BY BRITTANY RISHER
Maybe you've seen people using resistance bands in a class at the gym or demonstrated on a morning show and wondered if something that simple can do anything for you.
“People have the misconception that you use resistance bands for physical therapy or if you're injured and are trying to get back to exercising,” says Jackie Church, an exercise physiologist and ACE certified trainer. “That's where they began, but they've grown to be so much more.”
And the THERABAND CLX resistance bands are even more than other bands. So, why use resistance bands? Here are eight benefits of band training and why every exerciser should have at least one CLX.
1. Resistance Bands Are Affordable
If you decide to join a gym, you could be paying more than $100 per month, plus extra fees for joining and when you cancel. You may not even go often enough to make it worth the cost.
If you decide to exercise at home and buy a machine like a treadmill, it could set you back more than $1,000, while sets of dumbbells cost a couple hundred dollars. But one of the benefits of a resistance bands, like the THERABAND CLX, is that they are less than $25.
“Resistance bands are a lot cheaper, and the space required for them is so much less than a machine,” Church says. “Plus with weights, you're not going to use the same weight for every exercise, so you need multiple dumbbells. But with the THERABAND CLX, you can take a loop away and change the resistance.”
2. You Can Take Them Anywhere
People who frequently travel for work know that hotel gyms can be very hit or miss. But who would ever lug weights in their carry-on?
Next time, toss resistance bands in your suitcase and you can enjoy resistance band workout benefits on the road. “When I travel, I take two with me,” Church says. “They're super lightweight and hardly take up space. Then you can do a workout in your hotel room whenever you want to.”
3. They are Straight Forward
Walking into a gym can be intimidating—and walking into the weight room can be even scarier. If you haven't worked out in a while or are new to exercising, you may feel more comfortable using THERABAND CLX at home. They're intuitive to use, and you don't have to worry about dropping one on your foot.
That's why Church has used CLX with everyone from children to older adults; everyone can make the most of elastic band benefits. “Children may not be ready for a weight room. With a band, you can add resistance with controlled movement and teach them proper movement patterns,” she says. “For older adults, resistance bands can help them maintain their muscular strength, support bone strength, and perform daily activities.”
4. You Can Do Tons of Exercises With Them
The hardest part about resistance bands is to get people to understand what you can do with a simple piece of rubber,” says Michael Rogers, Ph.D., chair of the department of performance studies at Wichita State University. “Any exercise you'd do in a gym, you can do with a band, and even things you can't do with standard equipment, you can do with CLX.” The loops on the CLX work as handles and anchors, producing a wide range of exercises, making it an ideal choice.
Church agrees, saying that while you can do a lot with dumbbells, you can do more with the CLX. Plus, one of the perks of resistance bands makes it easier to do balancing exercises—with an added bonus of working your core—than weights.
Not sure where to begin? Check out our THERABAND CLX exercise videos! You'll find exercises for all fitness levels.
5. They Provide Built-In Feedback
“If you do a lateral raise with a dumbbell, you may be lifting out at a 45-degree angle and not realize it,” Church says. “But with resistance bands, you can see if that band is going straight out or to the side. You get that visual feedback and can see if you're doing it correctly.” This way you target the correct muscles and avoid injury.
6. Resistance Bands Increase Strength
If you're still not sold on why resistance band training is good, the research shows that all populations benefit from adding an elastic band to their routine
In a recent study, researchers had fit young men train with either weights and weight machines or the THERABAND CLX. At the end of the experiment, both groups had similar gains in strength and muscle.
In another study from 2008, sedentary middle-aged women trained twice a week for two weeks using either resistance bands or weight machines. When the study was over, both groups had lost about the same amount of fat and gained about the same amount of lean muscle.
Dr. Rogers has also studied the effects of resistance band exercises in those 60 and older, finding that it helps improve upper-body strength, lower-body strength, and functional strength. “With the bands, we can recreate the activities of daily living with older adults,” Rogers says, “which helps them with everyday activities from lifting their grandkids to pushing a door open.”
7. They Can Improve Athletic Performance
In addition to using the bands on their own, you can also take advantage of stretch band benefits by using them with sports equipment. “We can recreate sports activities like a golf swing or tennis racket swing, which you can't do with a dumbbell,” Rogers says.
Whereas a dumbbell isolates one main muscle, using the band allows people to go through the full range of motion that simulates a specific sports activity. So instead of working just your biceps or triceps, you can work your entire shoulder girdle and all the smaller muscles around your shoulder.
“This can help tennis players develop a more powerful forehand or backhand,” Rogers noted.
8. Exercises Are More Effective and Faster With Resistance Bands
Using a CLX to add resistance to an exercise makes your muscles work harder. And that leads to better results, in less time. You can easily incorporate the CLX into almost any exercise, from pushups and squats to burpees and standing oblique crunches. And since you can work your entire body using just a resistance band, you won't spend time switching equipment between exercises. That facilitates a fast workout. Check out this 7-minute workout for more on how to do a fast, effective workout.
Bottom line: If you're looking for an affordable, versatile and effective way to workout, the THERABAND CLX is the way to go. Start enjoying band workout benefits today!