Resistance bands are great for stretching and mobility. For example, a lot of people can't stretch properly; if their muscles are too tense, they will hold them tight, not allowing them to stretch out and relax. Poor mobility can be caused when you're not as flexible as you'd like to be: as you age, it gets harder and harder to move your body around, but there are plenty of things you can do to improve your mobility, including using resistance bands.
Going through the stretches here will undoubtedly improve your flexibility and movements.
1. Banded Shoulder and Back Mobility
This exercise will prepare your posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and teres minor to stabilise the shoulder joint. This is a great exercise for scapular stabilisation if you're planning to use a lot of shoulder and back muscles in compound movements. While keeping a neutral spine, slowly pull the band apart, retracting your shoulder blades. You'll activate the muscles in the back of your shoulders that will help keep your shoulder joint safe while you do heavy lifts like squats and bench presses. Perform this exercise one time through to get 10-12 repetitions per set.
2. Banded Shoulder and Chest Mobility
This is an exercise using a resistance band. The exercise opens up the glute muscles, the chest, and the latissimus dorsi muscles of the back. It also increases shoulder flexibility. Stand with your legs spread apart, bend your knees slightly, and keep your back straight. Slightly pull the band away from your body as you pass it over your head and behind you in a U-shape. Again, perform this exercise one time through to get 10-12 repetitions per set.
3. Banded Hamstring Stretch
Most people's hamstrings are too tight. This exercise will help you loosen them up and improve your range of motion in hamstring exercises like deadlifts, squats, and sprints. Wrap the band around your foot. Grab the band and pull it backwards. Do your best to keep your leg straight. Hold the stretch for 20+ seconds. Release the band and repeat for 2-3 sets. Perform this exercise on both sides.
4. Banded Groin Stretch
In a lot of martial arts, people only do one type of kick. But the groin is a vital area to protect, so you must be ready to kick in any direction. A lot of this is due to muscle imbalance. This exercise will help prevent muscle imbalances while also making your groin ready for a fight. While lying on the floor, point your foot straight, so your toes face the sky. Wrap the resistance band around your foot and hold it in one hand near your foot. Then, pull the band towards you with the other hand. Use the band to pull your foot towards you. Make sure to stretch each leg thoroughly and hold the stretch for at least 20 seconds per leg. Repeat for 2-3 sets.
Conclusion
People often think of resistance bands as simple toys, but these are some of the best flexibility and mobility training tools. They're affordable, light, and portable, and there's no excuse to add them to your workout. The exercises you've just learned will give you a good grasp of the many different things you can do with resistance bands, and you will definitely notice an improvement.
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