There are some major benefits to using a stretchband, so heres a great top 5 list of benefits to using a stretchband:

1. they are small and compact - maning you can carry them in your pocket or bag anywhere you go. And have a work out where ever you want.

2. they are cheap, and i mean dirt cheap, meaning if you loose one or one breaks, they are easy to replace, important for you when your living on a budget, and freeing up your wallet for other things..like dates.

3. they offer a full body work out, literally, there isn’t a muscle group you cant work with a stretch band, which is why they are such great training aids.

4. they can be used by any one, different resistances offered by different stretch bands mean that any one from the disabled up to the world class athlete can use stretchbands.

5.  they encourage progressive and steady exercise with out the need for heavy weights, this means you can train without worrying about changing weights or weights falling on your feet. It also means that at any point during your exercise the band will offer reistance which is great for workign your muscles.

Stretch bands are a great workout that definitely help support weight loss, however like any other fitness activity, its best used in conjunction with other exercises, there are some misconceptions about weight loss and fitness that need to be address before you can truly experience the benefit of using stretch bands in your workout to aid weight loss.The chemical reaction that occurs when you do exercise allows body fat to be ‘burned’ for fuel by the muscles, the fat is taken from its ’storage’ and moved around the body by the blood system. By this logic, the more you work your muscles the faster your heart rate is, the more blood flows around your body and the more fat your body uses, in this way, just using stretch bands for a mild workout isn’t enough, you need to integrate running, and weight/ tension variations to ensure that your body is being tested and keep your heart rate up. You might consider first going for a run, then doing a stetch band workout folowed by a cool down.

Regardless, even when you are using stretch bands you need to use a band thats got the right tension to get your heart rate up, its only when you get deep breathing and your heart pumping and you sweating that you are having an effective workout. More over naturally, if you’re serious about wight loss, regardless of the exercise you do, you definitely need to think about eating the right kind of foods in the right quantities.

Stretch bands used on their own are fantastic fitness tools, however, in addition to using the stretch band on its own, by incorporating various accessories, you can enhance the range of exercises you can do with stretch bands as well as improve on the kind of training you are doing.

Stretch bands come in three types flat sheets, large rubber bands and in the form of tubes with handles, you can find out more about different types of stretch bands here. The type length and thickness are all factors to consider in your workout, and also in looking for stretch band accessories, for one, you would want a flat sheet style stretch band for yoga, and you’ll probably find that a larger rubberband type stretch band is more suited to weight training, whilst tubes would be better as supplementary training aids.

The majority of stretch band accessories come in the shape of handles and adpoters to allow you to attach the stretch band to your waist, arms or legs to perform dynamic movements and more complex exercises. Uniquely you can also find stretch band accessories that allow you to attach the stretch band to door frames, weights and even other people, further enhancing your resistance training.

Spri Door Attachment

This stretch band accessory works by allowing you to attach a tube stretch band to a bar and door frame, allowing you to use the door as a point, this allows you to do exercises for your triceps, biceps, back and legs, it works by providing a single point where resistance is generated.

Flat X-Band Clip — Single

This clip allows you to fold a flat stretch band to increase tension, and is use for when you are looking to increase the weight of the band you are working, really simple device but very effective, far better than tying a knot in your stretch band.

Deluxe Handle — Single

Stretch bands can be diff cult on the hands so with the added benefit of a handle, it will help with your grip and  with that comes better exercise and technique. This Neoprene foam covered handle will work well with both flat sheet stretch bands and the tubes, but is of limited use with the rubber band.

Spri Interchangable Ankle Strap and Spri - Interchangeable Thigh Strap

Unlike normal gym machines or cable machines, stretch bands are limited in some exercises, the ankle thigh strap adopters however allow you to use stretch bands for these exercises which include exercises for your inner and outer thighs as well as waist and stomach exercises.

Spri - Interchangeable Dual-Hand Strap

This is great for tricep and bicep exercises, but its also useful for back and ab exercises, basically its two well padded handles.

Other accessories:
Twist Economy Vertical Master

Twist Explosive Skills

Twist Leap Frog

Twist Shoulder Surge

Twist All Legs Speed Builder

Twist Sled Dawg

Twist CAT

Gymcompany.co.uk are a great fitness and sports kit and equipment provider They have a fantastic range of high quality and affordable stretch bands, resistance bands and pilates bands, added to this they are also currently offering a 5% discount on orders over £25, the code to use is gymcompanywow5.

