If you’ve never used an Active Band before, they’re an easy-to-use exercise tool that are versatile and portable. They’re ideal for taking to the gym for workouts (many gyms have them now too) and pre-exercise warm ups, and also perfect for travelling with to ensure you can get a quick and functional resistance work out where ever you are. They offer contrasting levels of resistance to deliver a wide variety of exercise variations and progressions that can target all muscle groups.

Pretty useful, then, right? We’ve enlisted the help of PT Julie Hayton to create a workout that delivers a full-body work out with minimal kit. With over 15 years in elite sport, Julie is very experienced and well respected in the design and implementation of functional based workouts for rehabilitation strategies and innovative training solutions. Over to you, Julie!

Grab yourself an active band take on our resistance workout for an easy gym win…

Initial exercise

Set up and teach static

The set up when using the Active Bands is the most important phase. The aim of the workout is to maintain a good active contraction of these muscle groups throughout the exercises. You can work lower limb and upper limb in isolation but to maintain a good posture and functional contraction for this work out work upper and lower limb together.

Lower limb set up

Place the band around the ankles using a band that gives you resistance when your feet are hip width apart. In this stance actively contract quads, Glute and hamstrings to create tension – if this is the first time you have used bands, place your own hands on your glutes to feel the contraction.

Upper limb set up

Place the Active band around you hands thumbs turned out and keep the arms straight. Take your hands away from your torso and pull your shoulder blades together. This set up can involve the band being placed in front of you or behind you.

Basic side step – with side arm

Basic upper and lower limb set up – Step sideways and move arms out away from the torso at the same time. Step back to the upper and lower limb start position.

IMPORTANT: your return step should be controlled and slow.

8 reps each leg

Basic forward step – with forward arm raise

Basic upper and lower limb set up – Step forward  and move arms forward from the torso at the same time. STep back to the upper and lower limb start position.

IMPORTANT your return step should be controlled and slow.

8 reps each leg

Basic backward – With reverse arm raise

Basic upper and lower limb set up – Step behind  and move arms back and away from the torso at the same time. Step forward to the upper and lower limb start position.

IMPORTANT your return step should be controlled and slow.

8 reps each leg

Dynamic movements

Bent leg walks

Place and around your knees. Basic upper limb set up. Lower limb set up – sit in to a squat position ensuring the knees are in line with the toes and not rotated towards your midline – Keeping arms extended away from the torso squat walk forward  for 6 steps and back for 6 steps.

IMPORTANT: the aim of the exercise is to keep your feet the same distance apart during the walk and not to allow the knees to rotate inwards.

Crab walk side

With forward raised arms band around knees. Basic upper limb set up. Lower limb set up – sit in to a squat position ensuring the knees are in line with the toes and not rotated towards your midline – Arms are raised at 90 degrees from the torso squat walk sideways for 6 steps and back for 6 steps, on every step open the arms away from the centre.

IMPORTANT Control the trail leg against the band and do not to allow the knees to rotate inwards

Moving plank

Place one band around the wrists and one band around the feet. Adopt a long arm plank position and ensure as in standing should blades are pulled back and quads, glutes and hamstrings are engaged.

– Level one: move one arm side ways and return to start position – alternate arms – 8 reps each side

– Level two: move one leg sideways and return to the start position – alternate legs – 8 reps each side

– Level three: move arm and leg simultaneously and move side ways – 6 reps to the left and 6 reps to the right

Dynamic prep

Basic lower limb set up in a squat stance. Perform a static sprint step for 20 seconds – rest for 20 and repeat x 2.

Get hold of these resistance bands at www.functionjigsaw.com