As we start spring and the travelling season, many of us are looking for an easy way to stay fit on the move. It can be hard to stay on top when we’re away from our home gyms and may not have access to equipment on our travels. One the best pieces of equipment for athletes on the road are resistance bands. Lightweight and easy to pack, these versatile bands give you the chance to get in a great workout wherever you are. Get ready to pack light, stay active, and unlock the full potential of your travel fitness journey with resistance bands!
Benefits of Resistance Bands
Convenience is key and resistance bands offer a lot of benefits to the traveller who wants to keep fit!
Portability
Resistance bands are incredibly lightweight and can be easily folded or rolled up to fit into your suitcase or carry-on bag. This means you can take your workout with you wherever you go, whether you're travelling by plane, train, or automobile.
Versatility
With resistance bands, the possibilities are endless. From strength training and muscle toning to flexibility and mobility exercises, resistance bands can target every muscle group in your body.
Small Space Friendly
Unlike traditional gym equipment, resistance bands don't require a lot of space to use. You can easily set up your workout station in a small hotel room, a crowded campground, or even outdoors in a park or on the beach. This makes resistance bands the perfect fitness solution for travellers with limited space.
Adjustable Resistance
The portability of resistance bands means that you can easily pack three bands of increasing resistance as easily as packing one. This means you can choose the level of resistance to correspond to the muscle group you're working or to go up a level as you progress. Most bands are sold in threes, for light, medium and heavy resistance. I suggest trying before buying or checking out the reviews of a product to make sure you’re getting the quality and resistance you need.
Tip
Because of their portability, you can easily pack more than one band for your travel. I recommend 3 loop bands of various strength along with 3 straight bands to give you some variety and get a full body workout.
Exercises
When it comes to exercises on the go, resistance bands are a great compliment to many body weight moves.
Loop Bands
Squats
Add resistance to your squat by placing an appropriately sized band just above your knees. This will help engage your glutes more and increase the intensity of your squat. Because of the added resistance, make sure that you can maintain a good squat, with your feet hip distance apart and that your knees don’t cave inward during the movement.
Glute Bridges
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart, placing the resistance band just above your knees. Engage your core and lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position, keeping tension on the band throughout the movement.
Tip
For any movements with the lower body, I recommend using cloth loop bands. They stay in place better on your legs and feel much more comfortable than latex or rubber bands that can roll into tight straps on your legs.
Straight Bands (Therapy Resistance Bands)
Bicep Curls
Stand on the centre of the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart, holding the handles at your sides with your palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows close to your body, curl the handles up towards your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top. Slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
Bent Over Rows
Step on the centre of the resistance band with both feet, about hip-width apart. Make sure the band is securely under your feet to prevent it from slipping out. Grab the handles or ends of the resistance band with an overhand grip. With knees slightly bent, hinge at your hips to bend forward while keeping your back straight. Pull the handles or ends of the band toward your lower ribs, leading with your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
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