7 Slideboard Exercises for Lateral Movement and Athletic Performance

Start with the side-to-side slide. Place the slideboard booties over your shoes and carefully step onto the board. Start on the right side of the board. Slide your left foot laterally to the left as you press your right foot against the right bumper to continue the movement. As your left foot is about to touch the left bumper, lift your right foot off the board to help you catch your balance as your left foot makes contact. After your left foot touches, place your right foot on the board again and slide laterally to the right as you press your left foot against the left bumper, returning to start. Continue this lateral exercise for two to five minutes, swinging your arms comfortably as you slide.

Note: It's a good idea to keep your knees and hips bent in a sort of "quarter squat" as you lean slightly forward to help you maintain your balance. 

Skater slides are a step up from the side-to-side slides. The movement is essentially the same, but you're pressing off each bumper forcefully, sliding faster, and reaching across your body with your opposite hand to touch down at each bumper. Try to complete three sets of 30 to 60 seconds of this exercise. 

Note: Keep your core tight and your torso as straight as possible to help protect your back while reaching across your body.

Using a slideboard to perform a lunge adds a measure of instability to the movement, and also requires greater muscular engagement than a standard lunge.

Stand in front of one of the bumpers with your back to the board and the booties over your shoes. Step backward with your left foot, placing the ball of your foot on the board. Slide your left foot backward as you bend both knees, keeping your torso straight and tall. Be sure to keep your right knee in line with, but behind, your right toes.

When your knees form 90-degree angles, press through the heel of your front foot and the ball of your back foot, pulling your back foot forward as you stand up to return to start. Perform three sets of 12 repetitions per leg. 

Whip your hamstrings into shape with the slideboard hamstring curl exercise. Note that this exercise can be done while lying on the board or while lying on the ground next to the board, with only your feet in contact with the slideboard.

Lie on the ground or the board with your knees bent, your feet flat on the board with the booties over your shoes. Lift your hips off the ground, pressing them toward the sky until your body forms a straight, diagonal line from knees to shoulders. Steadily slide your heels away from your body, extending your knees as far as you can while keeping your hips lifted. Carefully reverse the movement and pull your heels back toward your body. Perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Strengthen your chest, triceps, and core with the alternating sliding pushup. You can perform this exercise in a full pushup position, or you can lower your knees to the ground in a modified pushup position.

Place the slideboard booties on your hands and kneel behind the slideboard. Place your palms on the board beneath your shoulders and get into a pushup position—your core tight, your body forming a straight line. Slide one hand out laterally to the side about a foot, then bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the board. Press back up as you slide your palm back to center. Repeat on the opposite side.

Continue alternating back and forth, performing 8 to 10 repetitions per side. Rest, then perform two to three more sets.

Tighten up your core and strengthen your shoulders with the slideboard pike exercise. Place the slideboard booties over your shoes and start in a pushup position, your hands on the ground in front of one of the bumpers and your feet on the board. 

Keeping your arms and legs straight, use your abdominal muscles and core to pull your hips up toward the sky as you slide your feet closer to your hands. When your body forms an inverse "V," reverse the movement and carefully slide back to a pushup position. Perform two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

The slideboard plank and reach may look simple, but you'll be surprised how much it challenges your core.

Place the slideboard booties over your palms and start in a pushup position over the board, your feet on the ground behind one of the bumpers and your palms on the board. Keeping your core tight and straight, slide one of your palms away from your body, reaching as far as you can in front of you. Hold the position for five seconds, then slide your palm back to start. Repeat on the opposite side.

Continue alternating sides for 6 to 10 repetitions per side. Rest, then perform one more set.