In the summer of 2024, I was passing through the Midlands and called in to a local climbing wall. I was climbing happily, having completed one of their tougher routes and was feeling like a bit of a hero, only being the second person to complete it. Then, while walking out the door, spotted a HUKU balance board.
Keen for a go, still wearing my bag, I stepped on… and instantly binned it, landing on my shoulder. From hero to zero in a split second. But rather than be discouraged, I was hooked.
Fast forward to Spring 2025 and I began an affiliation with HUKU Balance Boards. I now have at least three boards and love them all. From playing at home while watching tele, using them to perfect my balance, completing a core workout or adding in an extra element to a coaching or coach education course, I cannot recommend them enough.
Why Balance Boards for Climbing?
I mean, it’s not like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing or sports like that, surely balance boards can’t make you a better climber, no? Well, actually…
If we begin with the obvious, balance in climbing is one of those absolutely fundamental attributes. After all, post warm up, the ability to shift one’s weight from one foot to the other is the very first thing we cover on the BMC FUNdamentals of Climbing courses. So before we look at dynos, techniques or even good footwork, we start with weight transfer. In fact, good footwork actually starts with a solid ability to shift our weight from the foot we wish to use and to do that, we need to be adept at moving our weight from side to side.
And of course, this takes some physical strength to do and that can require a bit of physical training. Yes, we could do floor exercises but these tend to be quite dull and adding in a balance board both increases the enjoyment and as such, the chances of us actually doing it!
We can also get a bit creative too. Instead of standing on a board, we can place our hands on the board and get into a plank position. All of a sudden, we have created a much more interesting core workout!
From adding in some physical exercise while watching the tele to some dedicated training, balance boards can be a great alternative option for any climber.
For Coaching Too
For coaches, getting our climbers to do anything other than the climb they had in mind can sometimes be impossible. Even if we know that some time spent doing something else – some technical drills or a physical workout – might help them massively, they often simply don’t listen.
But if your climbers are anything like mine, chuck them a balance board and all of a sudden, they become distracted and interested. Throw in a competitive edge or a bit of a challenge to make it more interesting and soon enough, they’ll be getting involved.
And it needn’t be super hard either. For those that struggle at first, placing the board in front of the wall and allowing them to use their hands can be just the tonic to really get them to start shifting their weight in ways we have been trying for months.
Why HUKU?
The first and most striking thing I noticed about HUKU balance boards is the quality. Each board is handmade from natural materials in Donegal, Ireland and they really are of the highest quality.
Each comes with a lifetime guarantee and is crafted in such a way, they do not look out of place in the home.
There is a wide range of boards to choose from but it can be tricky to know which board is right for you. So let’s go through, with a climbing coach’s eye, and see which would suit you best:
Other products are available including more boards, yoga blocks and massage balls. So please do check them out.