Top 5 Travel Ban(d)s - To train joints on the go
Do you travel a lot or spend many days away from home and neglect your training sessions?
While some of us might venture to a local or hotel gym, many of us at best will only do a little exercising in the comfort (and privacy) of our room. And yes, all movement, really any movement is good. But we all know not every movement packs the most bang for our time. And not every exercise is created equal, especially when it comes to addressing our joint's specific needs. So, why not make the best out of your time and invest in continued joint health, mobility and strength with a couple very light, very packable and VERY effective friends?
I promise, yes promise that you can and will get a good a burn and workout with these two (2) tools and joint specific exercise tips. And you don't even need a clean space on the floor your room or gym! Next best part is that you can continue to provide the joint care that our life needs but isn't always provided in a linearly based, movement oriented (not joint specific) exercise world.
Tactile Feedback
Long stretch loopbands make perfect tactile feedback tools particularly for using them on the spine. You can place them specifically in vertebral segments or areas that have difficulty moving. Place the band at segments to push into, to be pulled at to assist into ranges that are hard to move into or feel, or to brace against while moving above and/or below.
For Rotational based joint capsule work
Loopbands can help provide a little assistance or place more demand with extra resistance to create an even more challenging environment for most all rotational based CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations). This can be particularly helpful to help create tension while moving/rotating which is necessary for a joint to stabilize while moving but is often difficult to feel or achieve. Bands can also easily provide strength training progressions for pain free rotational ranges.
Assistance/Resistance for end range training
Loopbands can either be used as resistance with rotational based exercises to train specific capsular ranges or to assist into ranges that are particularly too tight and/or weak to access without. Rotation based exercises are not only crucial for joint health and mobility but will give access to more muscle fibers to train and neuromuscular control.
Isometrics for stretch and strength
The stretch strap (no elasticity) is great for isometrics where you contract tissue that would normally make movement but instead is pulling/pushing against an immovable force. In this case this would be locking in a stretch position, then trying to break the strap by contracting against the unmovable tension of the strap. This is not only great for increasing ranges but also training tissue in basic exercises/movement such as various squat positions. Isometrics can also be considered end range training by trying to hold end ranges while resisting the pull of the stretchy loopband (with elasticity), increasing demand by increasing tension OR speed.
Eccentrics for loading length
The are a great many ways to do and benefits to eccentric training. Many don't even require anything except a stable and stationary object like a chair, table, wall or doorway. But there are also many great advantages to doing eccentrics with a strap or loopband. For very similar reasons mentioned already, bands can be put in areas for feedback, to pull deeper into ranges and to push into for increased range training. Practically any stretch can be turned into an eccentric simply by trying to push out of the stretch while deepening into the stretch. And using a strap can add the extra touch to maximize and feeling more tissue engagement.
You can find quick video tutorials on each of these tips, in the FREE MOBILITY tab on my app for the month of December OR all clients or KWK Mobility Members with a current series plan or subscription can find these and much more online and on my app for free year round. Click here to follow along these tutorials online.
You can also follow and save these tips and more on Instagram: @mobilityfocuspilates
Be sure to leave a comment if and when you try these and share them with someone who can benefit from these!
3D Powerbands can be purchase with my affiliate link: MOBILITYFOCUSPILATES
Check out my list for additional home exercise props available on Amazon:
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