Legs · Bodyweight
Balance Board
How to do the balance board, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Place a balance board on a flat, clear surface and step on with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees softly bent. Find your center and work to keep both edges of the board off the floor while staying tall through your spine. Make small ankle and hip adjustments to hold balance, then progress to gentle squats or single-leg holds as you improve.
- 1Your ankles and calves making constant small corrections to stay level
- 2Your core bracing to keep your torso quiet and upright
- 3Even pressure through both feet as you find the balance point
Common mistakes
- Stiffening up and holding your breath instead of staying relaxed
- Looking down at your feet rather than fixing your gaze ahead
- Letting one edge slam down repeatedly instead of controlling the board
Muscles worked
The balance board mainly works the calves and tibialis anterior, with the lower abs, quads, upper abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and adductors assisting.
- CalvesPrimary
- Tibialis AnteriorPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the balance board for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More calves & shins exercises
- How to do the ankle cars
- How to do the ankle circles
- How to do the ankle rocks
- How to do the resistance band ankle mobilization
- How to do the calf press
- How to do the calf raises with hold
Last reviewed June 2026.