The MOBO Board is Peter Attia’s New Gym Toy. Here’s What it Is
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Longevity expert Peter Attia’s legendary fitness regimen has a more specific training goal: to be a “kick-ass 100-year-old.” Every exercise and training tool in Attia’s arsenal is designed to boost functional fitness in order to improve the way he moves both now and 30 plus years from now. His latest gym toy—the MOBO board—is no exception.
In a recent Instagram post, Attia shared why the MOBO board is his new go-to for building foot strength and stability.
Just hours after he posted the video, the MOBO board was sold out on Amazon and the brand’s site (though, you can preorder it for when it comes back in stock on its site). What is the MOBO board and is it worth buying? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the MOBO Board?
The MOBO board operates like a wobble board—the unstable wood boards you can stand on to make squats, single leg balances, and balancing in general more challenging—with a few important upgrades for improving foot mechanics.
The board itself is a flat wood circle that can be used on one side for the right foot and the other side for the left. Each side has a foot imprint where you’re supposed to stand, noticeably missing the chunk of wood below toes two through five. This forces you to use your big toe, which is key for finding stability through the arch of the foot, and acts as a stabilizer for your entire body (1).
The board also includes two removable pegs, which can be inserted into four different slots to switch up the tilt of the board. When you put the pegs in the one and three slots you’re working the extrinsic muscles of the foot (the muscles in your lower leg that support your foot). In slots two and four you’ll work the intrinsic muscles of your feet (the muscles within the foot).
Why You Should Train Your Feet
Most of us don’t train our feet, but the foot is square one for functional fitness. The stability, strength, and mobility of your foot and supporting muscles are critical for nearly all everyday movements.
Because of how often we use our feet (and how little attention we give to strengthening them) anyone is at risk of a nagging foot injury like plantar fasciitis or bunions. However, endurance athletes like long distance runners—who regularly put a high amount of repetitive stress and force on their feet—are particularly susceptible to injuries.
Which is exactly why Attia added the MOBO board into his regular rotation. Attia is training for a 80 km Ultra Ruck in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day later this year. Rucking—or walking with a weighted backpack—is great for building functional strength and fitness. However, it does increase the stress on your foot compared to walking without the extra weight.
“As my rucking mileage and time under load climbs, the amount of time I need to spend strengthening my intrinsic and extrinsic foot stabilizers also increases,” Attia wrote in his Instagram caption.
