How to Work Out with the Resistance Band

Taking a break from weights training to focus on other parts of your body is a good way to get a well-rounded fitness regime. Just as you don't need to perform every exercise routine there is to get in shape, you can also take a break from other exercise equipment to see what more innovative tools can do for your body. An exercise/resistance band is a good example of a work out equipment that offers great possibilities. Many also agree that this portable exercise tool offers many great advantages over weights and other fancy exercise machines as it improves both strength and balance.

With a resistance band, you work in a full range of motion, which means you get to target muscles you likely miss with weights and other machines. The following are good moves and work out routines to perform with a resistance band:

• Lunges and bicep curls – Here, you place the center of the exercise band under the instep of the foot of your choice and position the other foot some 2 feet behind you. With an underhand grip on the handles, do some bicep curls and bend your knees into a lunge position. 20 repetitions on each leg at thrice a week frequency will do wonders for your leg and arm muscles.
  
• Pliés – Stand with your feet apart (wider than shoulder-width), put your toes out and wrap the band around your back at mid-rib level. Extend your arms to the sides in a slightly curved position while holding it just near the handles. Bring your fingertips together and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Open your arms as you return to your starting position. Repeat 20 times.
  
• Squats and overhead presses – Stand in the middle of the band, feet shoulder width apart. Hold the handles at shoulder height with your palms facing away and your elbows bent. Squat deeply as you press your arms directly overhead and keep your weight on your heels. Resist the pull of the band as you return to a standing position. Repeat 20 times.

Boxing Gloves: Choose the Best Pair for You

To beat getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of boxing gloves available in the market today, you need to be informed about the different types there are as well as their strengths and applications:

All-purpose training gloves, as the name suggests, are designed for all-purpose training (either with punching bags or sparring partners) they usually have plush padding and good wrist support, which allows for lengthier training sessions that won't leave your wrists sprained and sore. These gloves, on the other hand, are heavier than normal, although the additional weight also provides good workout. Beginners are recommended to use this type of training gloves.

Bag gloves have similarities with all-purpose gloves, but they don't feature heavy layers of padding. Bag gloves are good for conditioning and adding power to your punches. They also offer good wrist support and will not wear you out as much as all-purpose gloves and their excessively heavy foam.

Sparring gloves create a middle ground between training gloves and competition gloves, offering just enough support and padding for extensive workouts although not so much as to make them too weighty and incomparable to actual competition gloves.

Competition gloves have minimal padding and are lightweight. They are suited for short matches and serious fights and are not recommended for beginners when bag training or sparring.

Mexican style gloves make fists smaller and more compact, which allows for better damage. These types of gloves are ideal for competition fighting, but not necessarily for training as they don't have very much padding. Protecting your hands during training is good practice to make sure they remain in good condition for long-term use.

Brands do matter when shopping for boxing gloves. Check with your trainer or your trusted supplier to make sure that the boxing glove you are looking at truly offers good value. Perhaps most importantly, choose a glove with a proper fit and feels comfortable.

Foam Rollers Begin Physiotherapy at Home

Exercise prescription is a critical part of any physical/physiotherapy program. When heavy exercise equipment may be too much to handle for a patient recovering strength/muscle tone or are simply not available, foam rollers become an extremely valuable piece of the instrument in exercise and rehabilitation programs. This simplistic yet highly useful equipment can be used for a wide range of different purposes and training exercises and they can have many different positive effects on the body. Foam rollers are used to aid in rehabilitation for different physical ailments as well as to improve an athlete's performance. They are inexpensive, flexible, easy to use, and ever reliable tools that you can use even at home.

Studies have shown that foam rollers have the ability to decrease delayed onset soreness of the muscles following intense exercises, improve the user's range of movement, enable continued participation with higher-level exercises and activities, improve blood flow, and reduce peripheral artery stiffness. All of these sounds like extremely great reasons to get on the foam roller bandwagon, but exactly what can you do with this promising piece of gym equipment? Here are useful suggestions:

• A smaller, firmer roll will help you generate more pressure on your tight muscle spots as you work them out.
  
• After exercise, you can use your foam roller to wind down and cool off with some light routines.
  
• Small kneading movements along the length of your target muscle enable you to self-massage and target tight muscle areas that may need extra work.
  
• Ask your physiotherapist for proper demonstrations of stretches and exercises to ensure that you are going to use the foam roller properly the first time it is prescribed. This will also help prevent further injury from an incorrect use of the device.
  
• Foam rolling can sometimes be uncomfortable, particularly around sore, tight muscles. It is crucial that you know the difference between a good hurt and a bad one, which could indicate an injury. Any weird discomfort you experience should be brought to the attention of your physiotherapist.

Buy Exercise Ball in Singapore for Physical Fitness

An exercise ball is incredible exercise equipment commonly made out of elastic, with approximately 14 to 34-inch diameter. It is filled with air to a certain firmness or air pressure amount, which can be changed using a valve system that can either fill the ball with air or let it deflate. It is ideally used for physical therapy, exercise, athletic training, and even weight training.

The exercise ball helps develop the overall muscle tone of the body. If you want a home-gym tool or exercise equipment that can help tone your muscles and rehabilitate physical injuries, an exercise ball is a perfect investment, along with the powerful workouts that you can perform with it. Knee, hip, and back injuries are only some of the conditions you can help rehabilitate with an exercise ball. There are also numerous exercise ball workouts that you can learn to improve your posture, core stability, and muscle balance. Apart from these, the spherical tool can also enhance your flexibility and strengthen your cardiovascular system even with simple, low-impact workouts.

An exercise ball is good for your back and spine health. People with back problems usually employ the ball for lower back exercises and stretching. Many physical therapists and chiropractors have also started using exercise balls for therapy, particularly for patients suffering from back strain and similar types of injuries. When it comes to core stability, the exercise ball works the abdominal area quite well, helping strengthen the muscles that stabilize and support your movements. Your core is made up of your midsection (your deep abdominal (transverse abdominus), lower back (quadratus lumborum), and back muscles (tultifidus). Together, they help protect the spine and help you with everyday activities like bending, lifting, reaching, throwing, and running. Well-conditioned stabilizer and support muscles means less injuries and optimum body condition and posture.