Top 10 Benefits of Training With Resistance Bands

By sidranoreen

resistance bands
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Resistance bands are used to strengthen and stretch muscles for cosmetic purposes, athletic performance, or physical therapy.

Is it a good idea to use resistance bands in your workout routine?

The response is YES — whether you’re new to working out, a seasoned weight lifter or healing from an injury.

We will discuss the history of resistance bands before we get into the advantages or benefits they provide.

History of resistance bands

The first resistance bands were constructed from surgical tubing in the early 1900s, and they were used for resistance band exercise training. These exercise bands were mostly used for body and muscle rehabilitation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the mid-1990s, resistance bands made a major comeback in the fitness industry, and they were mainly used by physiotherapists for their patients. Resistance bands have become a global fitness weapon in the last four years.

Resistance bands were a low-cost alternative to costly and heavy weight training equipment that quickly gained popularity among fitness professionals. The bands gave people a new sense of independence when it came to fitness because they were lightweight, and easy to transport. This was the first outdoor exercise equipment designed to improve total body fitness.

In the advancement of resistance band training, resistance bands have come a long way. Not only have they evolved in style, but they also come in a variety of powers, sizes, and shapes. Resistance bands are used for rehabilitation, kinetic and plyometric exercises. Resistance Bands also serve to improve fitness, strength, endurance, and flexibility. This small piece of fitness equipment can have a significant number of advantages.

woman doing a resistance band workout

1. Inexpensive

Let’s face it, when it comes to health the functional and practical side of things can be just as important as the physical benefits! To put it another way, resistance bands are inexpensive. They are obviously one of the most cost-effective ways to stay in shape opposed to treadmills, exercise bikes, and power machines. The price will vary depending on which of the various types of resistance bands you wish to purchase.

2. Increased muscle stimulation

The variable resistance applied in the entire range of motion of an exercise is one of the main differences between free weights and resistance bands. There are positions of a movement when training with free weights where the muscles aren’t doing much work, such as at the top of a bicep curl. When you use resistance bands the muscle gets more resistance at its highest point in the range of motion, which means more adequate resistance to stimulate strength adaptations.

3. Stretching and Rehabilitation

Resistance bands are widely used for rehabilitative exercises. They were first developed in a hospital environment for the purpose of recovery, which demonstrates resistance bands are quite useful in these circumstances. Resistance bands are often used for stretching because they are adaptable and come in varied resistance levels. They can be used before or after a workout, or at any time to increase overall joint and muscle endurance.

4. Easy-to-learn

Beginners to exercise or those who have never used resistance bands will benefit from knowing they can learn resistance bands training techniques in minutes. One of the key reasons for this is that they can be used to alter a variety of commonly and routinely performed exercises. Even if you’re a total beginner with no prior experience regarding training exercises, you’ll have a general understanding of how they work. The easy-to-learn advantages are prevalent when resistance bands are used in traditional dynamic exercises like squats, curls, leg raises, kick-backs etc.

5. It's ideal for travel

When you travel, it can be difficult to find time to workout or even locate a gym. Bands are a great choice to pack in your bag because they allow you to exercise without heavy equipment, whether in a hotel room or outdoors. Packing a set of resistance bands will not make your luggage heavier, but they will give you a good full-body workout while away from home. This makes resistance bands suitable for bodybuilders, fitness athletes as well as models who need to get a quick pump before a show or photo shoot.

6. Mobility and stretching

Any type of tube or flat band may be used for pre-workout mobility work as well as post-workout stretches. Your flexibility and range of motion are typically restricted during stretches, and many successful stretches also involve another person to apply pressure to the muscle. Instead you can use bands to help you stretch by extending your reach and providing pressure, for example hamstring stretches when lying down. When wrapped around a solid object, power bands are also excellent for stability work, such as enhancing ankle and hip mobility during squats.

7. Workout for the whole body

One of the most significant advantages of training with resistance bands is the ability to get a full-body workout from them. Anyone who has ever begun a new fitness regimen knows how important it is to get a full-body workout. It is more than possible to work any part of the body with a single resistance band. Regardless of the type of resistance band you use, one can find simple and challenging training exercises that can be completed with them.

8. Flexibility

One of the key advantages of resistance bands is their adaptability, which complements the fact that they can be used anywhere. Many resistance bands come in a variety of resistance strengths, similar to how dumbbells come in a variety of weights! This is useful because it indicates that advanced training exercises can be performed and not just simple moves by beginners. You should not underestimate the power of resistance bands. Ensure to start with a resistance level that is not too difficult for you when you first begin training with them.

9. Injury risks are reduced

Elastic band training produces a significant amount of muscle stimulation when resistance training. One key difference between resistance bands and traditional weights is that the bands create less stress on the joints; allowing for more stimulation to the muscles and reducing the risk of injury. Resistance bands will allow you to workout longer and perform exercises that you couldn’t do with dumbbells for fear of injury. This is good news for anyone with existing injuries or joint pain.

10. Core activation / stabilization

The continuous tension from the bands adds an aspect of body stability that is required for many training and resistance exercises. This means that you’ll have to use your core to a greater degree for balance and stabilization. It is extremely difficult to “cheat” during the fitness exercise since you have to keep them from snapping back into position. By eliminating momentum from the exercise you get more stimulation and resistance during the muscle’s entire range of motion.

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