The Benefits of Using Elastic Bands to Work Out

Elastic bands are one of the best tools you can use in your fitness routine. In this article, you'll discover all the benefits of this simple element.
The Benefits of Using Elastic Bands to Work Out

Last update: 10 November, 2019

More and more people are choosing elastic bands as their preferred equipment when working out. Among other things, bands are compatible with any type of exercise, which is why it’s interesting to learn about the benefits of including them in your routine.

These exercise tools are an interesting option for athletes of any age or level of physical condition. With the use of elastic bands, the body is working against a resistance; this gives our muscles effective training.

Since they’re small and portable, resistance bands are an excellent way to get fit. As if this wasn’t enough, they’re a very cheap type of equipment that we can use anywhere.

Physical therapists have used resistance bands in rehabilitation processes for many years. Nowadays, people have been incorporating them into a lot of training programs.

While they’re an incredibly simple compliment, they’re also very effective to work all the muscles in your body. Even people who love to do bodyweight exercises can add resistance bands to their routines if they want to increase the difficulty of their workouts.

What are the benefits of using elastic bands?

As you’ll be able to see in the following paragraphs, exercises with elastic bands are surprisingly effective and offer a lot of benefits. We’ll list them down below!

1. For every level

Elastic bands are ideal for everyone because we can adapt them to multiple levels of physical condition, whether they’re beginners or experienced athletes. The additional resistance of elastic bands demands a lot from the muscles. This pushes athletes to increase the difficulty and work a bit harder.

Two women doing squats with elastic bands around their thighs

2. You can combine elastic bands with other types of equipment

Elastic bands are excellent multi-use exercise tools that can help to improve your physical condition. While resistance bands work great on their own, you can also combine them with another exercise equipment.

As a matter of fact, experts believe it’s a good idea to introduce elastic bands with weights, machines and resistance exercises. Take into consideration the fact that each equipment exercises the muscles differently. Therefore, elastic bands are undoubtedly an ideal complement.

3. Work out anywhere thanks to the use of elastic bands

Resistance bands are obviously very light, which turns them into portable exercise tools. This makes it possible for you to work out without any schedule or space limitations. Unlike dumbbells and gym machines, elastic bands don’t require a lot of space to use or store them.

4. Strength training

This equipment offers a unique challenge for the muscles when it comes to strength training. Resistance bands create a force that our muscles must work against. They also offer progressive resistance.

This means that, as the range of movement becomes greater, the resistance provided by the elastic band also increases.

With progressive resistance, the number of muscle fibers used in the exercise increases as the range of movement goes up. The more muscle fibers you use, the greater the adaptations in muscle strength will be. This action makes your muscles contract, which in turn stimulates bone and muscle growth.

A girl doing walking squats with a resistance band

5. Variety of exercises

Broadly speaking, elastic bands are definitely for those athletes that want to experiment and keep their routines in constant variation. In fact, you can use them for a full-body workout that challenges almost every main muscle group.

This is explained by the fact that this equipment allows us to perform multiple exercises and offers a lot of variations. This is why it’s an ideal way to break away from the monotony of a routine. The possibilities are truly infinite!

As you can see, you can use elastic bands in a variety of different training routines and get numerous benefits. Now that you know this information, why not include this equipment in your weekly routines?


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


    • Ortega, A., Chamorro, C., & Gallego, O. (2011). Nuevo sistema de entrenamiento físico con bandas elásticas y dinamometría computarizada MULTIBAND. Revista Politécnica, 49–56. https://doi.org/ISSN 1900-2351
    • Gomes, W. A., Coutinho, M., & Marchetti, P. H. (2013). Revisão dos efeitos biomecânicos do uso de banda elástica no joelho durante o agachamento no levantamento básico. Revista Centro de Pesquisas Avançadas Em Qualidade de Vida, 5(3).

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.