Why Fitness Bands Are Soaring in Popularity
Sales of home fitness equipment have skyrocketed this year. Fitness bands are among the hottest items, with sales up about 400 percent, according to Google Trends.
It’s easy to see why.
Elastic exercise bands have been common in physical therapy offices, gyms and fitness studios. They’re a low-cost, lightweight option for resistance training, which is crucial for people over 50.
Staying strong is essential for staying independent, performing daily tasks and enjoying sports and hobbies. Resistance training – or weightlifting – is necessary to maintain muscle, strengthen bones, and prevent falling.
You can buy resistance bands for cheap online and in many stores. You can keep them at home, pack them in a bag, or take them outside.
Bands are made of plastic, rubber or fabric, and provide different levels of resistance. You can use bands for arm curls, presses, seated rows, squats and all kinds of stretches, moving at your own pace.
Bands provide more resistance the harder you work them. And they’re conversely easier when you get to the point of a repetition that has the least tension or resistance. That’s good if you have a joint issue to work around.
Bands help with muscular endurance and joint stabilization, says the National Academy of Sports Medicine. They help you move in multiple planes of motion and achieve greater range of motion.
Reach out and talk to us about strength training, including resistance bands and the safe, effective activities we can help you with that will support living better.
Gordon Palmer; Registered Personal Trainer, Fitness Coordinator and Nutrition Coach for Project Body Smart at Global Fitness & Racquet Centre.
