Benefits Of Using Resistance Bands When Working Out
While they can be used for aesthetics or physical therapy, let’s learn more about the benefits of using resistance bands when working out.
Resistance bands are simple exercising tools that can be used for stretching and strengthening your muscles.
First used as surgical tubing for muscle rehabilitation, resistance bands in recent years have gained popularity in the fitness sector. They work by providing external resistance against contracting muscles, which results in toning and activating your muscles.
Research shows that there is no superiority between results gotten from conventional devices and resistance bands. Resistance bands are versatile, safe, convenient, and effective.
But before going through the several benefits of using them, let’s take a quick look into the different types of resistance bands used to build muscles.
Types Of Resistance Bands
Though they work based on the same principles, there are different types of resistance bands that you could easily incorporate into many kinds of workout routines.
1. Flat Resistance Bands
They are flat and wide as the name suggests. They come in varying resistance levels, though with no handles or grips.
The flat band is the most common and cheapest type of resistance band you’ll find in most gyms.
They are often used in the therapy sector, such as physical therapy or sports therapy. Athletes also use them for stretching warmups.
2. Figure 8 Band
This resistance band gets its name from its shape. It features soft foam handles which makes it easy and comfortable to grip.
Their figure 8 design and short length confer enough control, so even beginners get quick results. They are ideal for sports conditioning, strength training, and rehabilitation.
3. Compact Resistance Bands
Compact bands or tube bands come with two plastic handles connected with a tube of about 4 feet in length.
They are the most versatile in terms of use and can be utilized for both lower and upper body workouts.
Also, they come with a carabiners feature that permits the combining of bands to increase resistance levels.
4. Lateral Bands
They have a peculiar appearance and their straps or cuffs make them look like some evil contraption. But, they are actually designed for the lower body, specifically for wrapping around the ankles.
Lateral bands are ideal for increasing the stability of the lower lats. Like compact resistance bands, they can also be anchored to different frames like door handles.
5. Power And Mobility Bands
They are heavy-duty loop bands that are most common in cross-training and powerlifting.
They’re also useful for stretching and regulating mobility problems, pull-up assistance, and augmenting weights training with irregular resistance.
Benefits Of Using Resistance Bands
Here are the health benefits of using resistance bands for your training sessions:
1. Cost-Effective
When compared to other workout equipment like power towers, treadmills, and exercise bikes, resistance bands are economical. Their prices range from 5-10 dollars.
Also, considering their diverse forms of applications, they save costs by making it unnecessary to buy expensive weights.
2. Portable
If you’re the type that’s too busy to go to the gym or just don’t like the vibe there, resistance could be the way to go. With resistance bands, you can train effectively at home and within a small space.
Also, if you’re someone who travels around a lot, you can carry them along. This way you don’t have to miss out on your daily exercise routine.
3. Improved Strength And Athletic Performance
Power resistance bands offer increased load, variable resistance, and instability and these make them perfect for athletic training.
When resistance band training is combined with traditional training it boosts and sustains strength gains over time.
Research shows that using bands alongside weights enhances neuromuscular performance and resilience more than using only weights.
4. Core Activation
To maintain form while doing resistance bands exercise, your body constantly needs to stabilize the tension awarded by the resistance bands. This simply means your core is activated to maintain balance.
Also, you can achieve great stimulation and strength through your muscle’s full range of motion. This is because you’re often trying to prevent the tube from snapping back into place.
Unlike free weights, the pull of elastic bands curtails your ability to cheat by using momentum. Therefore, they help you build endurance.
5. Stretching And Mobility
Resistance bands are great for both pre-workout warm-ups and post-workout stretches.
With resistance bands, you’re no longer limited to your level of flexibility and range of motion during stretches.
That’s because the bands will help you provide pressure to the muscle while extending your reach.
6. Safe To Use
You’d agree that weight training can be tough on your muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, and sometimes you’re not even in control.
But with resistance bands you’re always in control, you’ll be protecting your tendons and ligaments with your movements.
As discussed earlier, resistance bands are used in physical therapy, so you know they’re safe for strengthening your muscles.
Though they’re safe, be careful to follow basic resistance band safety tips as well.
Resistance Band Workouts
Examples of workouts you could do with resistance bands:
1. Banded Front Squats
This exercise targets and works on your hamstrings, both sides of your thighs, and your butt. It could also boost the strength of your calves, groin, and hip flexors.
2. Banded Push-Ups
If you’re looking to make your push-up experience more challenging, then including resistance bands should be your go-to option.
They are easier, safer, and more manageable than trying to balance a weight plate on your back.
Banded push-ups do wonders for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
3. Band Plank With Row
No doubt regular planks are great for the core but you can spice it up and take it a step further with the plank cable row.
With this, you’ll be engaging more core muscles, while your biceps are involved as well.
Due to lesser stability, resistance bands make this workout a lot tougher than with weighted cables.
4. Resistance Bands Training
Resistance bands are great and some of the benefits enumerated earlier prove just that. They are awesome because you can incorporate them into some of your favorite exercises to spice them up and still get great results.
There’s really no excuse not to have these elastic wonders, they are cheap, safe, convenient, and get the job done.
Remember, with resistance bands, there are no limits. Hence, be creative!
