Question: I have recently been using a "slide board" at a local fitness center. I enjoy the workout but wondered how good it was for conditioning.
Answer: The most current name for the "slide board" is "lateral motion trainer." According to an article by Vern Gambetta in the September issue of Training and Conditioning (Volume III, No. 3), this device was originally designed as a method of off-season training for speed skaters. It consists of a smooth, slick surface from 6 to 12 feet in length and from 30 to 36 inches in width with a bumper on each end that allows a person to slide laterally from one side to the other.This training device has been used by therapists since the late 1980s to help rehabilitate lower extremity injuries. Today, in addition to the use by therapists, the slide board is being used as a type of low-impact exercise for training and conditioning athletes in a wide variety of sports. According to Gambetta, exercising on slide boards helps stabilize joints, increase functional leg strength, and improve body and spatial awareness. In addition, a slide board workout, unlike running, is easy on the joints of the legs.
Slide boards now come so that the length can be adjusted. This allows a person to work at higher or lower intensity and to set the length based on his/her leg length and skill level. An octagonal-shaped board has recently come on the market that allows for multidirectional movement. Another manufacturer has introduced an L-shaped board, which allows for a complete 90-degree change-of-direction with speed or two athletes to exercise together.
Although the surface of commercially built boards is usually plastic or some other slick material, Gambetta said a home-made board could be built by gluing Formica to plywood. Furniture polish or silicone lubricants can be used to increase the slickness. In addition, most commercially built boards come with slip-on foot coverings to ease sliding, but heavy wool boot socks, either over the foot or over shoes, can be effective.
The first consideration when using a slide board is finding the most desirable length, which depends on two factors: your leg length and the purpose for using the board. For rehabilitation it is best to start with a short distance (3-5 feet) and then progress to longer distances as strength and proficiency improve. For lateral speed and agility training, 7 to 9 feet is optimal. For overall aerobic conditioning, Gambetta recommended from 9 to 12 feet.
The next consideration is body position. New users should begin with an upright trunk and a slight flex at the ankle, knee and hip. Later, a more crouched, speed-skating position could be used.
Research from Auburn University showed the slide board to be effective for cardiovascular training. And an Adelphi University study found little difference in metabolic demand between the upright and the crouched positions, although the crouched position would require and build more strength in the lower body.
Garth Fisher is director of the Human Performance Research Center at Brigham Young University.