Simple as they seem, Stretch bands are like any other type of exercise equipment, lots of research into tensions, stretch and breaking point are done into selecting materials from which stretch bands, resistance bands and pilates bands are created as such its often good to follow know or accredited suppliers and manufacturers, this way you can be assured of the quality of the stretch band, and you’ll be covered if it snaps.

Cost wise stretch bands are pretty affordable and a great deal cheaper than a gym membership, as such for those of you on a budget, you have no excuses now! Typically you’ll be looking at between £10 and £30 as a wide budget. In addition to the basic stretch band/resistance band, you can also find additional accessories, these are useful but not a necessity.

Here are some great Stretch band offers:
Sweatband - Reebok Stretch band £20 from one of the UKs top sports Equipment provider.
Exercise Band Set £10.99 Physio Supplies Amazon.
Exercise Bands Extra Heavy 50yds/46m - Blue£44.99, Physio Supplies Ltd, note, you’re looking at 50 yards of band here so really this is a bulk buy product, just cut the stretch band to size.
Mueller Exer-band Medium Resistance Green£8.99 from Mueller on Amazon.
Exercise Band Pack £12.99 pre-cut stretch bands from PhysioRoom on Amazon
Nike - Resistance Band Kit £19.99, from Amazon.

Stretch bands come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and stretch bands are also known as resistance bands or pilates bands - but there are minute differences between each, and then theres resistance tubes.

Stretch bands are typically made of rubber or latex, and offer resistance when stretched in either direction, usually a band will be a flat sheet cut to a rectangle for ease of use, whist a stretch tube or resistance tube is a long thin tube made of rubber that offers resistance when stretched. A new type of stretch band/resistance band thats recently come about is a large rubber band like stretch band, the function of this is that the circular shape allows for added tension and freedom when doing various stretch band exercises.

Stretch bands (resistance bands) come in a variety of colours this helps users to pick the right ‘weight’ or more accurately tension, each producer uses a different colour coding so its impossible to tell which is for beginners and which is for to level atheletes. However heres a quick guide:

light (5-25lbs) stretch bands - ideal for beginners, elderly, young and physiotherapy

medium (25-50lbs) stretch bands - ideal for health and fitness individuals, and those looking for a suppliment to a normal gym work out, good for yoga and pilates.

heavy (50lbs+) stetch bands - these are for weight training and professional sports people

There are a variety of thicknesses the thickness of a stretch band/ resistance band also contributes to the tension and weight of the band, the thicker the band the more tension, broadly speaking, in addition the benefit of having a thicker band is that you can fold the band long ways as well as down the middle which helps with adding more tension, additionally you’ll probably find a thicker stretchband lasts longer and provides a better grip.

Stretch Bands are a fantastic and highly portable exercise and fitness tool, they work by using tension to allow your muscles to flex or stretch, this makes stretch bands a fantastic therapeutic and physiotherapy aid as well as an exercise aid, higher weight stretch bands can even be used as supplementary training aids to body builders and weight trainers.

Stretch bands are also know as resistance bands or pilates bands, and are popular amongst may athletes and pilates practitioners. Despite their simplicity stretch bands do actually support the entire range of exercise moves which means that with one stretch band you can have a full body workout. Prefect for those on a budget, students and frequent travellers.

Broadly speaking there are two types of stretch band-

1. precut strips of rubberband

2. rubber tubes with handles at the end

the preference between strip stretch bands to rubber tube stretchbands however is really a matter of choice and comfort, with the strip stretch band being marginally easier to pack and maintain.

Because the stretch band works with resistance and tension, the size of the stretch band doesn’t reflect the ‘weight’ or more accurately the tension of a stretch band.  You can find stretch bands with tension as low as 5-25lbs (2.3kg -11.4kg) and as high as 200lbs (90.9kg), typically the colour of the stretch band gives indication of the tension of the band. If the weight of a stretch band isn’t high enough holding two together or folding a stretch band over itself has the effect of increasing the tension and therefore the ‘weight’ of the stretch band, point to note however, this can only really be done with the strip style stretch band.

The exercises you can do with a stretch band aren’t just limited to resistance exercises, you can also use them in conjunction objects such as baseball bats, door frames, chairs and free weights to help supplement  a workout.

Welcome to Stretchband.co.uk, a site dedicated to stretch bands, resistance bands, and pilates bands; and the exercises, routines and nutrition related to resistance training.

The site was setup on 19th August and is regularly updated with stretch band related articles, reviews and offers, so check back regularly and make sure you sign up to our newsletter!

Please note that although this site offers health and fitness related advice, please consult a physician or doctor for advice and consultation, we are not medical professionals and can’t be held liable for any injuries.