As the name suggests, resistance bands are used to add resistance to different exercises. They essentially allow you to challenge your muscles, putting them under resistance more than you can with just your body weight.
They come in a variety of weights, colours and thicknesses. The heavier the resistance and bigger the thickness of the band, the greater challenge it will be to use for exercise.
Resistance bands can be favoured over other resistance equipment due to their versatility and easy storage, and ability to transport them in your bag. You can easily take resistance bands with you on holiday to complete your workout. Whereas dumbbells and barbells it’s just not practical.
Resistance bands are also versatile, meaning you can do loads of different exercises, working the full body with the same resistance band. You might not get the same versatility with dumbbells, barbells or resistance machines.
Resistance bands can also be added to other equipment, such as onto the end of a barbell loaded with plates. Depending on where you put the band, it can add a different form of resistance to the normal weights on the bar, making the exercise tougher.
If you have no equipment at home and travel a lot or look for something small and compact to boost your workout, resistance bands are definitely worth purchasing. Although they look like they’ll snap easily, they’re extremely strong, and if you buy from a reputable brand, they should last you a long time.
