Home workouts can be powerful ways to get fit and lose weight. We don’t need to go to the gym to succeed. But we do need to do the right type of workouts.
Strength training helps to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. More muscle needs more calories, so you end up burning far more while in a resting state. You’ll also get the shape that you desire, rather than just seeing the numbers on the scales drop.
You may be tempted to add resistance bands into your home workout. These are certainly worth considering to be included into strength training. They offer a world of benefits without costing a fortune.
Just why are resistance bands so powerful? Here are 10 reasons to add them into your home workout today.
The Most Cost Effective Option
Out of all the home equipment that you could purchase, resistance bands are the most cost effective options. They allow you to do a range of exercises for less than $10 in the majority of cases.
You can get some resistance bands with other home workout products. Home DVD workouts, like Pilates DVDs, will include a set of resistance bands and a yoga ball in the majority of cases. However, you can buy them on their own for very little.
The products that work anywhere near as close to resistance bands are dumbbells or free standing weights. They can cost into the hundreds depending on the weight you want.
There’s no need to keep increasing the weight with resistance bands. You can get various sizes and elasticity to suit your current capabilities or you can double up to do tougher exercises when you need to.
This leads us to the next benefit.
They Are Suitable for All Capabilities
Whether you’re just starting out with home workouts or your strength is excellent, you will find resistance bands beneficial. They come in a variety of resistances, with some “heavy” options being the hardest ever to pull.
From there, you’re doing bodyweight exercises. You’re rely on your own body strength to improve as you pull on the resistance bands. This will take time, which means you get plenty of use out of each resistance.
If you get to the point of being in-between resistances or the heaviest one isn’t enough, you can add more resistance bands. You’re still keeping the cost down and offering more tension to further build your muscles.
You Work on the Whole Body
Gone are the days where one part of your body needs one piece of equipment and then you need something else for another part of your body. Resistance bands offer a full-body workout without the need to lots of equipment. You just need one or two bands to start with and you can build up to incorporate more if you need.
The bands just need to be looped around something and tied. Some will even have grips to keep the tied sections for certain exercises to keep you safe.
You can pull the bands around your waist, around a foot, or even connect to stationary items to build your strength.
With resistance bands you get to work on every single muscle in the body. All you need are the workouts to boost that ability.
Save So Much Space in Your Home
We all have a problem with storage space. There’s only so much equipment we can fit into our homes. If we have a tendency to move home a lot, then we have the issue of trying to find somewhere new with enough space for our equipment.
That isn’t the case with the resistance bands. You can fold them up and pop them in a drawer. There’s no need for the excuse of not enough room.
You can even have multiple bands stored around the house with ease. If you want to do a workout in the bedroom, there’s no excuse of your bands being downstairs when you have a set for each room!
Some are bigger than others, but all will be small enough to fit in even the tiniest of places.
Easy to Travel With
Since they are so easy to store, they are also extremely easy to travel with. Some resistance bands even come with a waterproof cover because they are so travel friendly.
If you have a habit of getting out on the road a lot and worry about your exercise routine, there’s no issue. You can take your bands with you in your bag or in the car. They are always there for when you need to pull them out and do a workout. The only thing you may not be able to use is a DVD that comes with them. The simple solution is to get a list of exercises that you can do to give yourself the full body workout.
For those who need to fly, you can pop them in your luggage—hand held or check-in luggage. The workouts can be done from the comfort of your hotel room. There’s no need to pack any workout clothes that are suitable for the hotel gym or swimming pool!
No Need for Complicated Routines
New exercise equipment often means taking time to get used to it. You need to create routines that will help you build your muscles safely.
Resistance bands are extremely easy to learn and you don’t need to change your home routine at all. You can just add them to a current routine or add in a few easy to learn and familiar exercises. Chances are you’ve done things like bicep curls and shoulder presses before! You can do them with your new resistance bands.
The benefit of familiar exercise is that they make you want to use them. You don’t have to worry about not getting the exercises right or feeling silly because you can’t master a routine. After the first two attempts you’ll be sailing through.
