This article discusses the benefits of resistance bands and how to choose the right band for your needs. It also looks at the drawbacks.
Living in a tiny apartment that barely had room for me, let alone exercise equipment, and having a job that involved a lot of travel, I quickly came to appreciate the benefits of resistance bands.
After using them, I could toss them into a drawer or suitcase to take on trips.
Taking my workout with me saved me the time, bother, and expense of looking for a gym in an unfamiliar city.
That was some years ago, and I still use resistance bands regularly.Anyone who has used free weights or weight machines knows they are excellent for developing strength and muscle tone.
But not all of us have access to these either due to them not being affordable or not having the space to accommodate them. Some people simply aren’t comfortable using them.
The good news is that resistance bands provide a similar workout to heavy strength training equipment in a more user-friendly package. They also cost far less, and they are easily transportable.
As with hand weights, resistance bands allow a free range of motion and provide variable resistance. They also enable users to progress to a “heavier weight” when their strength and fitness improve.
In this article on the benefits of resistance bands, we will look at some of their pros and cons to help you decide if they would be a good option for you.
Click here for resistance band exercises that will tone your entire body.
Table of Contents
30-Minute Resistance Bands Workout for Toning and Strengthening
Benefits of Resistance Bands
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Low-impact total body toning
Resistance bands can deliver a comprehensive, total-body toning workout that is gentler on the joints than lifting free weights.
Bands offer organic movement, unlike free weights, which are gravity-dependent, and follow a specific pattern.
This low-impact approach avoids the lack of joint stabilization and repeated compression that can cause damage over time and ultimately lead to arthritis.
This low-impact approach avoids the lack of joint stabilization and repeated compression that can cause damage over time and ultimately lead to arthritis.
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Multiple fitness benefits
One of the most simple fitness tools, resistance bands are incredibly effective for toning and strengthening muscles.
They are also great for boosting stamina and endurance. Used regularly, they can significantly increase balance, range of motion, and flexibility.
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Suitable for everyone
Another of the benefits of resistance bands is that people of any age and fitness level can use them.
This is because they come in various strengths, from light to medium and heavy. The resistance provided can be equivalent to anywhere from 2 pounds to 30 pounds of weight or more.
They work well for anyone from the casual exerciser to the professional athlete looking to build strength for their sport.
Seniors seeking a low-impact workout that delivers multiple advantages should find 
resistance bands very much to their liking.
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Light, Compact, and Transportable
Resistance bands weigh next to nothing and take up almost no room.
This makes them ideal for people on the go who want to fit some toning exercises into their day when they have a few spare minutes.
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Inexpensive
Resistance bands are substantially less expensive than hand weights, kettlebells, and weight machines.
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Customizable
Increase or decrease the resistance by grasping the band with your hands closer or further apart.
You can work with more than one band at a time for a more challenging workout. This is known as stacking.
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Rehabilitation benefits
One of the most appreciated benefits of resistance bands is that people undergoing physical therapy can use them.
Utilized for this purpose, they are more gentle and far safer than traditional weights. This makes them a viable exercise option for people undergoing rehabilitation of bad elbows, torn rotator cuffs, and the like. Using weights in such a situation would mean running the risk of exacerbating the injury.
Resistance bands enable us to isolate the muscles we want to strengthen without burdening them or the surrounding tendons, bones, or joints.
Using a light resistance band to exercise muscles not affected by injury will improve blood circulation and promote a faster recovery.
Drawbacks
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Not the best choice for building bulk
Resistance band workouts are excellent for muscle toning. They are also proven to build some mass and help reverse muscle atrophy, but not to the degree free weights can.
- Bands can fray and snap
Bands can fray, snap, and weaken over time.
Incorrect use and poor quality are the primary reasons this occurs, so be sure to buy top-quality bands and follow the manufacturer’s usage guidelines.
Choosing the Right Bands
To fully experience resistance bands’ benefits, choose those that provide the right amount of resistance for your fitness level. If you are new to exercise, start with one equivalent to two pounds of resistance.
When your muscles are stronger, progress to a stronger band.
Do this throughout your fitness journey, and you will keep your muscles challenged and increase your fitness further.
Bands of varying strength can be used for different parts of your body. For example, you may want to use a band with less resistance to exercise your arms and one with greater resistance to exercise your legs.
Click this link to read about some popular resistance bands sets
Another of the benefits of resistance band training is that they allow us to target specific muscles and work them in different ways. Squats, Chest Presses, Bicep Curls, and Triceps Extensions are just some of the many exercises that can be done with resistance bands.
They can be incorporated into CrossFit workouts and fitness programs such as P90x, Insanity, and Turbo Jam.
Some people prefer using bands with handles. Others find it easier to work with the bands grasped in their hands. Both are equally effective.
If your bands have handles permanently attached, you will only be able to work with one at a time.
When using a band without handles or with detachable handles, you can add extra bands if you require more resistance.
Some sets come with a door anchor, which increases their use further.
Benefits of Resistance Bands Summary
The benefits of resistance bands are many. Firstly, they are easy to use, portable, and very inexpensive.
They enable people of any age and fitness level to tone their muscles and increase their strength and flexibility. 
Resistance bands can be used to supplement an aerobic program.
They can be used as a sole means of exercise for people with mobility issues.
People with joint pain that stops them from exercising may be able to use resistance bands.
They can also help those recovering from injury ease back into exercise.
Personally, I love that they enable me to define my muscles without adding bulk. They’re easy to work with and, for me at least, more gentle to use than regular hand weights.
I moved out of that tiny apartment years ago. My resistance bands came with me. I use them to this day, and I still have a set in my drawer at work that I use regularly and probably always will.
