Effects of home exercise balance program with progression to wobble board on Biodex testing and hoverboard time trials

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Hoverboards have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Although hoverboards can lead to injury, they can be used therapeutically to assess balance. This paper explores the use of balance exercises to increase ankle stability in college-aged adults. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to find if a six-week home exercise balance program with progression to a wobble board correlates to improvements in balance and control on a hoverboard and similar activities related to ankle stability. METHODS: A sample of convenience of 34 healthy subjects from the College of Health Professions at Wichita State University, ages 18-30 years old, completed a baseline Biodex measurement and obstacle course hoverboard trials measuring completion time and falls. Fifteen participants completed a home exercise balance program composed of ankle sway, single leg balance, heel raises for six weeks with a progression to a wobble board starting at the fourth week. Following six weeks, all participants returned for a final assessment to repeat the same procedure. RESULTS: After performing a data analysis, no significant differences were established between the control and intervention groups. CONCLUSION: Even though there were no significant differences, a trend was present in improvement in hoverboard time trials in the intervention group. Future studies should consider lengthening the time frame, implementing more challenging exercises, or substituting with a labile ball.