Jakobs Balanco Anleitung Seite 9

Balanco
®
You should preferably use the Balanco barefoot.
(If this is not possible, you can wear soft, lightweight
shoes with closed toes and heels and (important!)
non-slip soles.)
Working barefoot is the only way to ensure full
sensitivity, i.e. to ensure that you sense the
movement of your feet/body and thus have maxi-
mum control over the Balanco!
B. How to use the Balanco:
The Balanco can be used in a range of positions
depending on your coordination and the reasons for
the exercises.
1. Kneeling with the Balanco in front of you:
Kneel on the floor with the Balanco in front of you
and place the palms of your hands on the left and
righthand sides of the Balanco. Move the whole of
your upper body to move the ball or mouse to the
target or along the course.
2. Seated with Balanco on your knee (or a
stool):
Sit on a chair or stool (preferably without a back or
without leaning against the back). Place the balls of
your thumbs on the Balanco and grip the edges with
your fingers. The Balanco should preferably be
placed on one (!) thigh close to the knee (it is slightly
easier to use if it is placed on a stool between your
knees) and move the ball/mouse to the goal or
along the track, mainly with your arms. The upper
body should be relaxed during this exercise.
3. Standing with the Balanco held in front of
your body:
Stand relaxed and upright and hold the Balanco in
front of you as described in 2. Make sure you keep
your arms stretched because bending your arms or
raising the Balanco soon causes your arm muscles to
tense and makes the exercise less effective.
This exercise is more difficult than exercises 1 and 2
because it requires accuracy and a shift of weight. It
therefore trains specific muscles.
4. Balancing on the Balanco:
Place the Balanco on the floor (carpet, gym mat or
approx. 2 cm thick foam mat). Place one foot carefully
on one side of the Balanco. The Balanco will tilt so
that the side your foot is on is resting on the floor.
Place your entire weight on this foot, then place the
other foot on the higher end of the Balanco and
balance yourself as the Balanco straightens out.
When it is straight, neither side should be touching
the floor.
Balance on the Balanco keeping your body upright
and relaxed. Look forwards, not down.
ENG
This is the basic position for all the exercises designed
to give you a sense of security on the Balanco.
You should only start the more advanced exercises
when you have fully mastered this basic position.
Using the straps:
Straps (optional extras) can be hooked into the slits
in the sides of the Balanco without difficulty. To remove,
simply unhook them. The straps are made of
high-strength woven fabric with ergonomically moulded
handles. The length can be adjusted individually. The
straps are designed to give users with particularly
poor concentration and/or anxious users (children
and older people) better security and control over
their movements, thus greatly facilitating the use of
the Balanco to improve psychomotor control and
coordination.
C. Suggested exercises with the Balanco
1. Preparing to use the Balanco
• Using the Balanco in front of the body when kneeling,
seated and standing involves a graduated level of
difficulty but all target groups can perform the basic
exercises in these positions without difficulty, so no
preliminary exercises are needed. In fact, these
exercises can be used as preliminary exercises for
balancing on the Balanco because Balanco is easier
to move with the hands and success is this faster.
This is particularly important when treating patients
with psychomotor deficits and other psychological
disorders. Since visual perception and concentration
are focused (almost) entirely on controlling the
mouse or ball, the Balanco also trains basal sensory
and cognitive functions.
• By contrast, all exercises performed whilst standing
on the Balanco require the user to shift their weight
in order to maintain their balance. These exercises
are thus fundamentally different from the exercises
outlined above.
• Before starting on the complex movements
required on the Balanco, you should make sure
that you are able to perform the following exerci-
ses without difficulty. It is a good idea to perform
them at the start of every session.
• Stand on your right leg and then your left leg on a
flat surface for 15 seconds without touching the
ground with the other leg.
• Now repeat the exercise with your eyes closed.
• Repeat the exercise on a soft surface, e.g. a
foam mat, mattress, cushion or similar.
ENG/Balanco 9