Resistance bands are all the rage these days for strength training. These are elastic bands that are worn in such a way that they require the user to apply a force on these and pull these stretchy bands.
Uses of resistance bands
While people often associate resistance bands with strength training, let snot overlook the other many uses and applications these bands have. We have listed down some important uses and applications of a good resistance band:
- Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy targets particular muscles and areas of your body that need to gain more strength and increase your physical mobility. Resistance bands can be sued to isolate these muscles or areas, and concentrate the resistance onto that area, resulting in area-specific strength training. This is an effective and non-surgical way to revive your physical movement again.
- Cardio
Many people do not realise how good a resistance band is for cardio. For cardio, resistance bands for handles are a better choice. You can do your regular cardio exercises with these bands and burn a lot more of your calories. As a beginner to cardio or resistance bands, you should increase the resistance and intensity of the workout gradually. Some exercises you can use these bands with include jumping jacks, side-to-side lunches with band and front-back double leg jumps.
- Alternative to home gyms
Not everyone can manage to either get a gym membership or set up their own gym at home. Therefore, many fitness freaks prefer using resistance bands as a way to get a solid amount of workout and training done. Plus, these are portable and easy to store, unlike heavy duty gym machines and equipment.
What makes a good resistance band
The definition of a good resistance band will vary from one person to another. This is because resistance bands are sued in various ways by everyone, and there are several types available suitable for these applications. However, for a general idea, we can say that the best, more suitable bands for everyone are those that can be used for more than just one purpose. a good band should also be durable, and should have a medium-level resistance so that it does not limits its usage.
If you are a beginner at strength training you must be wondering about getting yourself one of these bands too. Make sure you go through particular features and elements that make a resistance band good for multiple purposes.
Here are some important considerations to make when choosing a good quality resistance band:
- Variety
Buying resistance bands is not easy, considering the many types and levels of these that are available on the market. we recommend going for a variety of resistance bands rather than just owning and exercising with one type/level of resistance band. There are bands with plastic handles, which are good for upper and lower body workouts. Meanwhile, figure-8 band are ideal for upper body, and ring resistance bands that are highly recommended for lower body workouts.
- Resistance levels
These bands also come in a variety of resistance levels ranging from low, medium to heavy. As a beginner, go for a low resistance band and gradually move your way up to higher resistance. The resistance levels are colour coded. There are yellow bands (low resistance), blue & red (medium resistance) and green & black (heavy resistance).
- Type of bands
The best resistance bands in our opinion are the loop bands, also known as power resistance bands. These are the most basic types of bands, and also the most durable ones on the market. The reason why we think these are good resistance bands is their multi-purpose functionality. They can be used for body resistance, assistance, full body workouts, physiotherapy and injury rehabilitation.
Conclusion:
The wide array of resistance bands available in the market make it rather difficult for beginners to pick one for themselves. We recommend having a variety of resistance level with you, since it will allow you to train harder without any delays.