013 The Science of Barefoot Balance Training

Training Surface continued...

Of the above surfaces the ones with the greatest plantar stimulation would be the hardwood floor and the Astroturf. The ones with the least plantar stimulation is the Airex pad and the Bosu or Dyna Disc.

This is not to say that training on a Airex Pad or Bosu is not beneficial. If your goal is to stimulate the plantar receptors and improve stability utilizing barefoot science, the foot needs as much skin to ground contact as possible. The Airex Pad and Bosu have surfaces that actually dampen the proprioceptive input from the bottom of the foot.

As far as the wobble boards and tilt boards, little research supports these training modalities. Much of the current research has shown that these two training surfaces train the foot and ankle to sense only slow inversion moments. The sensory input that is fastest when it comes to foot and ankle stability comes from the plantar skin.