Pilates Resistance Tubing Exercises

Keeping in shape is key to good health. Not everyone has the money to visit a gym to stay healthy, though, so exercises like Pilates are a cost-effective way to sculpt the body. Some Pilates exercises can be done with resistance tubes (bands), which are tubes of stretchy rubber that have handles on them.

  1. Resistance

    • Get the amount of resistance that is appropriate for you. Pilates tubes come in varying degrees of stiffness. The higher the stiffness, the harder the tube is to stretch out. The amount of resistance is designated by the color of the tube. Yellow is the thinnest and therefore is the easiest with which to work. The colors and resistance levels then progress through red, green, blue and black, finally ending with silver (super heavy). If the tube is too light, then the muscles will not work hard enough and it will take much longer to sculpt the body and to lose weight. If the tube is too heavy, then strain is put on the muscles that can result in muscle fatigue or even torn tissue. The level of tube used should make the workout feel progressive but also comfortable.

    Goals

    • Keep in mind that the goals of Pilates (balancing, shaping and strengthening of the body) are focused around the body's "core," the abdomen. As you use the resistance bands, activate the abdominal muscles and concentrate on feeling centered. Make all of the movements with the bands smooth and connected, using the abdominal region as a "home base." For instance, in the "diagonal wood chops" exercise, the band is stretched from one foot across the body and up and over the opposite shoulder. As the hands stretch the band, be aware of when they reach the midway point of the belly button. Feel the abdominal muscles engage as you go up and relax as you come back down.

    Balance

    • Create a workout that activates "opposite" muscle groups. When some muscles of the body are stronger than others that are not supposed to be, the weakness of the other muscles throws the body out of alignment. Whatever tube exercises are selected therefore have to be coordinated to keep the body balanced and stable. For instance, if the tubes are used to strengthen the biceps (the front muscle of the upper arm), then they also should be used to strengthen the triceps (the back muscle of the upper arm).