Indo Board
Editor’s Conclusion
I took one look at an Indo Board and knew I had to give it a try. It just looks fun - which is something rarely said about workout equipment!
It was originally designed by a surfer to help boost stability and core strength when you can’t quite make it to the beach. However, he soon learned that this board provides a fun and effective core workout for folks that live hundreds of miles from any beach.
This set includes a strong and sturdy faux wooden board (similar to a surfboard) that rolls on top of a foam roller. It’s simple, affordable, effective, and incredibly fun. Traditional workouts, like running, don’t quite activate those tiny stabilizing muscles.
In fact, few workout machines can touch your stabilizing muscles the same way that the Indo Board can. Balancing on this board provides users with one killer core workout (and it’s a lot more fun than doing sit-ups!), also helps to build muscles in your hamstring, glutes, and quads as well.
It was originally designed by a surfer to help boost stability and core strength when you can’t quite make it to the beach. However, he soon learned that this board provides a fun and effective core workout for folks that live hundreds of miles from any beach.
This set includes a strong and sturdy faux wooden board (similar to a surfboard) that rolls on top of a foam roller. It’s simple, affordable, effective, and incredibly fun. Traditional workouts, like running, don’t quite activate those tiny stabilizing muscles.
In fact, few workout machines can touch your stabilizing muscles the same way that the Indo Board can. Balancing on this board provides users with one killer core workout (and it’s a lot more fun than doing sit-ups!), also helps to build muscles in your hamstring, glutes, and quads as well.
Indo Board Review Facts
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
Affordable price point
Fun to use
Compact design
350-pound weight limit
Great for absolute beginners or intermediate users
Can be combined with medicine ball work to train the upper body and increase the challenge
Portable and easy to store
Cons
Hard learning curve
Slightly more expensive than other balance boards
Key Features
PERFORMANCE
Overall, I would recommend the Indo Board for users that want to improve muscle memory, build strength in their core and legs, and increase their balance. This little board is also able to target all those little stabilizing muscles that will help increase strength for powerlifting movements such as deadlifts and squats.
Many heavy compound movements rely on a strong and stable core to reach new PRs, and this board is an excellent way to build overall strength and stability that will benefit you on the platform as well as the court.
It may look like a device that is designed for experienced surfers or snowboarders, but it is made for absolute beginners and small adjustments can be made to increase or lower the difficulty. By swapping out carpets for concrete, you can manually dial up the difficulty and increase your overall balance and stability.
MATERIALS
Indo Board doesn’t skimp on the quality of materials used like some of their competitors. The board is composed of cabinet-grade Birchwood that is incredibly strong and treated with non-slip materials to ensure that you maintain a strong and secure footing whether you are wearing sneakers, socks, or bare feet.
The roller is composed of molded plastic that grips firmly to the board under your feet. This plastic roller is built tough, and able to withstand weights up to an impressive 350 pounds!
It also has three strips of grip tape that are placed in key areas to improve the grip to the board to prevent slipping and allows you to maintain better overall control.
SIZE
If you don’t have much room in your home gym for big and boxy core workout equipment, the Indo Board is an excellent option. Even if you don’t have a dedicated home workout space, this board is made to move.
In fact, when you are just getting started it’s better to use this board on a soft surface such as carpet or grass. It even works great on a yoga mat as well. When I first tried my Indo Board, I set it up in front of my TV in my living room and burned my quads and core as I burned through Netflix!
The original board measures to be 30 inches long and 18 inches wide that provides ample room to adopt a firm and wide stance. The roller underneath is 6.5 inches in diameter, which makes this board and included roller easy to pack away in a closet when not in use, or tossed into the trunk of your car.
I like that I can slide the board under my sofa, and leave my roller out to soothe sore and tired muscles at the end of my workout.
SAFETY FEATURES
As the board states - use at your own risk! I won’t sugar-coat it: you are likely to fall as you learn to master this board. I suggest training next to a wall (at least as first) to prevent any hard falls. However, the board is built with smart safety features to keep the board from completely slipping off of the foam roller.
