One of the main benefits of resistance bands is that they are incredibly versatile. Resistance

bands allow you to do a full-body workout in the comfort of your own home. Similar to weight

training, resistance bands help build muscle mass and tone. Resistance bands are also

amazing to use to help stretch and warm up your muscles before a workout which will

increase flexibility and range of motion during your workout. Resistance bands are great for

all fitness levels from beginners just starting their fitness journey, to pro athletes. One of the

reasons why they’re great for beginners is that they’re super affordable and easy to transport.

In addition, pregnant women can also benefit from using resistance bands because they are

able to do light exercises without doing intense weight-training.

• What are Resistance Bands?
• Same Muscle Activity as Training with Weights    
• Greater Range of Motion

• Improve Your Strength

• Work of Your Core
• Training Stability
• Cost-Effective
• Good for Post Injury Strengthening
• Increase Mobility
• Easy to Transport

• Types of Resistance Bands

       - Resistance bands with handles

       - Therapy flat resistance bands

        - Loop bands

        - Leg and arm tube resistance bands

        - Power and mobility bands

• Resistance Band Exercises for Figure Skaters

        - Hip strength - crab walk squats

        - Landing extension with the band

        - Kneeling lunge with band pull back

        - Seated toe raises/flex with band

        - Deep hip muscle strengthening exercises for figure skaters

• Any Questions?

Want a more structured support with your off-ice training? Join a FLEXAFIT class online today!

A resistance band is a lightweight elastic band that comes in different resistance levels used

to induce muscular contraction. Whether for aesthetic purposes, athletic performance, or

physical therapy, resistance bands can help you strengthen and/or stretch your muscles.

These resistance bands can often be bought in a set. The four main categories of these bands

include light, medium, heavy, and extra-heavy

Studies have shown that resistance band training provides similar strength gains to using

conventional gym equipment. One significant distinction is that there is less force applied to

the joints, which allows for more stimulation of the muscles with a decreased risk of damage.

Resistance bands may enable you to keep working out and execute exercises that you can’t

with dumbbells, which is ideal for anyone with current injuries or joint problems

Stretching using resistance bands is especially beneficial for people with poor flexibility and

mobility. Stretching is crucial especially if your muscles are stiff since it lengthens and relaxes

the muscles. Mobility is also crucial as it increases your range of motion and enables you to

move more efficiently. Resistance bands are a great advantage because various mobility

exercises offer ways to improve your range of motion that you cannot do with bodyweight

movements alone.

You can improve your strength with the help of resistance bands especially if you are a

beginner at the gym or doing home workouts. For example, if you can’t do a full pull-up, the

band will assist you in the range of motion until you can get to the point where you can do

reps on your own. Having a set of resistance bands with various resistance levels can greatly

help you progress throughout your fitness journey. Beginners may use the extra-heavy or

heavy band to start with pull-ups and graduate to a higher level of resistance as their overall

body strength improves. Many resistance band exercises can work for several muscle groups

at the same time so you can easily get a full-body workout. Depending on the resistance level

of the band, your workout can be more challenging which enhances both physical strength

and balance.

Your body requires stabilization to maintain form during numerous workouts due to constant

stress from the bands. In order to maintain balance, you must engage your core to avoid

future injuries. You must control the resistance bands from snapping back into place which

means greater stimulation and strength through the muscle’s full range of motion, and the

bands’ pull will make it harder to cheat due to the momentum.

Resistance band exercises are very effective for developing core strength and stability

because they engage the “stabilizers,” the main muscle group that stabilizes and supports

the body.

Resistance bands can be very cost-effective considering the number of exercises you can do

with them. The price of resistance bands can cost less than the average gym membership. A

set of resistance bands can cost less than $30 which is cheaper than buying each individual

weight and receiving the same results. This is a great price especially if you are a beginner

and want to achieve an effective workout in your home gym.

In order to stay in great shape, compete consistently well, and avoid frequent injuries, athletes

must do the right kind of exercise on a regular basis. After an injury, sports professionals

should use resistance bands to help athletes add resistance to their motions, which will

increase their strength and flexibility without putting unnecessary strain on their joints.

Resistance bands are the best equipment to use during post-injury recovery. These bands

allow athletes to concentrate on specific parts of the body, which may speed up the process

of injured joints and muscles.

