This wooden diy balance board is one the simplest and cheapest of all balance boards you can make. I found all the lumber, so it didn't cost anything to build I would not recommend spending more than 20 dollars to make one of these, you're better off buying a professionally made one if you're going to put that much money into it.
Before you build this board ask yourself if you are willing and can handle talking a fall while using this board. Taking falls is just part of using a balance board, while some are safer then other (this one is more on the dangerous side) if you are looking for a safer way to challenging your balance I would recommend you start balance training with standing balance exercises. I recommend you check out the playlist of how to videos i have put together for over 35 standing balance moves
It is around 33 inches long i was happy with that size for my first balance board.
Step 1. Find a plank of wood. Make sure it is thick and wide not too short. If the board is too short it will be too twitchy to use.
Step 2. Put stoppers on the ends of the board so it doesn't shoot out form under you. I used nails to join the stoppers together then i screwed the stoppers onto the plank of wood.
I used some long screws to attach the stoppers to the plank. Make sure to drill some small pilot holes first because Ibroke a few screws trying to drill through that old plank. Also the screws came out of the other side of the plank a little bit so i had to cut them down.
The plank of wood is around 2 inch thick, that should be strong enough. If i was going to make this board again i would make the stoppers a little shorter because theykept on hit the ground when rocking back and forth on the board. With that being said if you want the board to be less challenging, keep the stoppers deep.
Step 3. Build a roller. Fill a 2 liter soda bottle up with water and make sure their is no air trapped in it.
You can also you a 3 liter bottle if you can find one this will make the board a little easier to use.
Step 4. Use board.
my Overall experiences with the board
This board is the first balance board I made, and it has served its purpose as a cheap way to get started balance training for me. It was the fist piece of balance training equipment I used, and it allowed me to get my feet wet at no cost. The only exercises I use it for are standing on it, rocking back and forth and squats once I master those movements I built a better balance board.
Good things about this cheap do it yourself balance board.
It cost me nothing to make.
Easy way to try out balance board training without making a commitment to buying a board
If you have no interest in doing tricks this board is ok because the only thing it is good for is standing on, rocking back and forth and doing squats.
Bad things about this cheap do it yourself balance board
Splinters in your feet if used barefoot.
It is a highly dangerous board to use it could crack in half on you or the stopper could fly off if it is not built right.
The 2-liter roller is also dangerous it can burst at any time.
Limited uses, does not work well for spinning board, or kickflip tricks
Experimenting with different balance board rollers.
Using different rollers with the balance boardwill effect how it preforms, below are some of the different types of rollers i have tried using on a different diy balance board and my experiences with them.
2 inch black pipe- balance board was very twitchy, the board slammed on the ground often, was very challenging to use and not very fun.
4 inch pvc pipe - Balance board reacted slower and moved slower, was fun to use but the balance board slid around on the pvc pipe.
4 inch pvc pipe with duct tape wrapped around it in a few spots- The tape slowed the board down and prevented it from sliding around on the pvc pipe. It was fun for awhile until my skills improved and i wanted the balance board to react faster.
3 inch cardboard tube - (The tube is very thick so it is strong) This is my personal favorite roller to use now because it is challenging but still fun to use . The balance board reacts and moves faster and doesn't slide around as much as using the 4 in pvc pipe. The down side is over time the tub starts to warp or fall apart.
Building a better balance board
I honestly did not use this balance board for that long, shortly after building this one I build a surf balance trainer that I liked using much more.
I also make a guide to making a surf balance trainer it can be found here, it is only a little bit more involved to build but can still be built at a low cost if you have access to scrap lumber.
Additionally I but together a list of all the size and dimensions of all of the most popular balance boards, this list can be helpful if you are planning on making your own balance board.
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Did you build this balance board or make and tweaks to make it better? Please share your experiences below in the comment section.
Don`t want to build a cheap balance board? Check out of some these less sketchy boards.