The Lied Recreation Center is rolling out a new fitness program starting spring semester.

Both Sides Up, or BOSU, is a new fitness program geared at challenging balance, said Amanda Smith, junior in exercise and sport science.

Smith will teach the class along with Stephanie Eichler, program coordinator for recreational programs and a certified BOSU instructor.

A BOSU is a stationary platform with a dome on top, Eichler said. Both sides of a BOSU can be used to exercise, allowing different parts of the body to be targeted, she said.

Every BOSU class has five different stages that exercise all parts of the body.

The class begins with acclimation and warm-up, allowing participants to learn to trust their balance, Eichler said.

“We will do exercises like march on the ball, visual tracking and balance with our arms,” she said.

The next stage is cardio and athletic drills, Eichler said. Here participants will do jumps and turns and running, she said.

Increasing muscular strength, endurance and flexibility and performing core exercises are the last three stages, Eichler said.

“BOSU is a challenging workout,” Smith said. Balance if often ignored in aerobics, and BOSU allows participants to become more aware of their center of gravity, she said.

BOSU helps improve visual awareness and the ability to perceive movement, EIchler said.

It forces utilization of more of a participant’s body, she said. “There is always another challenge.”

Katie Knott, graduate student in curriculum and instruction, tried BOSU for her first time on Sunday night during a staff meeting for group fitness instructors. “It was fun and tougher than I thought it would be,” she said.

Eichler said BOSU is not a fad, but a way to helps improve coordination, stability and balance.

A BOSU demonstration class will be held on Dec. 2 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Dec. 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lied Recreation Center third floor stretching area.