Vigorboard
Encyclopedia
The Vigorboard is a board similar in style to a skate board or long board
. A Vigorboard is constructed from two platforms, each supported by a single caster with a single wheel giving the board a total of two wheels. the two platforms are connected by heavy metal torsion bar that enables the board to twist in the center.
The Vigorboard has been released under various tradenames including:
Vigorboards are mainly available online but can be found in extreme sports shops, and are becoming increasingly popular as a result of their inclusion in a number of school-based anti obesity
schemes. There are several UK companies that distribute Vigorboards and other than logos and colour there are no significant differences in the design or construction of the board.
The Vigorboard is proving a valuable weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, with some teachers at the schools currently trialing the boards also reporting drops in truancy
, with pupils not wishing to miss school should they miss their Vigorboard session .
found that vigorboarding resulted in an average increase in heart rate of 227% and a 535% increase in energy expenditure. The study also concluded that vigorboarding results in a 233% greater energy expenditure (407kcal/hr) than walking at 3mph (174.5kcal/hr) .
In its conclusion, the authors of the university study went on to say, 'Vigorboarding may be a useful alternative to increasing physical activity levels and energy expenditure, especially for individuals that do not wish to participate in the usual sports or activities performed by adolescents.' .
, can make an efficient mode of transport due to the ease of cornering and lack of need to make contact with the ground.
To ride a Vigorboard you must move the plates in opposing directions to provide a forward motion.
This can be achieved by either:
There are far fewer tricks that can be performed on a Vigorboard than on a skate board due to its weight (approximately 4 kg
)
and its highly brittle plastic construction, although as a fairly new invention there are many possibilities yet to be explored.
Longboard (skateboard)
A longboard is a surfing variant of a skateboard, similar and related to a surfboard or snowboard with wheels. It is used for cruising, downhill racing, slalom racing, sliding, and/or transport. However, most stunts, and the boards themselves are very different from that of a typical skateboard...
. A Vigorboard is constructed from two platforms, each supported by a single caster with a single wheel giving the board a total of two wheels. the two platforms are connected by heavy metal torsion bar that enables the board to twist in the center.
The Vigorboard has been released under various tradenames including:
- Vigorboard (China, 2003; USA, 2005; Australia, 2005)
- essboard (Korea, 2003)
- exboard (UK, 2004)
- X-board (UK, 2004)
- The Wave (USA, 2004)
Vigorboards are mainly available online but can be found in extreme sports shops, and are becoming increasingly popular as a result of their inclusion in a number of school-based anti obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
schemes. There are several UK companies that distribute Vigorboards and other than logos and colour there are no significant differences in the design or construction of the board.
St Helens Council Project
The Vigorboard's ability to combine fun with a full cardio-vascular workout has prompted St Helens council to promote the boards in all of its high schools and some of its primary schools, seeing it as a method of inspiring children who wouldn't normally take part in traditional team sports to take regular exercise .The Vigorboard is proving a valuable weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, with some teachers at the schools currently trialing the boards also reporting drops in truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
, with pupils not wishing to miss school should they miss their Vigorboard session .
University of Salford Independent Study
An independent study conducted by the University of SalfordUniversity of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
found that vigorboarding resulted in an average increase in heart rate of 227% and a 535% increase in energy expenditure. The study also concluded that vigorboarding results in a 233% greater energy expenditure (407kcal/hr) than walking at 3mph (174.5kcal/hr) .
In its conclusion, the authors of the university study went on to say, 'Vigorboarding may be a useful alternative to increasing physical activity levels and energy expenditure, especially for individuals that do not wish to participate in the usual sports or activities performed by adolescents.' .
Riding technique
The Vigorboard, unlike a skateboardSkateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
, can make an efficient mode of transport due to the ease of cornering and lack of need to make contact with the ground.
To ride a Vigorboard you must move the plates in opposing directions to provide a forward motion.
This can be achieved by either:
- Moving the front and the back of the board must be pushed in opposing directions by the legs (good for short bursts of acceleration but fairly unsustainable), or
- Holding the front of the board still while moving the back plate in a large swoop left to right (good for long distance riding but slow acceleration), or
- Holding the back plate still and moving the front plate in forward swooping arches (tiring and slow but rarely needed)
There are far fewer tricks that can be performed on a Vigorboard than on a skate board due to its weight (approximately 4 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
)
and its highly brittle plastic construction, although as a fairly new invention there are many possibilities yet to be explored.
Trivia and other information
- The Vigorboard is often incorrectly referred to as Wigorboard, Fingorboard, Huricaneboard (a different board that is in existence), Wiggleboard and Wobbleboard.
- The Vigorboard has been promoted by several councils in the United Kingdom as part of a pilot scheme aimed at making PE more "inclusive" to those uninterested in traditional activities.