major benefit considering I hate going to the gym. The Rocker and Wobble will also work on most surfaces and if you’ve got kids you can use these bases to teach them over a matted surface. The FIT could possibly be the most fun piece of workout equipment on the market and it can be great fun for the whole family.

The hardwood quality and finish on the board is top notch. It arrived with no burrs and it was extremely smooth all throughout. The wide platform gives the user some real estate to decide where to plant his or her feet. I appreciated the integrated urethane roller stops on the board, something I didn’t have on my DIY version. These prevent the board from washing out if pushed too far to either side. The FIT can be used with any type of foot ware, but it feels really comfortable with bare feet thanks to a soft, grippy track top. Revolution’s styling is significantly more professional looking than other brands on the market, many of which look like they should come with knee pads, a Hawaiian shirt, or a styling guide for “man buns”.

The FIT is the most costly option in Revolution’s line-up and to get the most out of it you’ll want to incorporate the Rocker, Wobble, and Roller into your workout routine. Using weights, medicine balls, and doing yoga all add to the FIT board’s effectiveness. Revolution offers lower priced, lighter options in compact designs if you’re looking to solely learn how to balance board - all of which are more affordable than competitor offerings. For a way to train during the off season, or add some excitement to your exercises, the Revolution FIT is a double whammy when it comes to functionality and value. MSRP: $179.95 RevBalance.com

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