Easily Alternate With Other Routines and Equipment
If you do have other equipment in your home, they won’t go to waste. Resistance bands sometimes just make excellent alternatives. You may only get them for when you’re on the road or just when you want to do something different.
There’s no need to follow a set routine every single day of the week. There’s no need to completely replace dumbbells or free weights. Resistance bands are complimentary exercising products that are easily incorporated into a current routine.
You may want to just add them to your regular bodyweight exercises as a way to build more muscle while you work out. You can also do them on a rest day to have a lighter form of exercise that helps your muscles build further.
At the same time, you can combine them with your current exercises. There will be some weights that work extremely well with some added resistance.
You Can Use Them without Anyone Else
There is some equipment that needs two people. While this is a safety thing, the last thing you want is to end up stuck underneath your 100lb free weights! You need someone to spot you in case it all goes wrong or you get the judgment on your abilities wrong.
This isn’t the case with resistance bands. If you get it wrong, you’re not putting yourself in danger. You’ll find it hard to do the exercises, but you don’t risk injury or even death!
There is the chance that the resistance bands will snap back at you, but this is a minor injury that you can avoid happening. Make sure both ends of the resistance bands are firmly held down to avoid the snapping back. This is a minor element to them considering you get to use them wherever and whenever you want.
They Do More Than Strengthen Muscles
Resistance bands are popular with Pilates workouts, which is why they are regularly sold with Pilates home workouts. This makes the bands one of the most resilient and effective types of equipment in the world. When you want to do more than just strengthen your body, you need to invest a small amount of money into them.
It’s possible to improve flexibility and stamina through the use of resistance bands. Physios tend to recommend them for their patients recovering from surgery. They are light when it comes to intensity but powerful ways to train and build the body.
You get to choose the amount of resistance. Buy both light and medium if you’re not too sure and test them out. Neither is a waste of money. If you need the light, you’ll build your way up to medium. If you need medium, you can use light with the medium later to add more resistance easily.
You get to work every single muscle in the body, making resistance bands one of the most effective options around. Definitely worth the money.
They Come in Multiple Styles and Colours
While we say that you should get equipment because of what it does, there’s no denying that there’s an element of style to it. That is especially the case when it comes to weights and resistance bands. There’s a reason they come in multiple colours.
The great news is that resistance bands come in a variety of colours and styles. You can get plain red ones with rubbery latex for very little money. Blue latex is another popular option when you really want to keep the costs down.
However, there are some that have a more high quality styling to them. The materials are softer to grip and they can even have handles to make them safer. You can put your foot into loops to keep them on the ground and actually grip with the hands without worrying about circulation being cut off.
The colours and styles don’t affect the ability of the resistance bands. They are still just as effective, but they can look better and suit your personality, so you’re more likely to use them.
Using Resistance Bands in the Home
So, now you know why you need the resistance bands, it’s time to look at ways to use them with your home workout routine. The best way to use them is to add them to your workouts.
When you do lunges, had a resistance band in both your hands. Pull the band apart with each lunge you do and then release when you step out of the lunge. You will work your upper body and back with the band, while the lunges work on your legs. You can do the same with squats.
When push ups get too easy for you, add a resistance band around your shoulder and tuck under both hands. You add an extra element when you push yourself back up from the ground.
You can also pop the band under one foot and pull up with one arm. It’s like a bicep curl but without the dumbbells!
It really is easy to add a resistance band workout to any home workout routine.
It’s Time to Add Resistance Bands to Your Workout
Now it’s time to look at adding a new element to your exercise routine. Home workouts can get boring, so it’s worth adding something new. Resistance bands are powerful and effective. They are so easy to use and don’t take up that much space at all. You’ll be able to travel with them, so you get to do your exercise on the go!
Resistance bands really are one of the cheapest types of exercise equipment you will find on the market. Even the most high-tech options are cheaper than getting a full home gym set up. You’ll still get all the same elements to your workout routine that dumbbells and standing weight machines give you. In fact, the resistance bands can make you work harder.
Just look at the 10 benefits of adding resistance bands to your strength training home workout. What reason do you have for not adding them to your own routine?
