Resistance Band Training for Busy Moms

I have to say I am a lover of using resistance bands during my work out. They are a great tool to have at home for a quick and effective workout. There are often days I would love to be in the gym but that is not an option because with 2 kiddos’ demanding my attention, a career, school, a dog, being my kids taxi driver, and trying to balance life in general, going to the gym everyday is not going to happen. However, having resistance bands handy at home does allow me to have a quick 20-30-minute workout and stretching session that does help put some pep in my step as well as I no longer feel the guilt about not working out.

Resistance bands are a great alternative to weight training or in addition to weight training. Choosing the right bands for yourself is important to gaining the results you are looking for. Bands come in different thicknesses and levels of resistance. The general rule is the harder it is to stretch the band, the more advanced the band may be and may be too difficult for beginners. Start with a band that is comfortably flexible with enough resistance to give you a good workout but not challenging enough to cause injury or make you lose the proper form for each exercise.

Resistance training is a good way to build and strengthen muscles. Resistance training means you are using any level of force that makes the movement harder to perform. Resistance bands create the force necessary to provide resistance when you move your limbs which help strengthen and lengthen your muscles.

Just a few Tips…Make sure you are breathing through your exercises. Do not hold your breath,rather inhale when you release each movement and exhale when you execute each movement. Getting oxygen to your muscles is an important part of your work out. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Challenging yourself is great but any exercise that causes pain, especially if you have any injuries that still need time to recover from, should be avoided.

There are many resistance band exercise programs. Right now, working the butt and thighs is my hot spot for my workouts. My go to is DailyBurnLife.com.  They have a great blog with 5 great exercises for your behind that you can easily do at home.

Google Images also offers an endless supply of different charts giving detailed all over body workouts that I find very handy in creating quick and highly effective workouts that can be done from the privacy of my own home. I love that! 

Please, share some of your favorite resistance band workouts. I am always up for learning some new moves to enhance my current routine and I would be happy to share some of my own and resources to help you put your own routine together.  Happy workout!