Therabands, Therabands, Therabands! There are so many different bands out there and so many exercises to try that it can be overwhelming to know where to start! Here are ways that I use my theraband!
~Should I use therabands for stretching?~
Excellent question! Before you go out and buy a theraband, I think it is super important to figure out if a theraband would be conducive to your flexibility training. Bands have different purposes for stretching and not all bands are created equal! Some are better for passive stretching, some active, some help with leg flexibility, others with back flexibility. Some bands are high resistance, while others low resistance. Lots of different bands and it can be v overwhelming with all the different types! So, step one, figure out if your flexibility training would benefit from incorporating a theraband in.
~What band is best?~
As once recited from the infamous Jim Halpert from The Office, "What band is best?" (okay, he definitely was asking about bears, but we get the idea). So you have decided that you would like to incorporate therabands into your flexibility training, amazing! But, what band should you use!? I will describe the 3 bands I use and why:
Ballet band: my favorite band! This is a green, looped band, around 90 inches in circumference. This band is my favorite for really getting an active stretch. You can see in the picture to the left, I have the band looped around my friends back and I am pushing my legs forward, resisting the stretch. By doing this, I am super engaging my glutes, getting them strong for straddle!
Mini looped bands: so I just recently purchased these, and OMG! I use these for my glute and outer hip conditioning and wow, game changer! They are around 12 inches in circumference and have different resistance levels (medium and heavy are my go to). These bands have made my glute and hip conditioning work outs 10 times more intense, wow! If you want my glute/hip conditioning workout, find it here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/functionalflexibility
Exercise Resistance band: this band is around 4 feet long and a light/medium resistance. I tie loops at the end of this band so I can put it around my ankles when I want to. I feel like I use this band the most. This band is so multifunctional: perfect for kicks (yas making them super active), arm circles, shoulder stretching, foot stretching/strengthening, and much more. I have this band with me whenever I train!
~Choosing a band~
It truly is up to you and your flexibility training on what band you want to use. Here are my recommendations on what band I think is best for different levels/goals:
Yoga strap: great for passive flexibility! If you have tighter muscles and are wanting more chill stretches, this would be awesome. The lack of resistance in this band makes it so you don't have to use as much strength to keep your body where you want it to go...the band does that for you!
Long resistance bands (not looped): great for warmup exercises, kicks, foot pointe drills, shoulder openings, and so much more! The great thing about these bands is you can choose the resistance...want to intensify the exercise? Choose a heavy resistance band. Most versatile band.
Long resistance bands (looped): a personal favorite. Great for active stretches, especially straddle and splits. Very important to already have correct muscle engagement during exercises, as the resistance in the band is heavy, therefore muscle compensation will be tempting.
Short resistance bands (looped): great for stabilization exercises of the glutes, hips, and arms. These bands usually come in a pack with different resistance, so you can choose if you want light, medium, or heavy resistance
~"But Rochelle, I have no idea what band exercises to do"~
No worries! Head over to my Vimeo page (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/functionalflexibility )
and subscribe! I have numerous videos showing different exercises with therabands! As Juicy J would say, "Bands a make her dance".
Comments