Resistance bands are elastic bands that are a perfect form of a portable gym (if you know how to use them properly). Being inexpensive, not demanding too much storage space, and suitable for different strength levels, the whole family can use resistance bands.
They can either be used in combination with a dumbbell or alone, giving an effective workout at home. And we all know how important that is during the unfortunate times.
Now, before you go ahead and begin using them, let us discuss 10 tips for exercising at home with resistance bands.
- Warming up
The first and most crucial tip of exercising at home is warm your body up. Warmups helps you to stretch your muscles and minimises the risk of injuries during exercise. The warmup for using resistance bands should include skipping and jogging for around two minutes each. You should also do a few jumping jacks to loosen the shoulders.
- Foot Protection
There are many exercises involving resistance bands where you have to keep the band under a foot or both feet. This can often cause pain in the middle of the feet. To avoid this, you should wear a pair of good quality shoes, preferably nonabrasive, so the band doesn’t get torn. It would be best if you are exercising on a surface that won't allow you to slip easily.
- Preventing Decrease of Durability
Some exercises make you wrap the band around a pole or any other solid object, and this can lead to the loop wearing down due to the force exerted on it. Therefore, losing its strength and durability.Better to use the products made for resistance bands like a foam anchor for attaching to a door. An easy solution for this is to place a piece of soft cloth in between the loop and the object you will be using.
- Avoid Wrapping Around Soft Or Unsupported Objects
While wrapping the band around any object, one should take care that the object is hard and firm enough to withstand the forces that will be applied to it. If it is not sturdy enough, the object may fall off or break, leading to injury.
- Avoid Wrapping Around Sharp Objects
Some of you might think that wrapping the loop around a your house’s fence or any metal object is an innovative idea, but it's not. These bands contain elastic and latex. The wire or metal might cut the loop, and this will not only destroy the band but can even cause severe injury to the person using it. Always make sure the object you're going to use doesn't have sharp edges of nails sticking out.
- Avoid Over-stretching
A widespread practice while using resistance bands is to stretch them as far as possible. Take note; all bands have a point of maximum stretch, and extending beyond this point leads to small invisible cracks in the band that later leads to snapping. So, don't go overboard if you’re using a band that can’t handle all of the exertion.
- Choosing the Right Strength of the Band
Linking to the tip above, resistance bands come in different strength levels that are light, medium, and hard; one should use the level of strength that best suits their power. Using a band that offers a level of resistance that one can handle will lead to you growing exhausted earlier while using a lower resistance band might not deliver desirable results while working out at home.
- Avoiding Direct Sunlight
The finest bands are the ones made up of natural latex. They contain a lot of moisture, and this moisture makes them stretchable. If exposed to too much sunlight, they will readily lose their moisture. This leads to them becoming hard. You should keep in mind that hard bands are not suitable for use and can snap easily. So, if you’re thinking of leaving the bands out in the yard, don’t!
- Lubricating the Band
One should lubricate their resistance bands, preferably with silicone, so that they do not lose their moisture and stay flexible.
- Proper Positioning of the Body
While using resistance bands, maintaining proper body positioning is particularly important. When working with resistance bands at home, you should consider watching online videos to learn the correct ways to use the bands for different exercises. We don't want you injuring yourself.
Before we bring this article to a close, you should remember that resistance bands are not toys. So, while at home, keep them away from kids and pets.
