BENEFITS

What is Resistance Training?
Resistance training increases muscle strength by pitting the muscles against a weight or force, such as a dumbbell or theraband.

As the elastic band is stretched, the resistance increases. This resistance provides a progressive stimulus to the muscle to build strength and help increase muscle mass.

Elastic resistance training (ERT) can work single or multiple joints at one time, making exercises more functional and efficient.

Advantages of Therabands and/or Tubing
The greatest advantages of elastic resistance are its portability, affordability, and versatility.

What can it do?
- Increased muscle strength, power, endurance and size.
- Increased bone density and strength.
- Reduced body fat.
- Increased muscle-to-fat ratio.
- Boosted metabolism (burning more kilojoules when at rest).
- Lowered heart rate and blood pressure after exercise (thought to reduce the risk of heart disease).
- Improved balance and stability.
- Enhanced performance of everyday tasks.
- Reduced risk of development of, and improvement of, medical conditions - for example, diabetes and arthritis.

Please note:
It is important to pay attention to safety and good form to reduce the risk of injury. Consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise program, especially if you are overweight, over 40 years, have a pre-existing medical condition or haven't exercised in a long time.

Unfortunately, elastic bands and tubing occasionally break. While they are more subject to wear and tear than isotonic weights, elastic resistance products have a longer clinical life because of advances in manufacturing. Care must be taken to inspect bands regularly and to avoid objects that can cause damage. Be sure the bands are securely attached so they don't snap back and cause injury. It's also difficult to quantify the specific resistance of an elastic band compared with an isotonic weight. For example, a particular band can't be equated to the specific weight of a dumbbell; the force produced by each band depends on how much it is stretched. Elastic bands are not toys, so children should use them only with supervision.

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References:
1. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Resistance_training?OpenDocument
2. To reprint this excerpt with permission from Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., please contact the publicity department at 1-800-747-4457 or publicity@hkusa.com.