Using resistance bands at home

I have been on a mission this past few months or so to help us all tone up for summer! We have looked at walking, and toning up at home and this week I thought I’d give you some ideas for using resistance bands. We often use resistance bands in class because they are such a brilliant, low-tech piece of exercise equipment which is also very effective and they are perfect for using at home. They are very cheap, take up no space to store and you can use them anywhere.

Resistance bands come in a variety of lengths and strengths. You need to choose one that offers you enough resistance to strengthen your muscles as you pull against the band, but not so much that you can’t do the movement properly. You might find you need a few different bands for your different muscle groups. If you want to try some out or want to buy some, come and see me in class.

Once you have your band, there is loads of different exercises you can do, and there is a wealth of information on the internet to show you how. Here are some great sites you might want to start with:

• This website shows you whopping 33 different exercises you can do with your bands!  http://greatist.com/fitness/resistance-band-exercises
• The NHS website is always a great place to go to for advice and tips on healthy eating and exercise. It also has a range of toning exercises which also includes some with bands http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/home-toning-workout.asp
• This website describes 6 exercises to do with bands which combine to give you a full body workout – http://www.mensfitness.com/training/workout-routines/full-body-resistance-band-workout
• If you are struggling to understand the descriptions and want to see the demonstrations, check out this website which has lots of different resistance band workouts with handy videos http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/resistance/

If you want to buy some bands, or to find out more about how to use your resistance bands at home properly or want further advice on how to use them, be sure to catch me in class this week.