Elastic exercise bands were once the Rodney Dangerfield of fitness equipment. Their association with physical therapy and senior fitness programs prevented them from getting the respect they deserved. This changed in the early 1990s, when elite fitness professionals such as Douglas Brooks of Moves International and Juan Carlos Santana of the Human Performance Institute offered resistance band workshops at fitness instructor conferences. Thera-Band, a resistance band manufacturing company, created the Thera-Band Academy, which supported research studies on band training benefits. As a result, a new fitness trend was born.
Sport Performance
Elastic resistance training is used in numerous sport-specific training programs. The United States Bowling uses exercise bands to correct deficient movement patterns and prevent injuries. The Association for Tennis Professionals uses ankle band exercises for agility training. Unlike traditional weight-training equipment, which usually has a linear movement path, elastic resistance bands facilitate exercise in all planes of motion. It is therefore easier to simulate sport-sport specific activities with a band than it is with a weight machine.
Strength
Elastic resistance bands are an effective form of strength training. In fact, a September 2008 study, published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," showed that they are as effective as weight machines. Lead author Juan Carlos Colada and his team put two groups of women on a 10-week exercise program. One group used weight machines, the other used resistance bands. Both groups showed similar body composition improvements.
Convenience
Elastic resistance bands provide an affordable and portable exercise option. When you can't get to the gym, a band workout is a viable substitute. The bands also offer Pilates and muscle conditioning instructors an affordable option for adding resistance training to their programs.
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