What’s up with resistance bands?
Have you been to the gym lately? If so, chances are you’ve seen sets of colourful elastic bands hanging from hooks or piled in a corner. Maybe you’ve even seen the bands around people’s ankles or arms and wondered what they were doing?
The fact is, resistance bands aren’t exactly new technology. They have been a popular product for decades, but they seem to be making a splash in the fitness community right now. Whether you’re a fan or not, resistance bands seem here to stay.
We know that resistance bands aren’t new, but did you know that the first resistance bands were invented in 1895? (https://www.resistancebands.net/history-of-the-resistance-bands/) The interesting thing is that not much has changed since this original patent. The original resistance bands consisted of a stretchy rope with handles, much like contemporary designs.
Resistance bands had some distinct advantages over free weights that people noticed quickly. Resistance bands took up very little space compared to weights. They were less expensive and easier to store. The risk of injury using resistance bands was also extremely low. These same reasons are why resistance bands are suddenly becoming extremely popular.
Another reason that resistance bands have stayed in the public consciousness is their usefulness in physical therapy applications. With physical therapists using resistance bands they have managed to stay in the public consciousness even as interest in them changed over time.
