The Mechanics of the Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro - Balance Skill Disc

COMPARE THE BILLY BOARD® REVOLUTION CORE PRO - A BALANCE TRAINING SYSTEM TO OTHER BALANCE DISCS

The Mechanics of the Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro, a skill disc for Vestibular Balance

The fundamental laws of the mechanics of the Billy Board®, a variable inclination swivel disc is scientifically and technically related to other recreational/exercise devices in the class of skill devices in which physical coordination and a sense of balance play a predominant role, or conversely, that they may be used to develop coordination and balance.

Other such devices include the bicycle, unicycle, roller skates, roller blades, skate boards, surfboards, skiing, water skiing, “Bongo”, balance 360, and even such skills as learned in gymnastics, such as, the balance beam, rings, floor exercises, and more. The flat swivel or twister exercise board is not in this class but is instead the degenerate form of the variable inclination swivel board with zero inclination and does not play a priority role in any of the devices in this class. However, they do contribute to establishing ones’ strength and endurance level to determine competitive limits.

These devices have in common, in a normal use, a dynamic equilibrium, i.e., gravity and other forces on the user from the device are in equilibrium with inertia forces associated wit the motion of the user. The normal static, or “non-motion”, equilibrium positions of these devices are unstable, or at most, in neutral or stable equilibrium for a very small region of “configuration space”, e.g. a person standing still on roller skates or ice skates.

Of the above devices, bicycles, skates and skis utilize primarily inertia forces from the curvatures of a path of forward motion coordinated by the body’s biofeedback mechanism to maintain the user in dynamic equilibrium about an otherwise unstable equilibrium position, such as riding a bicycle, or skating on one ice skate. The swivel disc, “Bongo” and variable balance boards do not have this possibility but instead require continuous biofeedback repositioning of the board/disc relative to the body to maintain this equilibrium.


The incline swivel board/disc is of particular interest because there are two natural equilibrium positions for a user standing on this board/disc.

Both are positions of unstable equilibrium because the user’s natural motion “to try” to keep his/her body in a vertical position at all times, and keeping his/her center of gravity above the axis of rotation of the platform. This allows the additional possibility of a user oscillating between these two positions, or alternatively of rotating through these successfully, while simultaneously controlling the speed by the addition or extraction of energy by the body motion. Furthermore, the possibilities of balancing about either one or the other, a motion which is by itself the mechanical equivalent to that of the simpler “Bongo” or balancing board motions.

The Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro, an inclined swivel disc, extends the coordination/balance skill requirements beyond that of the other devices.

The Billy Board® is an advanced development of the incline swivel board allowing the user to adjust in advance the inclination of the disc thus controlling the degree of stability, and hence, the dynamics involved in its use. The size of the disc is made to further contribute to the ease, or difficulty in controlling the dynamic motion especially when lowering the center of gravity. By changing the degree of slope, the dynamics of a stable equilibrium changes as the challenge to control balance becomes harder. The vestibular sensing system, with each degree of change in slope, has an increased challenge to work harder to maintain balance.

Thus the Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro offers a number of variations and challenges as a variable inclination swivel skill disc.

The Billy Board® is designed to stimulate the vestibular sensing system located in the inner ear. This system works closely with the cerebellum to regulate the voluntary and involuntary motor and vision functions. Most balance training devices are limited to linear movement and provide only 2-dimensional stimulation of the vestibular sensing system. The adjustment of the Billy Board® can control the degree of difficulty and challenge the vestibular sensing system. The steeper the slope, the harder it is to stay in control and the harder the vestibular sensing system has to work.

The objective is to use the Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro at an incline that you can control the rate of spin; by shifting your weight and to be able to balance with your eyes closed and still maintain balance.

The Billy Board® is a precision device, handcrafted of hard wood, with stainless steel parts. It can hold up to 250 lbs. The Billy Board® device can help to reestablish a more balanced vestibular sensing system. The benefits are many when it comes to reestablishing your sense of balance: improved vision, hearing, posture, coordination, hand/eye, agility, kinesthetic association, alertness, learning ability, memory, relieves stress, strengthens and tones torso muscles, as well as enhances all the senses. It is great for all ages and occupations - athletes, toddlers learning to walk, children and adults with dyslexia, ADD and the senior who has lost their sense of balance.

The Billy Board® Revolution CORE Pro Balance Training System is a must for all who want to maintain their sense of balance. By reestablishing balance throughout, a balanced body is healthier, and the quality and functionality of life is more alert and alive!


Kate Montgomery/Sports Touch™
Website: www.sportstouch.com