Research and News
Posts tagged exercise bands
Thera-Band Exercises for Tennis Players to Prevent Injuries
Sep 13th
As with all sports, tennis injuries are all too common. The repetitive nature of tennis predispose players to many injuries as a result of muscle imbalance. Believe it or not, tennis players suffer from lower extremity injuries more than shoulder injuries. Todd Ellenbecker DPT, MS, CSCS, Director of the Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic, recently published an article in Strength & Conditioning Journal on exercises to reduce injury risk in tennis players. In the August 2009 issue, Ellenbecker and his co-authors provided a list of exercises to help reduce injury risk for the shoulder, elbow, hip, and core in tennis players. The exercises dont require expensive machines or equipment; instead, portable and inexpensive Thera-Band® products are suggested including Thera-Band bands, tubing and loops, Thera-Band Soft Weights and Exercise Balls, and cuff weights. As Director of Sports Medicine for the ATP Tour, Ellenbecker and the international team of physiotherapists regularly use Thera-Band products for testing and training professional tennis players.
Both Thera-Band Elastic and Aquatic Exercise Improve Blood Pressure and Lipid Levels
Aug 11th
Juan Carlos Colado, PhD of the University of Valencia in Spain, compared the effects of strength training with Thera-Band resistance with aquatic resistance. He used the OMNI scale to quantify the intensity levels of both exercise groups. “We found the OMNI scale can be used successfully in strength training programs that don’t provide directly measurable resistance levels such as elastic and aquatic exercise,” said Colado. After 24 weeks, there was no significant difference between the training groups: both groups significantly increased their fat free mass, decreased their fat mass, increased their HDL levels and decreased their diastolic blood pressure. In addition, both groups significantly improved their physical performance after training. “Thera-Band and aquatic resistance are equally effective, but Thera-Band exercise is obviously more accessible and cost effective,” added Colado. Dr. Colado presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.
First Step to Active Health® effective for both group- and home-based programs
Aug 11th
Michael Rogers, PhD of Wichita State University, discussed 2 studies on the Thera-Band® First Step to Active Health® recently presented at the American College of Sports Medicine. Working with researchers from Nagoya City University in Japan, Rogers investigated the effects of 12 weeks of the First Step program on functional fitness in older adults. They found significant improvements in function and balance, as well as increased overall physical activity after the program. In addition, the researchers found that the program was successful when performed supervised in a group or unsupervised at home. “The First Step program is a highly effective program for either home or group based exercise in older adults. Our next step is to evaluate the impact of Internet-based feedback on the program,” said Rogers. Dr. Rogers presented his findings at the TRAC 2009 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Read the research abstract here.
Visit the Thera-Band Academy Older Adult Exercise Center here.
Fall Prevention Conference Features Thera-Band Products
Aug 6th
Dr. Michael Rogers, Chair and Professor of the Department of Human Performance Studies at Wichita State University recently gave several presentations at the Louisiana Fall Prevention Conference in Lafayette. The conference, sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, was attended by over 60 representatives of healthcare, government, and senior centers. In addition to providing the keynote address, Dr. Rogers demonstrated his scientifically-proven fall prevention program, Standing Strong in several workshops. The Standing Strong program features Thera-Band products such as elastic bands and Stability Trainers to progressively challenge the systems controlling balance. Rogers noted, “Standing Strong is a practical and easy-to-implement program using readily available equipment. We use the elastic bands for both strength training and balance training because they are so convenient and versatile.” See photos from the event here from Flikr.
Elastic resistance improves function in older adults
Jul 9th
An article recently published by USAToday about a Cochrane review of research on improving function in older adults with resistance training noted that elastic resistance bands are effective:
“In a review of 121 clinical trials that looked at weight-lifting in people over age 60, researchers led by Chiung-ju Liu of Indiana University at Indianapolis, conclude that weight lifting two to three times a week makes everyday tasks easier for the elderly.
“Older adults seem to benefit from this type of exercise even at the age of 80, and even with some type of health condition,” Liu says, in a statement. “The data support the idea that muscle strength is largely improved after the training, and the impact on older adults’ daily activities can be significant.”
Free weights, exercise machines or elastic “resistance” bands (their weight adjusted to the progress of the study participants) all showed benefits. They included “large improvement” in strength and “moderate to large improvement” in tasks such as climbing stairs, according to the study the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.”
Read the Cochrane review here.
