I did it! How I got hooked on my balance board
3/7/2026
Pictures: Anna Sandner
Can a balance board stabilise my ankles? I tried it out and discovered how quickly a training chore can turn into a firm habit – as long as it's fun enough.
My ankles aren't the most stable. I twist them easily, which puts me at risk of straining ligaments or worse. So I need something that trains them specifically and prevents injuries.
Balance exercises are excellent for this. And in my research on the topic, one thing keeps coming up: balance board. Yes! Finally a reason to try one of these on-land surfboards. So it doesn't take long before my latest I did it! plan spanning one (or two, or three…) new healthy week(s) is in place. I want to fit in several short balance board sessions every day. To start with, I'm planning three sessions of five to ten minutes a day.
That's the theory. In practice, though, I quickly abandon my plan. I hadn't reckoned with how much fun this dry-land surfing experience is. But let's start from the beginning.
Finding the right board
The range of balance boards is huge. But as an old hand at windsurfing, I quickly know what I want: it has to be a roller board – a surfboard-like wooden board that sits on a cork roller. I go for this model from Sport Thieme:
Cautious at first, then hugely enjoyable
It's been a while since I stood on a real surfboard, so on the first day I step onto the board rather cautiously and a bit wobbly. To feel safe at the start, I hold onto a chair. The feeling really is similar to surfing. I instinctively bend my knees slightly and balance my weight on the unstable board. To my surprise, after just a few minutes I'm steady enough to let go of the chair back I've been holding onto. And it works. Until, after about 30 seconds, I lose my balance and the board slips sideways off the roller. I just about catch myself. A close call. As a precaution, I end my first attempt there, but I'm already looking forward to the next round.
Hooked on day one
It's so much fun that on the very first day I ditch my self-imposed training plan and end up standing on the board for much longer and more often than originally planned. I'm honestly thrilled.
After the first day, standing without holding on already feels fairly secure. I still have to keep correcting my balance the whole time, though, and I can't yet hold the board still and centred on the roller. The wave-like motions I make with the board come from constantly compensating for my reflexive movements. It's fun, but still too uncontrolled to feel truly safe. But it's only day one. And many more will follow.
Sore muscles in completely new places
On day two, I'm back on the board before I've even brushed my teeth. I need to find out whether I only imagined how much fun it was the day before. No, it's no illusion – it's simply brilliant. I've definitely found the right piece of training equipment for me (and my ankles).
In my enthusiasm, though, I overdo it pretty quickly. By the third day, I'm suffering from sore muscles in my legs – in places I didn't know could ache so noticeably. Starting more slowly, as originally planned, would probably have been the smarter idea. I'm forced to ease off, but I don't stop completely despite the aching muscles. Two days later, the soreness is gone, replaced by a pleasantly strong feeling in my legs.
In no time at all, the board becomes a permanent fixture in the living room. I keep hopping on for a moment whenever I walk past, fit in short five-minute sessions several times a day and occasionally surf through the living room for longer stretches. The rest of the family has also grown curious and keeps stepping onto the board too. Apparently, I'm not the only one who's fallen for the wobbly thing.
It's all golden – until it isn't
After a good two weeks, I feel really secure on the board. I can now balance calmly and even stand motionless on the roller. Controlled tilting from one side to the other also works well. Still, I do have a few hairy moments: twice, the roller slips out from under the board. The first time, I just about catch myself; the second time, I'm on the floor in a split second. Luckily, I don't hurt myself.
Around the same time, I realise things could easily turn out very differently. A friend tells me she fell and needs surgery on her elbow. The cause, of all things, was a balance board: while practising, she flew off the board and broke her elbow. Ouch. As fond as I've grown of my board by now, there's definitely still a risk of falling.
What I notice after two months
By now, my daily surf session has been part of my routine for nearly two months. It's still just as much fun as it was on day one, and I wouldn't want to go back to life without the board. The initial muscle soreness hasn't come back. What I do have, though, is a pretty clear feeling that the training is doing my ankles good. I feel more stable on my feet, I don't twist my ankle as easily in everyday life any more, and I'm a bit more sure-footed overall. Whether that's just how it feels or already the start of a measurable training effect, I obviously can't prove with my small self-experiment. For me, the fun and the progress are more than enough reason to keep going.
Why I've stuck with it so far
After two months, the balance board is still in my living room, and I'm still stepping onto it almost every day. That says it all, doesn't it? I use it because I feel like it, not because I have to remind myself to train my ankles. It's managed what many good resolutions fail to do: it's turned from a piece of training equipment into a habit.
If you'd like to read more articles in my I did it! series, you'll find them here:
Header image: Anna Sandner
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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