Exercise & Fitness
Try this: Band practice
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Resistance bands are versatile exercise tools that can help supplement your usual workouts. Bands also can train your muscles to contract faster during everyday movements like stretching, bending, lifting, or rising from a chair.
There are several types of resistance bands. The most common is a single length of stretchy material. Another kind is an enclosed loop that resembles a giant rubber band. A third type is a thin rubber tube with handles.
With a plain band, you increase the resistance by wrapping the ends around your hands and adjusting your hand position to shorten or increase the length. The looped type works the same way — you hold the ends and move your hand positions to make the stretched length shorter or longer. For the band with handles, you change the resistance by how close or far apart you place your feet when standing on the tube.
Ready to join the band? Here is an exercise to get you started:
Chest punches. Place the exercise band around your back and under your armpits. Hold an end in each hand by your shoulders. With control, punch your right arm out in front of you on a slight diagonal across your body. Repeat with the left arm. That's one rep. Complete eight to 12 reps.
Image: © Paperkites/Getty Images
About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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