Getting your fitness in can be tough. It often depends on your mood, the weather, mobility issues or motivation. We found an underrated, compact indoor exercise machine that may help out, and reviewers say it can get your “heart rate up faster than walking on the treadmill.” We’re also spotting people rave about it being more effective than the trendy mini-steppers. This balance board offers a rhythmic way to work in some cardio and may help you “burn more calories” than a traditional mini stepper. It’s a low-impact workout that comes with resistance bands, letting you glide back and forth, similar to cross-country skiing — and today it’s 20% off, which drops it just under $40! Grab one while this early Labor Day sale is in effect, because it surely won’t last long.
This compact fitness machine can help you burn calories in a way that’s closer to dancing than running, cycling or walking.
Forget the walking pad, treadmill and elliptical. This balance board lets you rock and glide your body through arching motions instead of taking steps, acting as a more graceful version of a mini stepper. Reviewers say it helps work out their glutes, legs and cardio skills without ever having to leave the house. It also, as its name implies, helps with controlling your balance and stability.
One reviewer calls this balance board “a fantastic little tool for improving balance, core strength, and stability.”
“I love how smooth the motion is,” they continue. “It challenges your balance without feeling unsafe, and it’s perfect for beginners as well as more advanced users. It’s also great for ankle strengthening, rehab exercises, or adding a bit of movement to standing‑desk time.”
Packaged with this little machine are a pair of resistance bands for some added training variation. It also has an LCD screen to track steps, time and calories.
This balance board is also super compact.
It’s also easy to store and incredibly lightweight and compact.
Another win for this device over steppers and treadmills: it’s tiny. At 11 pounds, these are much lighter than the typical walking pad, and the dimensions also mean you can tuck it underneath a piece of furniture or away in a closet. That also lets you move it from room to room fairly easily, so you can maybe hop on it at a standing desk, or bring it to the living room while you’re watching your favorite shows. So many reviewers also call this extremely quiet in operation.
“This product is great to use. Once I got the hang of it, it was easy to hop on and glide while I binge my favorite shows or listen to my new audiobook. It quiet, so it doesn’t bother other people in room. My only suggestion is to plan your workouts when you have some alone-time. My kids sure got a kick out of watching my first attempt.” — Sheila Schroeder
“Quick set up – Light weight. Ready out of the box. The bands connected easily and I was on it in less than a minute. A bit of a “sliding” noise while using it as expected, but not loud or disruptive. So far I’ve been able to use it while I read a book or play a game on my phone (without the bands), or watch TV while using the bands, usually for about 45 minutes. Is it the same as going to the gym? Probably not. BUT I’m moving more (especially during typically lazy activities), I can feel a hint of soreness in multiple muscle groups without it being unbearable or affect my ability to move around the next day, and it gets my heart rate up quickly and maintains it. Easy to get on and off if I need to, and I can make it more difficult or target different areas by adjusting my stance. The tension in the bands is good to just rotate through a few different movements to work upper arms. My husband is 6′4, 260# and got right on with no issues as well (but did use a table while stepping on). I’d suggest having something to hold on to while first using it if balance may be an issue, and wearing athletic shoes makes it more comfortable. Fantastic for the price!” — Amazon Customera
“Works well for its use. I got it as I have a chronic illness that makes exercise hard and it’s an easy stepping stone back into exercise for me. Keep the handles away from cats if you have them, the foam is addictive for some reason. Mine completley tore it up. Or you can just cut the foam off, and still use the cords/handles just fine.” — Mikelle
“Just did my three minute workout on it cause let me tell you something. This disabled body hasn’t moved in quite some time. Three minutes was quite enough on it and I can feel it so as time goes by I can definitely tell that this will do what I wanted to which is helped me to tone up some of the flab on my body. Thank you for the Invention and such a wonderful product.” — Dawna
“I’ve had this for two months now so ready to write a review. I use this each night for 20 minutes and here’s my feedback:
1st husband says my butt is looking noticeably better.
2nd it work’s different body parts depending on how it’s used. For me if I do a stair step motion it works my butt, if I squat low it works my thighs.
3rd true that its range does not go far as stated in many other reviews however I don’t think it is an issue as I definitely get sore using it.
4th. I had no trouble balancing on it and I also don’t think it’s helped my balance in any way.
5th. It is very lightweight and small so easy to move around and put away.
I’m very pleased with this.” — justamom
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