This product allows me to exercise painful areas without adding downward pressure or weightIt’s important to seek medical advice ahead of starting a new exercise regime if you have joint pain, have not exercised for some time, or have medical conditions or concerns(Image: Moment RF/Getty Images)
We all know that exercise is important for our physical and mental health. However, sometimes despite our best efforts it does not make its way into our daily or weekly routines.
Exercise is not only important for our hearts, but improving strength can be important for keeping pressure off of important joints. Nevertheless, strengthening muscles with weights is not an ideal solution for everyone and can even create new problems if not done correctly.
Accessing weight machines at the gym can also sometimes seem like an impossible task among a busy schedule, not to mention, expensive. Upon quitting the gym, however, I worried about losing out on the strength I had built up.
Exercises can be taken up a level by adding a resistance band (Image: Home Bargains)
Without access to weights, a home workout routine didn’t have the same appeal. But after attending a one-off exercise class, I was put on an incredibly handy fitness tool that worked wonders for my strength with no weights required.
The tool is called a resistance band and is an an elastic, rubber or latex band used for strength training. Home Bargains is currently selling a pack of 2 for £2.99.
Incorporating a resistance band into my workout routine has proved to be a game changing way of working out at home. For lower body exercises, I have found the band has proved particularly useful.
During period of frequent running and using (and possibly misusing) heavy weights, I have often ended up with sore knees. With knee pain, weights have not always been a good option for me, and even exercises like squats and lunges have sometimes put too much pressure on my joints.
The resistance band allowed me to do keep doing exercises that strengthened my lower body and legs without any pressure on my knees, including donkey kicks and leg raises. The exercises felt far more effective and challenging with the added resistance.
Resistance bands are also great for exercising often overlooked muscle groups such as hip flexors, an area I have often struggled with but that is so important for mobility. The band adds extra levels of difficulty to hip strengthening exercises such as hip rotations and flexions.
As a result, I quickly noticed an improvement in my strength. With that being said, it’s important to seek medical advice ahead of starting a new exercise regime if you have joint pain, have not exercised for some time, or have medical conditions or concerns.
NHS advice says to contact 111 if:
- your knee is very painful
- you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape
- your knee locks, gives way or painfully clicks – painless clicking is normal
- you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have redness or heat around your knee – this can be a sign of infection
The NHS might:
- prescribe medicine or physiotherapy
- refer you to hospital for a scan or specialist treatment (for example, surgery)