You’ve almost certainly seen them throughout your social media feeds – but are resistance bands and the workouts they enable really worth the hype? Here, we take a closer look at resistance bands and explain everything you need to know about whether they can improve your health and fitness regime.
What are resistance bands?
Resistance bands are essentially giant elastic bands that are made from synthetic fibre, usually rubber or latex. You can loop them around your legs or arms when you’re exercising, which creates more tension. As a result, your workouts become more challenging and engage more muscle groups, which can help you build muscle and burn more calories as a result.
What are the benefits of using resistance bands?
There’s no getting away from the fact that strength training is crucial, particularly as you get older. This is primarily because improving your strength can slow the deterioration of your muscles while increasing mass. This process is also beneficial for boosting your metabolism. While it’s possible to build body strength via exercises like lunges or squats, adding extra resistance with a band can enhance your workouts and are popular with lots of people.
Traditionally, people have turned to weights or weight machines when working out, but in recent times, resistance bands have become all the rage. One of the main reasons for their popularity is the fact that you can work out from anywhere you are, and you don’t need to go to the gym to allow you to get the benefits of extra strength. You can select your resistance band based on the resistance levels as they come in different degrees of difficulty, which makes them suitable for everyone.
The science behind resistance bands
Researchers have found that the strength gains from leg exercises with bands are very similar to those achieved when training with dumbbells or weight machines. Resistance bands have also been shown to enhance your stabiliser muscles more than specific weight training, which is one of their biggest advantages. This is a crucial muscle group, as it enables your larger muscles and joints to move correctly and prevents injuries from occurring.
Resistance bands are also great for improving balance, body composition, and flexibility. While more research is required, the science is certainly encouraging, particularly for people looking for good reasons to turn to resistance bands when exercising.
The pros and cons of exercise bands
Pros
- Resistance bands are cheap and accessible and are a great option if you’re at the beginning of a new exercise regime. So many people stop exercising due to the costs associated with working out, so resistance band training is a great alternative to spending a fortune at the gym.
- You can use resistance bands to effectively build muscle, and they’re thought to be easier to use than some machines in the gym.
- If you wish, you can also combine resistance bands with free weights, which maximises your strength gains.
Cons
- Resistance bands only reach maximum resistance when the band is fully extended, while the resistance from weights is continual throughout the movement.
- It’s not particularly easy to increase the resistance of your bands, but you can easily do so with free weights simply by lifting heavier dumbbells.
While they’re not perfect, resistance bands are a great way to exercise from home and can work wonders for your legs when used regularly. You can use them alongside Legology products like anti-cellulite oil to help your legs glow.
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