BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE BANDS

Resistance bands are an effective, versatile, cheap, and portable workout tool, that can provide significant advantages to your fitness routine or rehabilitative exercise.
Resistance bands are popular for a number of reasons:
1. AFFORDABLE
In comparison to other types of exercise equipment, resistance bands are relatively inexpensive, often falling between £10-£25 (depending on the type of resistance band).
2. PORTABLE
Unlike your typical large and heavy pieces of gym equipment, resistance bands are lightweight, easy to store and carry around with you. Enabling you to train anywhere!
3. EASY TO LEARN AND USE
Another great practical benefit of a resistance band is that they are great for beginners. This is because they can be used to modify many familiar exercises i.e., squats, glute kickbacks, and squat thrusters.
4. MUSCLE TONE AND ENDURANCE
The band exerts a particular amount of force on your muscles in both upper and lower body training, and are highly effective in developing muscle tone, muscle mass, increasing strength, and improving balance. Resistance bands can also be used in weight training to make exercises more challenging i.e., with dumbbells.
5. EASY ON YOUR JOINTS
Unlike free weights, resistance bands are not dependant on gravity, and therefore, reduce joint compression, which helps prevent injuries. The various exercises you can do with a resistance band also means that the movements are less repetitive, placing less strain on your joints. Resistance band training is also used to increase joint mobility.
TYPES OF RESISTANCE BANDS
There are many types of resistance bands on the market, varying in resistance and purpose. Resistance bands can be flat or tubular in shape, and are colour-coded, allowing you to identify the best type of band for your workout routine. For example, the lighter the colour, the lighter the resistance i.e., yellow is the lightest resistance level and black is the heaviest. Listed below are a few examples:
Power Resistance Loop Bands: a continuous flat loop used for bodyweight resistance, assistance, warm-ups, physical therapy, and full-body workouts e.g., bodyweight assistance pull-ups and dips, squats, and static stretching.
Mini Bands: similar to a Power Resistance Loop Band but much shorter and wider. They are predominantly used for increasing strength and stability in your lower body e.g., hip and glute activation.
Pilates Bands: long and thin bands that do not loop. These are intended for a light impact workout (low resistance) to build muscle tone and in dynamic and static stretching. Their ability to increase strength and mobility means they are often used in rehabilitation exercises.
Expanders: these are tube resistance bands with handles. They can easily anchor to a door or bar and are used for pressing and pulling exercises e.g., curls and chest presses.
TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise): these are not stretchy bands, but instead enable you to use your bodyweight to build strength, balance, and flexibility. They are an effective tool for a total-body workout.
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