Our range of movement diminishes as we age, and many people experience sarcopenia or

age-related muscle deterioration. A research done by the American Physiological Society

revealed that atrophy, the rate of muscle fibre loss and wastage, was close to 1 percent a year

for people aged 50 and over. Utilizing resistance bands is one of the best ways to improve

flexibility and mobility as we get older. An advantage of resistance bands is that they have

different levels of resistance so they can help people who enjoy doing gentle stretching daily.

Most resistance bands are lightweight and very easy to transport because you can easily slide

them into your gym bag. Many resistance kits are very compact and do not take up much

space. This is great for people who are always travelling and want to bring exercise

equipment that is not too bulky or heavy to toss in a bag.

The primary purpose of these tube bands with handles is to build muscle strength and size

during your workout. What separates these bands from the typical flat bands is that the

handles provide a sturdy grip which allows you to execute a range of exercises similar to those

you might do in the gym with free weights or machines. Carabiners are used with stackable

resistance bands to enable the user to mix bands to change the resistance level as desired.

Single Resistance Band Exercise Tube with Handle

Therapy flat resistance bands can frequently be discovered in therapy settings, such as

physical therapists or sports therapist offices. They are wide and flat, making it simple to wrap

them around your hand and easily change the length. They may also be split into smaller

pieces or stretched. These bands can be used for general strength training as well as Pilates

programs to provide added resistance.

Therapy Flat Resistance Bands Set

Despite being smaller and forming a closed loop, these bands are similar to therapy bands.

These are primarily used for strengthening the legs and glutes. These can be found in the

majority of gyms and physical therapy clinics.

Get your set of 5 FLEXAFIT Resistance band loops

There are several different styles of these closed-loop tube bands, including leg bands with

ankle cuffs and figure-8 designs with handles for the upper body. These have a limited range

of exercises that can be done but are more muscle-specific.

Resistance band figure 8 cord tube with handle

These power and mobility bands are the most popular resistance bands among people doing

cross-training and powerlifting. They are commonly used to stretch, correct mobility

concerns, offer different levels of resistance to weight training, and pull-up assistance.

Get your FLEXAFIT Resistance band

Crab Walk Squats

First place an appropriate-strength loop resistance band above your knees. Lower yourself into a deep squat position with your feet shoulder distance apart, and step your right foot out as far as you can against the resistance of the band. Follow with your left foot to return your feet to shoulder distance apart. Keep stepping sideways for as far as your space allows and then go back with the other foot leading, still facing the same direction.

[20-30 reps each direction]

Get your set of 5 FLEXAFIT Resistance band loops

Place an appropriate-strength loop resistance band around your ankles. Stand on one leg and press your knee forward over your toes. Lifting and squeezing from your glute muscles, extend your free leg behind you to the full extension of the resistance band. Bring the free leg back in towards your free leg and then extend again.

[10-15 reps each side]

Place a thick band around the ankle joint, kneel forward with the knee. The band will pull back, while you try to press forward. 

Do 30 sec - 1 min each side.

In a seated position on the floor with the opposite knee bent, use a theraband to pull the toe up and point back down, strengthening the ankle.

Do 15-20 reps on each side.

Hip strength and stability helps absorb the impact of landings from on and off ice jumps.

It is important to focus on the deeper muscle groups in addition to the more superficial muscle groups. Coaches should focus on developing the athlete from the inside out– focusing on small stabilizing muscles that help injury prevention before focusing on maximum strength in the superficial muscle groups.

In this video, Signe demonstrates two hip exercises that will help develop strength and stability.

• The first exercise is often called fire hydrants. Skaters can do this exercise with or without a band, adding resistance as they gain more strength.
• The second exercise is a side plank with hip abduction. This is a more advanced exercise for skaters who have practiced the side plank and are ready for a harder variation.

For beginners, it is HIGHLY recommended to start off-ice training before trying the skills on the ice.  Not only does this prepare your body better, but it also helps prevent injuries.

Do you want more structured support with your off-ice training?

Our FLEXAFIT Beginner/Basic Skills Program is designed for beginner skaters. Our trainers will teach you the essential skills from complete basics to get your body set up for success on the ice. To make things even better, we will make sure your results are measurable with our skills tracking system that will ensure you are reaching your goals each week. Want to learn more? Fill out the form below.