Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
UltraSlide Slideboards are a unique piece of fitness equipment that you can use to enhance your strength training for trail running. Hockey, speed skating, tennis, baseball, football and many other sports utilize slideboards regularly to improve fitness. The board’s slippery surface adds additional challenges to many common stability and strength exercises. Listed below are some of my personal favorite core exercises to do on an UltraSlide Slideboard.
- Lateral Push-off (1 minute)
- Split Squats (30 seconds)
- Hand Walks (30 seconds)
- Leg Circles (30 seconds clockwise & 30 seconds counter-clockwise)
- In-n-Outs (30 seconds both legs, 15 seconds 1 leg)
- Hip Raises (1 minute)
- Wax On, Wax Off (30 seconds)
- Fly Push-ups (30 seconds)
SlideBoards are simple to use. Put on the SlideBoard slippers over your shoes and you’re ready to slide! The video below demonstrates my quick 6 minute and 30 second SlideBoard core routine.
[PROTIP] If your SlideBoard does not seem slippery enough to perform your exercises smoothly, spray more slide board polish directly onto the board.
Curious where to find a slideboard? You can purchase one online or find one easily at most gyms. See my article last week “How to Choose the Best Gym for You.” There are also ways to recreate slideboard exercises without using a slideboard. Put a small hand-towel under your feet and do the same exercises while sliding across tile or hardwood floors. Check out the video below where I demonstrate this alternative.
You can even have fun incorporating these exercises into household tasks such as cleaning your floors. Connect with your inner desire to be Master Miyagi’s Karate Kid and “wax on, wax off!”
