012 The Science of Barefoot Balance Training

Training Surface

When designing a barefoot balance program, surface can play an important role in how plantar stimulation and, therefore, proprioception is achieved. Many training surfaces act as inhibitors to plantar stimulation making the fact that the foot is barefoot irrelevant.

What surfaces provide the greatest plantar stimulation? Is it a hard surface such as a hardwood floor, or more of an unstable surface such as a Airex pad?