The underside of this board has two grooves built into the end that is designed to catch the end of the roller so that the board doesn’t slide completely off of its base. Once you hit the end of the roller with the board, the lips on the ends will catch the board and lock it in place.
These grooves work when you are using the board at a slow pace on a soft surface. However, if you are on a hard surface such as concrete and moving along at a quick pace, these lips can easily slip up over the board if you are not careful.
USE
If you have never tried a balance board before, fear not! This board isn’t just designed for skilled surfers or snowboarders, it’s designed for all skill levels! If you are new to balance boards, there are a few things to keep in mind to prevent face-planting on your very first try.
The first thing to keep in mind is that when you first get started, you want to board and roller to move nice and slowly. To achieve this, I recommend placing your roller on a soft surface such as carpet or grass. The more cushioning that is placed under the board makes the roller move much more slowly.
As you get better at using your board, you will notice two different things start to happen. First, you will be able to move back and forth on the board without it touching the ground with ease. The second thing that you will notice is that it just isn’t engaging your core and leg muscles as intensely as when you first start.
When that happens, it’s time to increase the difficulty! By placing the roller on a hard, slick surface such as a hardwood floor or concrete will make the roller move much more quickly. You will need to really engage those small stabilizing muscles to keep you from face-planting on the floor!
Once you have mastered using your original board on hard surfaces, it may be time to graduate to the Indo Board Pro Flo!
PRICE
The price tag of this device is far more affordable than other core trainers, but it is still a little more expensive than previous models. The original Ido Board was released in 1998, and since those 20+ years, there has been a long line of similar options that are much more affordable.
However, these similar designs lack the overall performance and durability of the Original Indo Board and don’t quite capture the magic in the same way.
It can be tempting to opt for a more affordable competitor, but these designs aren’t built as tough and don’t offer the same level of high-end performance features.
Overall, I would recommend the Indo Board for users that want to improve muscle memory, build strength in their core and legs, and increase their balance. This little board is also able to target all those little stabilizing muscles that will help increase strength for powerlifting movements such as deadlifts and squats.
Many heavy compound movements rely on a strong and stable core to reach new PRs, and this board is an excellent way to build overall strength and stability that will benefit you on the platform as well as the court.
It may look like a device that is designed for experienced surfers or snowboarders, but it is made for absolute beginners and small adjustments can be made to increase or lower the difficulty. By swapping out carpets for concrete, you can manually dial up the difficulty and increase your overall balance and stability.
MATERIALS
Indo Board doesn’t skimp on the quality of materials used like some of their competitors. The board is composed of cabinet-grade Birchwood that is incredibly strong and treated with non-slip materials to ensure that you maintain a strong and secure footing whether you are wearing sneakers, socks, or bare feet.
The roller is composed of molded plastic that grips firmly to the board under your feet. This plastic roller is built tough, and able to withstand weights up to an impressive 350 pounds!
It also has three strips of grip tape that are placed in key areas to improve the grip to the board to prevent slipping and allows you to maintain better overall control.
SIZE
If you don’t have much room in your home gym for big and boxy core workout equipment, the Indo Board is an excellent option. Even if you don’t have a dedicated home workout space, this board is made to move.
In fact, when you are just getting started it’s better to use this board on a soft surface such as carpet or grass. It even works great on a yoga mat as well. When I first tried my Indo Board, I set it up in front of my TV in my living room and burned my quads and core as I burned through Netflix!
The original board measures to be 30 inches long and 18 inches wide that provides ample room to adopt a firm and wide stance. The roller underneath is 6.5 inches in diameter, which makes this board and included roller easy to pack away in a closet when not in use, or tossed into the trunk of your car.
I like that I can slide the board under my sofa, and leave my roller out to soothe sore and tired muscles at the end of my workout.
SAFETY FEATURES
As the board states - use at your own risk! I won’t sugar-coat it: you are likely to fall as you learn to master this board. I suggest training next to a wall (at least as first) to prevent any hard falls. However, the board is built with smart safety features to keep the board from completely slipping off of the foam roller.
