How To Use Resistance Loop Bands At Home
Here is how to use resistance loop bands at home, including our top 5 loop band exercises.
Resistance bands are great tools to use in rehab as well as generally strength and conditioning.
They’re not just for building a big booty!
In this video, we’ll walk you through our top five loop band exercises to help you get a whole body workout from the comfort of your home.
Resistance bands are great tools to use in rehab as well as general strength and conditioning, and we use them all the time here in our clinic. So here are our top 5 exercises for resistance loop bands that you can do at home.
Crab walk
The crab walk is a great band warm-up exercise that helps to get your muscles moving and your heart pumping. Here's how to do it:
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Bend your knees and place your hands on the ground in front of you. Walk forward, keeping your hands and feet on the ground at all times. As you walk, be sure to keep your back straight and your core engaged. Continue walking forward until you reach the end of the band. Then, turn around and walk back to the starting position.
This exercise is a great way to wake up your muscles and get your blood flowing before a performance. Plus, it's a lot of fun!
Hip flexor march
The hip flexor march is a simple but effective exercise for strengthening the hip flexor muscles. To do the exercise, you will need a band and a chair. Start by sitting in the chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Wrap the band around your thighs, just above your knees. Make sure that the band is snug but not too tight. From this position, march in place, keeping your feet close to the floor and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. You should feel your hip flexor muscles working as you march. Do 20 repetitions of the march, and then rest for 30 seconds. You can do this exercise several times a week to strengthen your hip flexor muscles.
Plank hip flexor march
The plank hip flexor march is a great exercise for strengthening the core and stabilization muscles. Here's how to do it: Start in a forearm plank position with a band around your ankles. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels and engage your core muscles. While keeping your hips still, lift your right foot off the ground and bring your knee toward your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat with the left leg. Continue marching alternating legs for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remember to keep your abs engaged and resist the urge to let your hips sag or rotate. This exercise can be challenging, so if you need to, drop down to your knees until you build up the strength to maintain a proper plank throughout the entire movement.
External Rotation Overhead Press
One great way to work your shoulders is with the external rotation overhead press. This exercise targets the muscles around the shoulder joint, including the rotator cuff. It's a great move for both strengthening and injury prevention.
Here's how to do it: start by attaching a band to a sturdy object at about shoulder height. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grab the band with your right hand, palm facing in. From there, press the band overhead, keeping your elbow close to your ear. Slowly lower the band back to starting position. That's one rep. Complete 10-12 reps on one side before switching to the other side.
(Make sure to watch the video for the complete demo on how to perform these exercises.)
So….
And our number 1 loop band exercise that you can do at home is…
The banded Bear Walk
The banded Bear Walk is a great way to get a full-body workout while also improving your mobility. To start, you will need a band. Place the band around your ankles and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your knees slightly bent, lift your left foot and step forward, leading with your heel. As you step, keep the band taunt so that it provides resistance. Continue walking forward for 10 steps, then turn around and walk back to your starting position. You can also do this exercise with a band around your thighs or wrists. Give the banded Bear Walk a try today!
The reason this is at number one is because it takes an already hard full body exercise, and makes it even harder. This is not for the faint hearted. Wrap the band around your wrists, OR around your feet, or if you have two bands, why not do both at the same time! This whole body exercise will have you muscles burning and your heart rate going, and hey, it's just nice to move in ways that our body isn’t used to - when was the last time you walked along your living room floor like a bear? Make sure to give this one a go!
So there we have it - there is how to use resistance loop bands at home, as well as our top 5 loop band exercises.
