One main reason many folks
don’t undertake an exercise program is the misconception that it requires a lot
of expensive equipment to get a good workout.
Fortunately that is not the case. While a good cardio program costs
nothing more than a good pair of running shoes, a shirt and some shorts, you
can get a good strength training and toning workout for even less money with a
set of exercise or resistance bands.
Strength training with
resistance bands is a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of
resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds the strength, anaerobic
endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. Resistance bands come in different
colors signifying different tension levels and have handles on each end. These
are best for upper body work. Others come in a loop that is ideal for lower
body workouts.
When properly performed,
strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement
in overall health and well-being, including increased bone, muscle, tendon and
ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, reduced potential for
injury, increased bone density, increased metabolism, improved cardiac
function, and elevated HDL ("good") cholesterol.
The first benefit to using
band exercises while working out is the fact that the equipment required is
very inexpensive and portable. You may pack your exercise bands with you when
travelling and work out wherever you happen to find yourself, including any
hotel room. They can also be used in the office on breaks or over lunch.
The second major benefit
relates to how effective band exercises are when starting to work out, working
out following an injury, or as part of a rehabilitation program. Band exercises
have been used in such settings for a long time and are particularly effective
at toning your muscles and allowing you to gradually increase the stress on
your muscles as you regain more strength.
The third benefit is the
efficiency of having various bands of different colors that equates to
different tensions. As your body adapts
from the workload and gets stronger, simply combine two or more bands of
different colors to increase tension. Most bands come with detachable handles
or grips so you can connect numerous bands to one handle for ease of us.
There a few drawbacks to
using band exercises that you should keep in mind. Firstly, the resistance
becomes greater as you move forward into your motions, or in other words the
resistance level is not stable throughout an exercise. As you near the end of a
motion you'll reach the point where the resistance is greatest. This is not all
bad but is not ideal as your muscles are not necessarily strongest at that
point.
Secondly, it is difficult to
estimate the resistance levels produced by the various tubes or bands. This
means it'll be harder for you to chart down your strengthening progress. As with any exercise program, do some research
to make sure you understand how to do each exercise properly and keep good form
to prevent injury.
Finally, you should remember
that exercise bands are particularly vulnerable to wear and tear and as a
result you should make sure before using them that there aren't any visible
tears in them, however small they may be.
HERE’S TO
BEING FIT FOR LIFE!
Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon
Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor, exercise and endurance
enthusiast. He competes yearly in
numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons and other
endurance events.
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