The underside of this board has two grooves built into the end that is designed to catch the end of the roller so that the board doesn’t slide completely off of its base. Once you hit the end of the roller with the board, the lips on the ends will catch the board and lock it in place.
These grooves work when you are using the board at a slow pace on a soft surface. However, if you are on a hard surface such as concrete and moving along at a quick pace, these lips can easily slip up over the board if you are not careful.
USE
If you have never tried a balance board before, fear not! This board isn’t just designed for skilled surfers or snowboarders, it’s designed for all skill levels! If you are new to balance boards, there are a few things to keep in mind to prevent face-planting on your very first try.
The first thing to keep in mind is that when you first get started, you want to board and roller to move nice and slowly. To achieve this, I recommend placing your roller on a soft surface such as carpet or grass. The more cushioning that is placed under the board makes the roller move much more slowly.
As you get better at using your board, you will notice two different things start to happen. First, you will be able to move back and forth on the board without it touching the ground with ease. The second thing that you will notice is that it just isn’t engaging your core and leg muscles as intensely as when you first start.
When that happens, it’s time to increase the difficulty! By placing the roller on a hard, slick surface such as a hardwood floor or concrete will make the roller move much more quickly. You will need to really engage those small stabilizing muscles to keep you from face-planting on the floor!
Once you have mastered using your original board on hard surfaces, it may be time to graduate to the Indo Board Pro Flo!
PRICE
The price tag of this device is far more affordable than other core trainers, but it is still a little more expensive than previous models. The original Ido Board was released in 1998, and since those 20+ years, there has been a long line of similar options that are much more affordable.
However, these similar designs lack the overall performance and durability of the Original Indo Board and don’t quite capture the magic in the same way.
It can be tempting to opt for a more affordable competitor, but these designs aren’t built as tough and don’t offer the same level of high-end performance features.
Comparisons to Other Indo Boards
I reviewed the Original Indo Board, but there are quite a few other designs on their storefront that accommodate absolute beginners to experts. The original board is perfect for beginners that are already active in cardio workouts or strength training.
If you are a recently-inspired couch potato, you may want to start with the Indo Cushion instead of the plastic roller. The cushion is able to be inflated a little or a lot to make the movement easier and to slowly ease you into balance training. For absolute beginners, the cushion is your best option.
If you want to dive straight into the deep end, so to speak, Indo also offers a Pro design. The Pro design was made for taller users that have a wider stance, but it also helps users pull off more difficult movements.
The long and narrow design of the Pro option allows users to pull off cross-stepping from one end of the board to the next, which cannot be achieved on the original version.
If you are a recently-inspired couch potato, you may want to start with the Indo Cushion instead of the plastic roller. The cushion is able to be inflated a little or a lot to make the movement easier and to slowly ease you into balance training. For absolute beginners, the cushion is your best option.
If you want to dive straight into the deep end, so to speak, Indo also offers a Pro design. The Pro design was made for taller users that have a wider stance, but it also helps users pull off more difficult movements.
The long and narrow design of the Pro option allows users to pull off cross-stepping from one end of the board to the next, which cannot be achieved on the original version.
Verdict
Who says that workouts have to be serious and boring?
Sit-ups are still the reigning champion of core work, but they can get a little boring. If you are looking for a fun and unique way to build core strength, shed calories, and boost stability and balance, the Indo Board is a great option.
It costs a little bit more than its competitors, but it is built to be much more durable and functional than cheaper knock-offs. It has an easy learning curve, and the basic design is made to scale right along with your skill level.
I also like to throw in medicine balls or dumbbells to increase the challenge and fit in an upper body workout as I train my lower body as well!
Sit-ups are still the reigning champion of core work, but they can get a little boring. If you are looking for a fun and unique way to build core strength, shed calories, and boost stability and balance, the Indo Board is a great option.
It costs a little bit more than its competitors, but it is built to be much more durable and functional than cheaper knock-offs. It has an easy learning curve, and the basic design is made to scale right along with your skill level.
I also like to throw in medicine balls or dumbbells to increase the challenge and fit in an upper body workout as I train my lower body as well!
$189.95See Deal
