Simply Fit Board

Medically Reviewed by Rocklend Davis, Ph. D

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Simply Fit Board is a twist board that uses the power of balance and strength training that allegedly helps you reach your fitness goals.

The device targets your abs, legs, and upper body while simultaneously helping you improve your balance and coordination.

It’s possible to use the board with your standing desk or to follow special exercise videos (sold by the company and offered free on YouTube) to get in a home workout.

In this review, we take a detailed look at the Simply Fit Board to help you understand its effectiveness and if it is right for you.

Is the Simply Fit Board Effective for Getting in Shape?

The Simply Fit Board claims to offer a low-impact, highly effective workout for your abs, legs, and core. Can it help you tone up and lose body fat?

Rocklend Davis, Ph. D., a medical researcher at HighYa, shares that research verifies that low-impact exercises can lead to significant improvements in body composition and fitness level.

For example, a randomized control study of 32 women compared the effects of high-impact and low-impact exercise and found that both successfully improved body composition and overall physical fitness within 24 weeks. However, high-impact training led to more significant weight loss results.

Another study found that low-impact exercise can lead to faster fat burning, but only when participants exercised for 60 minutes per session. That’s a lot of time on a balance board.

There’s also evidence that balance-based exercises have health benefits, especially for those dealing with injuries. One study of 34 participants with a history of ankle sprains who used a balance board for a month found that it improved their static and dynamic balance.

Overall, the Simply Fit Board’s style of low-impact exercise can have significant, beneficial impacts for your overall fitness, but it shouldn’t be your only form of exercise.

“The Simply Fit Board programming should not be done in place of resistance training and/or aerobic exercise,” shares Rocklend.

“A training regimen that utilizes instability, such as the Simply Fit Board, could be used as supplementary to performing traditional balance and resistance training… [Furthermore], you are unlikely to experience the benefits of ‘trimming’ without nutritional support.”

How to Use It

The Simply Fit Board is made of plastic and has a 400-pound weight limit. Users can stand on the board and rock or twist to work their muscles or as a way to balance while lifting hand weights.

It’s also possible to place your hands on the board and use it as a platform for planks and other shoulder exercises.

The company strongly recommends that you use the board on carpet to prevent it from moving across the floor and potentially damaging hardwood. Though it sells a workout mat for the board, any small, tightly woven rub with rubber backing should work to protect hard surfaces.

To use the board, step on the edges and gently swing your torso so that your leg on the board swing side to side. It’s common that you’ll move all across the floor the first few times you try to use it. This is because you’re slightly off-balance and likely leaning more towards one side than the other.

If you’re struggling to maintain your balance on the board, try holding onto a chair or table when you first get on it. You can loosen your grip as you rock your ankles back and forth to see whether your balance has improved, and eventually begin the workout.

Make sure you twist with your waist rather than your knees, as your knee joints shouldn’t move. One way to master this movement is to hold a hand weight in each hand straight down at your sides and swing your arms in semi-circular motions while slightly bending your knees so that the board begins to twist.

After you’ve used the board for a week or two, the company claims, you’ll get a better sense of the proper motion and should be able to keep the board in one place.

Once you have the fundamental technique down, you can build on the basics by following workout videos offered by the company or on YouTube. Most require a few additional pieces of equipment like kettlebells or hand weights.

Risks and Safety

As with all forms of exercise, there are some inherent risks associated with the Simply Fit Board, especially if you struggle with balance.

Rocklend suggests that beginners only use the board when supervised to minimize their risk of falling.

Those at a higher risk of falling or who have bone density issues such as osteoporosis should be extra cautious and get their doctor’s permission before getting on the Board.

It’s also smart to practice in front of a mirror so that you can activate a balance mechanism known as proprioception. Proprioception is your body’s ability to detect where it is in space. Proprioceptors are located in muscles, joints, and tendons.

The best way to maximize safety with the Board is to structure your routine so that you use the Board only every other day. This gives your muscles the optimal time for recovery so that you maximize your results while minimizing any risk of injury.

Pricing and Return Policy

You can purchase a Simply Fit Board and accessory package off the company website for $19.99, plus $6.99 for shipping.

This includes a board in the color of your choice, a user guide, workout mat, and Core & Buns workout DVD.

Additional accessories include:

• Core and Buns Workout DVD: $9.99
• Workout Mat: $19.99
• 21 Day Challenge Workout DVD: $9.99
• Low Impact Workout DVD: $9.99

All purchases qualify for a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t love the board, you can request a full refund, including return shipping costs.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

Over 100 customers submitted reviews of the Simply Fit Board on our website, for a combined average rating of 3.0-stars. There are also more than 3,000 reviews on Amazon, averaging four stars. Here are key takeaways from these reviews:

Compliments:

• A useful tool in rehabilitation settings
• Pairs well with standing desks
• Many people used it long term and experienced weight loss
• Great low-impact workout option

Complaints:

• Boards cracked in half after minimal use and while following recommended weight limits
• Workout videos for the board are boring, dated
• Color of the board may rub off onto flooring
• Difficult for larger people to balance on

Simply Bit Board vs. BOSU Trainer

Space-saving fitness tools for improving your balance aren’t rare. Besides the Simply Fit Board, another popular option is the BOSU Trainer (sold for about $150).

While the Simply Fit Board is set up like a saucer that rocks back and forth, the BOSU (both sides utilized) Balance Trainer looks like half an exercise ball mounted to a sturdy plastic platform. Users are meant to balance on the inflated ball, use it as a base for core exercises, and as a platform for plank and shoulder workouts.

Besides the obvious appearance differences, both tools have different aims. The rocking motion of the Simply Fit Board targets your core muscles, while the BOSU Trainer offers all-over balance benefits.

However, the two tools have lots of similarities. Both are low impact ways to improve your fitness, each offers a lot of versatility in how you use it, and both work well with a standing desk.

Likewise, each training tool shares the same primary negative criticism—it breaks easily. Simply Fit Boards tend to crack, and BOSU Trainers can deflate or even pop with heavy use, though this seems much less common than with the Board.

The Simply Fit Board costs much less than the BOSU Trainer, which may make it more appealing for people who are interested in starting a home exercise routine but aren’t sure how committed they will be. Just keep in mind that you may need to rebuy it several times.

The Bottom Line

For many customers, the Simply Fit Board offers a fun way to switch up the home workout routine and tighten their core muscles. This relatively low-cost training tool is easy to store when not in use, and so long as you have carpet or a workout mat, it can be used anywhere.

However, like many niche workout tools, the appeal of this board might wear off after a few weeks of use. Many users complained that the company’s workout videos were dated and boring, and few seemed to be using it daily after several months.

And, while this device might improve your balance and core strength, you aren’t likely to lose much weight unless you commit to using it for an hour or more a day.

Another concern is the board’s durability. Many users had it crack in half after a few months of normal use and were frustrated that they had to buy another board at full price to replace it.

Though the company website states that the board is safe for those under 400 pounds, user experience seems to show otherwise.

If you’re interested in this fitness fad, there’s not much to lose from trying it out. Lots of users share it helped them tone up and lose weight, and it may work for you too. Just keep in mind that with all fitness tools, the only way you’ll notice any benefits is if you actually use it.