Resistance bands have become a popular alternative to traditional iron weights. Body builders and personal trainers use them effectively for a full workout. Seniors and people rehabilitating from injuries also use resistance bands to improve fitness. Why would one choose to use them over traditional free weights?
Safe
If one drops a resistance band on his or her toe, the toe is not likely to break. They are light, easy to move and safe to use. Dumbbells are heavy, awkward and can be dangerous. If one maxes out on a elastic band, he or she merely needs to release tension on the band. In comparison, maxing out weight on a dumbbell can cause injury. Hands down, training with exercise bands is safer than training with free weights.
Portable
They are light and compact. People who travel frequently can get a full workout by packing their resistance bands into a corner of their suitcase. Exercise bands can be stored in a drawer or under the bed. Free weights can take up an entire room or closet. In addition to their compact size, exercise bands much less expensive than free weights.
Effective
Since they are elastic, they do not rely on gravity to provide resistance. Therefore, exercise bands can be used in more ways than free weights. Resistance tubing become more taut as the band is stretched, which creates a heavier load on the band. As one pulls a 10 pound band tight, the load on the band could change to 30 pounds. The elastic nature of the band allows the user to challenge the ability of their muscles within a single exercise. In contrast, a 10 pound free weight will always way 10 pounds. Also as the band is pulled taut, it creates a kinetic energy known as recoil. The recoil of the band engages muscles both on the way up and on the way down. The effect of recoil is unique to exercise bands and works the muscle more thoroughly than using free weights.
They improve fitness on many levels. They are safe, easy to use and inexpensive. Exercise bands are small and can easily fit into a suitcase or drawer. Since resistance bands do not rely on gravity for resistance, someone who uses resistance bands has more exercises to choose from than someone using free weights. Time and time again using resistance bands for strength training has been proven to be an effective way of building muscle.
