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The benefits of a balance pad or the stuff that (foam) dreams are made of

11.12.2020

Translation: Megan Cornish

What's the use of a balance pad? My humorous Airex article was torn to shreds. Now, I want to take a serious look at the spongy issue of the best foam to have underfoot.

Recently, I came out with some hot air. My article (in German) on the Airex Balance-pad Elite consisted of 96% childish glee that the manufacturer talks up the high proportion of air in its products as a hallmark of quality. On the one hand, the piece was a success. It climbed to the top of the site and garnered clicks, views and comments.

Product test
96 per cent air - Swiss Made!
by Michael Restin

On the other hand, it was quite rightly criticised in terms of informative content.

I learned two things from this. One: hot air makes for a perfect experiment. It attracts attention and feedback. And two: there's still room on the internet. So, the following article addresses the sense and purpose of balance trainers like the Airex. Join me and delve into the exciting world of balance. First we'll look at our working lives, then rehabilitation and sports, which are what the Balance-pad is primarily made for.

Working standing up

Simply put, inactivity kills. Whether you spend most of the day sitting or standing, neither is good for you. Our bodies are meant to move. This also applies to working hours. Sitting still in an office chair doesn't do you any favours. And standing all day long is just as bad. Because I prefer to work standing up for longer periods at a time, I use the Airex Balance-pad Elite. The foam yields, making me work to maintain my balance and leading nerves to innervate my muscles, which contract and stabilise me. Instead of standing still, there's constantly some degree of movement going on. This distributes my weight evenly and stops my feet hurting.

Balance cushion

CHF82.50

Airex Balance Pad Elite

Personally, I find that it feels better to stand on a soft surface. And it's not just me; the participants of various studies into the use of foam mats and insoles agree. The benefit to the lower back and lower extremities is partly confirmed by the conclusions of this systematic review from 2018. The authors to the same conclusion after an evaluation of relevant publications at any rate. Cushioning is recommended.

A moderate level of evidence exists to support the use of cushioning materials for the reduction of perceived musculoskeletal discomfort of the lower limb and the lower back whilst standing at work.

Speed G, Harris K, Keegel T: The effect of cushioning materials on musculoskeletal discomfort and fatigue during prolonged standing at work: A systematic review

Working out which material has the most beneficial properties is more difficult. Are insoles better? Is a thin mat or a thick balance pad more helpful? If yes, which one? How thick should it be? According to the current research, knowledge of this is so vague that no formal, universal estimation can be given.

There is not enough information in the existing literature to comment on the relative superiority of one type of cushioning material over another.

Speed G, Harris K, Keegel T: The effect of cushioning materials on musculoskeletal discomfort and fatigue during prolonged standing at work: A systematic review

So, Joe231253's theory that a piece of foam from a DIY store would do just as well can't be refuted. It's possible that it would give most people the same pleasant feeling.

The verdict for all of us who work standing up: you don't have to get a balance pad just for this purpose. Try out what feels best for you. The impact of age, gender and stress on the study's results is also not yet clear.

Sports and rehabilitation

Right, feelings aside. Now we're going to look at the facts of the Balance-pad as a sports and rehabilitation tool. Posturography is the reason behind a study that looks more closely at the properties of different materials. The balance analysis process involved participants standing on a measurement platform to record centre of gravity, sway velocity and weight distribution under different conditions. Foam pads were also used, which can complicate the task somewhat. This publication shows that there are certainly differences. These are best illustrated by this graph.

Source: Guy Gosselin, Michael Fagan: Foam pads properties and their effects on posturography in participants of different weight / CC BY 4.0

The yellow line represents the Airex Balance-pad while the others represent different Vitafoam foam products not specially made for sports and rehabilitation. When the load is increased, only the Balance-pad shows linear deformation. So you sink in evenly while the other materials quickly yield and then provide more resistance. In other words, the Balance-pad is best at unbalancing people weighing up to 90 kg in a comparable way. It does its job then. If the foam loses too much of its shape, it can actually regain its stabilising effect eventually. Then feet find a firm grip and are also enclosed by foam at the sides.

The Balance pad produced the largest postural sway velocity in participants with less than 90 kg mass whilst the bi-layer upholstery sample (406 mm indenter) produced the largest changes in participants above 90 kg of mass.

Guy Gosselin, Michael Fagan: Foam pads properties and their effects on posturography in participants of different weight

So much for the rehabilitation of Airex, the Aargau-based traditional brand. Special Balance-pads definitely have a purpose. And buying «made in Switzerland» is never going to be the cheapest option. The choice is yours, but I don't know the other models. The Airex Elite came to me after a cruciate ligament rupture in our household. My wife has a knee injury; I now have a Balance-pad. What can you do with it? This, for example:

If you need to stabilise joints, build musculature and relearn movements, it's important to work on coordination and your sense of balance. By jumping onto the pad or doing single-leg squats, lunges or other exercises that don't just build muscle mass but also promote a harmonious interaction between all of the bodily structures involved. This activates deep muscle layers and improves their neural control.

There's no reason to expect injury if you build one of these components into your training. Your body benefits from the ankles to the knees and right up to the torso and it's sometimes an easy way to gently increase the difficulty of a familiar exercise. A foam balance pad convinces first and foremost with its versatility. There are many devices that demand a lot more of your sense of balance.

Product test
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However, it's harder to do additional exercises on the more wobbly versions. This study compared how challenging balancing on one leg is on different balance devices. The Airex Balance-pad was up against a wooden «wobble board» and a BOSU Ball.

Balance cushion

CHF254.–

Bosu Pro

Balance cushion

CHF55.90

Sissel Balance

Balancing on the Balance-pad is already far more demanding than doing the same exercise on the floor. The wooden board and above all the BOSU Ball considerably increase the challenge yet further, as shown on this diagram. The compensating movements become bigger and the peroneus longus is much more active. Really targeted stabilising of your knees and ankles requires another level of training. What Airex and the others offer is an all-round balance training device that be incorporated into many exercises. So it's not a matter of any old foam; it has to be a specialist product that has the required deformation properties.

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Michael Restin

Senior Editor

Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.ch

Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.

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The benefits of a balance pad or the stuff that (foam) dreams are made of

96 per cent air - Swiss Made!

Working standing up

Sports and rehabilitation

How the MFT Challenge Disc 2.0 performs in the physiotherapy practice

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