Calvin Smith is a truck driver by trade and was introduced to BALIMO at a time when the chairs were being stored by another business in the warehouse out of which he operated his trucking company.  He became involved by happenstance. Mr. Smith started sitting on a BALIMO chair and began to feel significant improvements in his back, mobility and comfort level for driving long distances. He was so impressed with the benefits the BALIMO chair had on his physical functioning, he decided to “go for it” and bought BALIMO Chairs.

Mr. Smith stated: “I like to say this is a very simple chair for a very complicated body, and there are no gimmicks to the magic the BALIMO can do for one’s body.  I sit on the chair at my desk, the dinner table and take one with me when I have to drive.  I drive at least 100,000 miles a year between doing shows and driving 18-wheelers.”

The BALIMO’s original intent was for the equestrian world because Eckart Meyners, cofounder of the BALIMO Program, spent so many years working with that group of athletes. This chair has so many applications for and beyond the equestrian world.   BALIMO (Balance in Motion) recognizes that the horse mirrors the rider in its movements.   Communication with the horse is by improved by reducing tension and points of blockage in the rider.  BALIMO training uses specifically selected exercises (mounted, unmounted & BALIMO chair) to improve the mobility of the rider’s pelvis and spine, teaching the riders’ seat to follow the 3D movements of the horse. 

According to Mr. Smith, the BALIMO chair can help almost anyone who is not wheelchair bound, including the elderly.   “When my 84 year old Dad and I played golf, it took him at least three steps to get his feet under him.

Mr.  Smith recounted that after some resistance, his father finally started sitting on the BALIMO chair for a few minutes each day. It did not take long for him to start seeing improvement. What the chair did was awaken mobility nerves that had gone dormant and re-energized them.

“For myself, I have an L5 disk issue, was lacking flexibility and had pain down my leg.  From using the BALIMO  chair at my desk and at the dinner table,  I no longer have pain. My improved flexibility even surprised my doctor.

What the BALIMO chair can do for the equestrian is amazing.  A rider can use this chair while sitting in front of a mirror. The rider can mimic what he does in the saddle and work out postural issues. While doing so the rider is working on core strength as well as strengthening the entire spine.  When sitting on the BALIMO, even though the seat is round, one gets the same feel as being in the saddle.  The seat has a slight dome and is firm. Like a well-fitted saddle, the BALIMO chair forces the rider to sit on his seat bones. This position allows the rider to engage in movements, work out issues in front of a mirror and transfer that learning to the next time he is on the horse.

The genius of the BALIMO  is in the seat. The rest of the chair is a very elegant five-legged stool that is hand crafted and built to support up to 500 lbs. Because of its five-legged design, it is almost impossible to tip over. The limit plate allows the seat to tilt to a 20-degree depth. This is the point at which one gets the maximum return for his effort yet is still safe.

The reason the BALIMO chair works so well, is the seat.  The seat has a ball socket that is placed up and into the bottom of the seat. This design puts the pivot point of the seat as close to the pivot point of the spine as can be obtained. This allows the seat to be as close to being one with the body as possible. The seat has a slight domed shape to it and is firm.  This is what forces the body to sit in the manner it is designed which is sitting on the seat bones not across the entire bottom. When a person first sits down he will feel his core engage instead of his legs.  All the feet do is keep one from falling off the chair.

When one sits down his leg muscles do not engage.  Like in saddle, one does not balance on the  BALIMO  with his legs but with his core muscles.

According to Mr. Smith:

People ask me why the BALIMO does not have a back.  My response is that the BALIMO positions the body to sit the way it was designed and when this happens a back is not necessary. As soon as one leans up against the back of a conventional chair, the body shuts down and the nerve centers start to go dormant. Stiffness and other problems begin.  When you put all this together, the BALIMO  chair is the only chair out there that keeps the body three dimensional at all times.

Whether you are using the BALIMO for office/computer, exercise, rehab, athletic training, or just to feel better this chair will help.

Come visit Calvin Smith and test drive a BALIMO chair at the Global Dressage Forum North America 2014!