Long gone are the days when going to a gym was the only way to get a proper workout. Whether you want to save money by foregoing the gym membership or simply want an easy way to workout at home or outdoors, there are so many benefits of using resistance bands that it’s hard a imagine a reason for not having one!
What is a resistance band?
Essentially, a resistance band is a stretchy loop, usually made of rubber. They come in a variety of lengths and widths to offer different resistance levels and you can loop them around fixed points at home, your own body or even places out and about. From there, you can do a huge range of resistance based exercises without expensive gym equipment and still get the same results.
Why everyone should be using resistance bands
1. They’re super cheap
One of the main benefits of using resistance bands is that they’re really affordable. We’ve packed so much greatness into the Meridius SpoBands and they’re still rock bottom prices compared to almost any other gym equipment. With a good quality resistance band you simply don’t need to throw money at huge, expensive workout equipment for your home and if the cost of a personal trainer or gym membership is killing you then cancel it now – you won’t need it anymore.
2. They’re ultra-portable
Ever taken a look around your home and wondered if you could reasonably fit a rowing machine in the lounge? Ever pondered evicting your car and turning your garage into a home gym? Workout equipment takes up room and, unless you’re absolutely dedicated to using it all the time, it’s just not an effective use of your precious space.
Resistance band training doesn’t need any big equipment. In fact, the bands are tiny – they usually fold up to the size of your wallet or a pair of balled socks. That’s it. If you choose basic rubber resistance bands, you might need a range of three to really get the most out of them but they’re so small, who cares? If you want to save even more room and only use one resistance band, our SpoBands have multiple loops stitched in so you can choose any level of resistance you want and only have to own one resistance band.
Since resistance bands hardly weigh a thing and pack up so small, you’re not limited to using them in your home either. Going travelling? You can take your resistance band! Heading off to the beach for a week? Just stick it in your bag. Got a long train journey or flight and want to keep your circulation going? Take your resistance band along for the ride.
3. They don’t discriminate
Buying something as a beginner only to have to replace it when you’ve improved is a huge money drain, not to mention time-consuming. Trying to work out which level you’re at can be tricky when looking into gym equipment and it’s so easy to overcomplicate it. The great thing about resistance bands? They don’t care if you’re a beginner or a seasoned expert.
Resistance bands are entirely adaptable to suit whatever exercise and level of workout you want. Feeling like a superhuman today? Use a tougher resistance loop on the SpoBand for your upper body training. Just need a gentle yoga stretch? Switch to a lower resistance loop on the same band!
Because resistance bands are infinitely adaptable, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve only just discovered the word ‘exercise’ or whether you were Arnie’s main competitor in the Mr Olympia contest. Resistance band workouts will work for you.
4. Endless workout options
Think you need dumbbells to nail bicep curls or get the most out of squats? Think again. You can get a full body workout at any fitness level using resistance training with exercise bands. And the best thing? You can constantly change your workout.
When you first start doing a new type of exercise, your muscles might make gains very quickly. But as anyone who works out often will tell you, those gains quickly plateau. In order to keep strengthening and toning your body, you need to alter the movements in your workouts and this is where the resistance band really comes into its own.
Resistance bands can be used to work out any part of the body. From seriously toning your glutes to building upper arm muscle and even working out those hard-to-train adductor muscles, resistance bands are one of the most flexible pieces of workout equipment you can own.
What resistance band should I buy?
At the most basic end, you can get pure rubber resistance bands. They’re cheap and cheerful but we don’t recommend them. There are several reasons why it’s worth investing in a better resistance band.
For a start, basic rubber resistance bands leave that horrible rubbery latex smell on your hands. Yurgh. Secondly, they’re prone to over-stretching and snapping without much warning – not great for your muscles while mid-stretch!
Basic resistance bands also only offer one level of resistance because they’re made up of one loop. That means that you might need a range of bands for different exercises which means buying more, storing more and carrying around different bands for different workouts. Hardly ideal.
We love the freedom of movement and exercise that resistance bands provide, which is why we developed the Meridius SpoBand range. We didn’t like the fact that basic resistance bands smell bad and get tacky over time as the rubber degrades. So we decided to make ours out of cotton instead and keep the rubber element tucked away inside.
Not only does each SpoBand have 9 loops to alter resistance, it’s also machine washable so it doesn’t matter how sweaty you get or whether you take it out to the muddy football pitch. In 6 different sizes, each resistance band can be used for a huge range of activities and has multiple levels of resistance to suit your workout needs.
Get a full breakdown of which resistance band you need by clicking through to our SpoBand page!
