You may hate the fact that you have had to deal with lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are a few good things to be said about not being able to go to many places, including the gym. For instance, when was the last time you were truly able to spend quality time with your immediate family? Also, when was the last time you could work out regularly at home, without having to spend money on gym memberships?
Since people have been unable to go to their favorite gyms, they have been looking into home workouts, and many different types of routines do not involve a lot of expensive gym equipment. Today, we will look at two of the more popular home workout routines, Pilates and resistance bands, to see what is the best home workout routine for you. Let’s get started.
Resistance Bands Workouts
One of the simplest types of home workouts you can do is with resistance bands, which have been making a massive comeback in recent years. These can be used as their own workouts or to supplement other workout types. Using resistance bands can also help you perform many types of exercises, such as pull-ups until you have the strength to do it on your own. Here are just a few of the benefits of resistance band workouts.
Less Chance of Muscle Injury
When you train with resistance bands, you can achieve similar results as you would from working out with weights without as much risk of injury to your muscles. There is much less force working on the joints, so you can add more stimulus without worrying about injury.
More Muscle Stimulation
Many people don’t realize that working out with free weights doesn’t give as much resistance as with resistance bands. You can get a much better workout without having to spend a lot of money on weights. Your muscles will be working against greater resistance at the strongest part of the range of motion, making the exercises more effective than working out with weights.
More Strength
Because you can increase the load, vary the resistance, and create more stability, using resistance bands is very effective for athletes in training. In fact, you will find many experienced powerlifters working out with resistance bands along with their regular training. For example, in one test, athletes used resistance bands for bench presses and back squats. Results showed that the effectiveness more than doubled the effectiveness of doing them without resistance bands.
Cost-Effectiveness
One of the best things about using resistance bands is that they are so inexpensive. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on workout gear to get the same benefits as you would by working out on machines in a gym. In addition, you can perform many different exercises with a single band.
Not only is this going to save you money because you can easily stuff the bands into a drawer when you have finished a workout, but you will also be saving a lot of space that may have otherwise been taken up with exercise machines.
Pilates Workouts
Another very effective type of workout you can do at home is Pilates. Believe it or not, these workouts are a lot tougher than they look. Yes, this is a low-impact type of workout that promotes flexibility, but repetitive movements can also help to strengthen core muscles and increase your endurance.
Pilates workouts engage all of your muscle groups and give them a super workout. This type of workout can help you to tone up, improve muscle strength, and then some. Here are a few of the benefits of Pilates workouts.
Body Awareness
Pilates workouts put the focus on controlled movements. You will need to be aware of many things all at once, including your breathing, body movement, and your posture. This may seem difficult at first, but as you get used to the workouts, you will find over time that you are much more in tune with your own body.
Lower Back Pain Reduction
Many physical therapists will often recommend Pilates workouts to reduce lower back pain. Of course, this will depend on the reason for the pain. For example, if you have had a fracture or preeclampsia, these exercises might not be much help. But, if you are prone to muscle pain in your back, Pilates may be just the thing you need.
Better Weight Maintenance
Because Pilates workouts focus on muscle building, sculpting, and strengthening, it only stands to reason that it will help you better maintain your weight. In several studies, people who suffered from obesity greatly benefited from Pilates workouts, which allowed them to lose weight and lower their BMI.
Stress Relief
We all know that exercise helps produce endorphins, and it is endorphins that improve your mood and make you happy. When you have a good workout, you will find that you are very relaxed afterward. This can carry you throughout the entire day, and your stress levels will be much lower. In addition, a Pilates workout, or any type of workout for that matter, will help you sleep better at night.
Conclusion
Resistance bands and Pilates workouts are just two of many different types of exercises you can do at home. You never have to worry if you are in the middle of a lockdown and can’t go to the gym because any room in your home can be the gym.
Instead, switch things up once in a while. Move to different rooms for your workouts, and even take it outside on nice days and get some much-needed fresh air while working out. No matter what type of workout you are doing, your body will ultimately thank you for your efforts.