Benefits of Resistance Bands

by POPSUGAR Fitness 6

Here's a riddle: What's long, black, and red, stretches from feet to head, costs 11 bucks or less, and will help you look fab in a strapless dress? You got it. A resistance band is one of the cheapest ways to tone your muscles. Aside from that, here are some other reasons you should start using one.

• Using a band requires coordination and balance so you end up utilizing more muscle groups to stabilize your body.
• You can target specific muscle groups or smaller muscles more easily than with weights.
• Bands offer more variety because you can create resistance in all directions, which helps you strengthen neglected muscle groups. Also, since there are different tension levels based on the color band you use, you can easily alter the difficulty level. Use a higher tension band for an easier exercise like Bicep Curls, or a lower tension band for more difficult exercises like Overhead Shoulder Presses.
• Resistance bands can make all strength-training exercises more challenging. Try using one with basic moves like push-ups and squats. Or use a band in combination with dumbbells such as this exercise called Bent Over Row With Resistance Band.

For more reasons why you should use a band read more.

• You can also mimic real-life sports scenarios by using a band to mirror the movements you'd make when punching, kicking, or peddling.
• Another plus: you can reconstruct many cable pulley machine exercises with resistance bands.
• They're compact and lightweight so you can pack them in your suitcase when you travel or stick one in your bag and take it to the gym.

Do you already use a resistance band when strength training? What's your favorite move?