Everything You Need to Know About Resistance Bands

If you’ve been looking for new ways and equipment to change up your workout routine, chances are you’ve heard about resistance bands, flex bands, stretch exercise bands, or something of the sort. So, what exactly are they? Let’s take a look at some of the uses and benefits of resistance bands, and what they can do for your daily exercise routine!

Benefits of Flex Bands

What edge do resistance bands have over other pieces of exercise equipment? The answer? A surprising number of benefits, many of which you probably wouldn’t expect. Most notably, there’s the price. Resistance bands are incredibly inexpensive as far as high-quality exercise equipment goes, but they’re no less useful because of that. 

As for their usefulness, it’s nearly limitless. They’re an extremely simple piece of equipment, just stretchy exercise bands with handles, which leaves them open to a number of uses. One of our favorite ways to use them is for a solid shoulder exercise with bands.

Man is using resistance band for workout

Sets of resistance bands like this one allow you to pick the resistance weight you’re working out with and move up as your muscles grow, giving you a very real sense of accomplishment and progress. Not only does this make for a great workout, but it also provides you the motivation you need to keep your routine going, making them one of our favorite pieces of equipment on the market.

Resistance Bands Vs. Weights

These can be used in place of weights in most common weight resistance exercises, but they can also be used in plenty of others as well. They’re also extremely useful for increasingly popular HIIT workout routines and are easy enough to carry around so you can get a solid workout anytime, anywhere. 

Man is doing exercise

The versatility of resistance bands allows you to implement them in exercises involving movements that wouldn’t be feasible with weights. Though we aren’t saying you should throw away all your weights for resistance bands right now, bands such as these are generally a better pick for your standard workouts.

Best Workouts for Resistance Bands

Resistance bands can be used for countless exercises that you’re probably already familiar with, especially exercises that involve natural movements like curls and lunges. If you already have resistance exercises you enjoy doing, you can just use a resistance band in place of the tool you used before, and you’ll be good to go!

Woman is doing exercise using resistance band

Looking for more quality tips and equipment to enhance your exercise routine? Visit our site at NineFit today!

What is the Best Flooring for a Home Gym?

Want to take your home gym to the next level? Take a look at your home gym floor. Specialized protective flooring can make all the difference in your workout routine, and is designed to work just as hard as you do. So, what’s the best flooring option for your home gym? It depends on your workout needs, so let’s take a look at some of the most popular materials and styles.

Rubber Flooring

Premium rubber gym flooring is a tried and true pick for your home gym floor. It’s durable, it’s shock-absorbent, and it gives you much more traction than your standard flooring. In addition, it’s also one of the easiest flooring materials to keep up with, allowing you to spend more time exercising and less time cleaning. If you’re someone who wants a rugged, no-nonsense gym flooring solution, rubber flooring is the way to go.

Rubber flooring for a home gym

Floor Tiles

Once you’ve decided on a material, consider which format of gym flooring will work best for you. Floor tiles are typically made with an interlocking puzzle piece design that allows you to design your exercise zone on the fly and store them as efficiently as possible. They’re perfect for saving a bit of extra storage space whenever you’re not using your home gym, so we recommend them for anyone with smaller homes that don’t have room for a full permanent gym setup.

Wood Grain Foam Flooring

Though more delicate than other options, wood grain foam gym flooring is still one of the most popular options for home gyms. For those who care about aesthetics, it’s much more laid-back than rubber flooring, with some tastefully-designed wood grain foam tiles even passing for normal home décor. In addition, it’s a much more comfortable option, allowing you to feel more in your element during workouts. 

Wooden flooring for a home gym

Gym Mats

Exercise gym floor mats are an extremely convenient format for gym flooring, especially if you want to move your home gym around a bit. Though not quite as versatile as floor tiles, the greatest benefit of gym mats comes from their extreme portability. 

Creating the perfect on-the-go home gym setup is as simple as packing a few small weights and a high-quality gym mat and setting up shop whenever you have a spare minute. Of course, they also boast the same durability and shock absorption you’d expect from your gym flooring, so you can get the perfect workout whether you’re at home or out and about.

Young woman is doing wokr out

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5 Pieces of Yoga Equipment That Belong in Your Home Gym

The health benefits of yoga can’t be understated in your everyday exercise routine. If you’re interested in starting with a few basic yoga exercises, you’ll need some high-quality equipment. Fortunately, we at NineFit are here to help! Take a look at our five favorite pieces of yoga equipment to get for your home gym.

1. Basic Yoga Equipment

Before moving on to the more specialized yoga accessories, you have to take care of beginner yoga equipment. Be sure to pick up a comfortable yoga mat, a high-quality yoga towel, and of course, some light, breathable yoga clothes. Once you have the basics covered, you can start looking for more specific pieces of equipment.

Yoga equipment

2. Yoga Cushions

Yoga cushions can be used for certain exercises, and also help to make your exercises more comfortable as a whole. If you need to kneel for a certain yoga pose, for example, you can put a yoga cushion underneath your knee to ease a bit of the strain. In addition, you can invest in a meditation cushion to make long meditation sessions a bit easier.

3. Flexbands

Flex bands can be used to add a bit of extra challenge to yoga poses, as well as any other resistance-based exercises. Typically made of a thick rubber cord, flex bands create tension when stretched, requiring much more effort to move than you’d need under normal circumstances. Naturally, they’re a great way to build muscle strength and get the most out of your yoga exercises.

Woman is doing yoga using flex band

4. Yoga Blocks

Yoga blocks are similar to yoga cushions but may be made of tougher materials. Because of this, they can help you stabilize some of your trickier yoga poses and simplify your exercises. They may also help to commit further to a yoga pose than you’d otherwise be able to. Essentially, it’s one of those yoga room accessories that are small but can have a huge impact on the quality of your workout.

5. Yoga Strap

Yoga straps are essentially the opposite of flex bands, designed to help you stretch further than normal. Just put one of the strap’s loops over the area you want to stretch and pull on the strap’s other end. Though it certainly still takes effort, using a yoga strap is one of the easiest ways to become more flexible and build up your range of motion.

Woman is doing exercise using yoga strap

Looking for more great equipment that suits your active lifestyle? Visit NineFit to learn and shop today!