Resistance band training offers many benefits
Underrated and underused, resistance band can help you improve your flexibility, allow you to train hard, and upgrade your workouts. Resistance bands recruit the 'stabilizer' muscles – this muscle group is significant because it supports our larger muscles and joints when we move, and helps reduce the risk of injury. So, they are a safe and low-impact option for older people, and are often used for rehabilitation.
“As we get older, our range of movement decreases due to wear and tear and many people develop sarcopenia, or age-related muscle deterioration. An American Physiological Society study revealed that the rate of muscle fiber loss and wastage (known as atrophy) was close to 1 per cent a year for people aged 50 and over."
All movement is good for mobility but the advantage of resistance bands is that you can use them to help gentle stretching. For example, Resistance band stretches can help you overcome the hardest part of stretching — feeling like you are limited by the range of motion in your muscles. You know this as “feeling tight.” (A.K.A. “I’m not flexible!”). Funny as it might sound, the limitation might really be in your head, or in another part of your body.
Think about a simple hamstring stretch, where you lie on your back with one leg on the floor and raise the other leg to the sky. Most of the time you use your hands to provide resistance. Simply looping a resistance band around your ankle can create a different movement pattern (because the pressure of pulling comes at a different angle — from your ankle instead of behind your knee), which might allow you to generate more range of motion.
It’s not magic, but most people will find they can get a better stretch with the resistance band variation. That’s because a resistance band can help you go deeper into a stretch, provide support, or help reduce the load of your bodyweight when you perform a move. That’s why many trainers consider bands to be a “must” for maximizing your mobility.
There are limitless ways you can use resistance bands to assist you when you stretch. Here is another example—one for your upper body.
Stand with feet hip distance apart, holding the exercise band in front of your thighs, hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your shoulders relaxed as you reach your arms overhead and circle them behind you towards your hips. Reverse this circle to return to the starting position. Perform 10-20 repetitions, until shoulders feel warm.
Resistance bands can be used for at least four different types of exercises:
Stretching and mobility
Warm ups and muscle activation
Resistance training and “getting a pump”
Developing the “mind-muscle” connection (learning to better “feel” your muscles working)
Real Women Lift Personal Fitness Training Studio (RWL) offers a variety of training styles to suit your body and your goals. Our programs incorporate strength training, core exercises, balance training, flexibility and stretching into each program. Whether you’re starting your fitness journey or on your way to feeling your best, the road is never easy, and it takes work and dedication. Just remember it is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix solution. We are here to support you along your journey at whatever point you are on.
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