Likes:
- Lightweight
- Effective lower body toning exercises
- Can be used anywhere and taken with you
Dislikes:
- The rubber can snap and injure you
I’m always looking for ways to blast my lower body, especially my glutes and hips. I don’t know the scientifically backed biological breakdown of all muscles and tendons and the exact location of where they insert into the skeletal system. But I do know from the experience of working within the confines of my own body that it’s as important to work the connecting and/or opposing muscles, as it is to work the major ones. So I pay special attention to exercises and products that strengthen and tone my hips to compliment squats, lunges, and hamstring curls.
A favorite of mine is the XeRing exercise resistance ring. It’s just a rubber ring with padded handles. The 8-inch diameter is ideal for lower body exercises with any type of leg extension. These rubber rings don’t require a machine or even a weight, so they are perfect for both at-home use and even use in a gym, since you won’t have to wait for anyone else to be done using something. The rings are lightweight and extremely portable, so they can be taken with you for a quick workout while traveling or on business. You can purchase a band for around $10 and it comes with an instruction sheet containing recommended exercises such as:
Seated Leg Extension – Front of thigh (quadriceps)
Seated Leg Press Out – Outer thigh (abductors)
Rear Leg Lift (standing)- Back of thighs, buttocks (hamstrings, gluteus)
Side Leg Lift (lying)- Outer thigh (abductors)
Leg Crossover (lying) – Inner thigh (adductors)
Leg Curl (lying) – Back of thigh (hamstrings)
Leg Extension (lying) – Front of thigh (quadriceps)
The rings come in five different resistance levels and are color coded for convenience. It’s always good to have a couple different ones so that you can increase the resistance either during a workout or over time, as your muscles get stronger. An important note is that different brands of exercise bands use their own color-coding system. Don’t assume that the color red, for instance, will be the same resistance level for every band you use. Chances are it won’t.
Something to watch out for is that the rubber ring can definitely snap back and injure you if you’re not careful. This is essentially a giant rubber band. Again, I have personally experienced an actual band snapping and breaking on me as I was performing a walking, side step. But this was a band that was at a gym and therefore was subject to a lot of wear and tear (it showed). My guess is that it just happened to wear out while wrapped tightly around my ankles.
Resistance bands like the SPRI XeRing can be used for a variety of standing or walking resistance exercises that tone and strengthen the muscles of the lower body. I love to use these bands to strengthen my hips and all the muscles that support the glutes and lower back. They can be purchased cheaply and used either just at home or go with you easily to either the gym or when you travel.
