Home workouts have always been popular. It seems that they are not fading into oblivion anytime soon for good reasons. While many people will agree that their convenience is unbeatable, their popularity also seems to be because of their versatility. Home workouts allow you to improvise by using items in the home or adding fitness bands to emulate gym workouts.
Fitness band training is heavily incorporated into home workouts, as well as gym workouts. These workout accessories are helpful for different fitness needs. They come in different shapes, sizes, and variety giving people the option to choose what to improve on. Some people may use them for toning purposes, while others may find them useful when stretching. Regardless of the reasons, they are a useful addition to your workout routine. If you want to learn more about them, here are 5 types of fitness bands and their uses.
A Look at The Types of Fitness Bands
- Best For Lower Body: Loop Bands
- Best For Walking and Strengthening: Lateral Fitness Bands
- Best For Rehabilitation and Stretching: Therapy Resistance Bands
- Best For Upper Body Workouts: Tube Resistance Bands
- Best Overall Upper Body Band: Pull-Up Bands
Best For Lower Body
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Fitness Loop Bands
As the name indicates, loop bands connect one end of the band to the other, forming a loop. They are portable and offer resistance during different types of workouts. In addition, they can be incorporated into a variety of exercise modalities not limited to yoga, strength training, and Pilates.
Why use them? If you are looking for resistance bands for legs, loop bands may be the one for you. They are mainly used to target muscles of the lower body, such as the legs and buttocks. You can engage and strengthen those specific muscle groups by using loop bands. Their construction makes it easy to slide around the legs and perform lower-body exercise movements.
Benefits
- Cost-effective
- Different strength levels
- Suitable for beginner-advanced level exercises
Examples Of Loop Band Exercises
Clamshells
Bridge Butterflies
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Best For Walking and Strengthening
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Lateral Fitness Bands
Lateral bands often come with two cuffs on opposite ends. These are ankle cuffs that help with resistance during lower-body training exercises. They offer challenges during various types of workouts, whether standing or lying down. For those looking for long resistance bands for the lower body, this could be useful, as the latex tube that connects to the straps offers extensive elasticity.
Why use them? Those looking to strengthen their lower body muscles, mainly the hips, and thighs will find use with these bands. Also, someone recovering from an injury can benefit from using this band to help compensate for weak muscle groups.
Benefits
- Lightweight
- Provides comfort with ankle padding
- Encourages controlled workout movements
Examples of Lateral Band Exercises
- Lateral band walk
- Running
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Best For Rehabilitation and Stretching
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Therapy Resistance Bands
Therapy bands, also known as flat bands are for rehabilitation and physical therapy purposes. They’re flat and offer a gentler workout routine for those recovering from an injury. These therapeutic bands also come in various strength levels that target each stage of your recovery. It is important to note that a physical therapist will be best equipped to advise you on the types of exercises as well as band resistance.
Why use them? Those suffering from an injury will benefit from therapy bands because they can improve mobility. They also offer adequate resistance, so you can stretch into the appropriate muscle groups without straining your muscles. There are many people who use therapy bands in the absence of an injury, as they are still extremely efficient.
Benefits
- Upper and lower body variations
- Stretching benefits
- Helpful for stability
Examples of Therapy Band Exercises
Front Band Pull-Apart
Diagonal Band Pull-Apart
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Best For Upper Body Workouts
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Tube Resistance Bands
Tube resistance bands have a cylindrical shape, hence the name. These are compact fitness bands with handles, which come in handy (no pun intended) during your workouts. The handles on each end provide the proper grip for different forms of exercise.
Why use them? These are the best resistance bands for both upper and lower-body workouts. Those looking into incorporating resistance bands into their full-body workouts may find this helpful. You can engage different types of muscle groups with the use of a single resistance band.
Benefits
- Suitable for full-body workouts
- Budget-friendly
- Many workout options
Examples of Tube Resistance Band Exercises
Biceps Curls
Triceps Extensions
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Best Overall Upper Body Band
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Pull-Up Bands
The pull-up bands are long resistance bands that assist in repetitive pull-up motions. They are often made of a thick rubber material and can be used by people at different fitness levels. Additionally, they are elastic and can be found in different sizes.
Why use them? Some people aren’t yet able to do pull-ups unassisted. The role of the pull-up band is to help build strength over time. In addition, those who can do pull-ups without assistance can incorporate these into their fitness bands’ workouts to increase their repetitions. Therefore, you are getting the support you need and an extra push.
Benefits
- Durable
- Upper body focused
- Improves performance
Examples of Pull-Up Band Exercises
Standing Pull-Ups
Triceps Pushdowns
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