Today’s column is all about lower-body exercises, and we are going to focus on a tool called the Thera-Loop.
It is a latex versatile band and comes in two common sizes: 10 and 12 inches. Thera-Loop is available for different levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Buying a pack of three is cheaper and more useful. The variety and combinations are limitless for loop exercises.
The loop workout can be done on its own as a separate session or it can be incorporated into the daily workout. Variety, interest and challenge will keep you from getting bored. Each band costs between ₹100 to ₹400, depending on the brand. Though it can be used for a full-body workout, today I will recommend only lower-body exercises. Next time, we can try doing a core workout using Thera-Loop.
Try all exercises with the Level 1 band, and progress to the next level only when you find the first level easy. All exercises to be done in 3 sets of 20 repetitions each.
Squats
Wear the loop around the thighs, just above the knees. The band should feel tight and create a tension in the outer thighs. Following the squatting guidelines, execute 20 squats up to 90-degree flexion of the knee. All the muscles in the lower body work in this exercise. A few points to note… knees to be in line with the ankles. Extend the hip and knee fully as you come back to standing position. As you get stronger, you could do the squat jump. Or side-to-side squats.
Monster walk
Shift the loop around the ankles. Keeping the knees soft and the band taut, walk forward and back. 30 steps forward and thirty steps back. This exercise works your outer thighs and outer part of the hip region. It improves balance.
Maintain the loop around the ankles and walk backwards in a straight line. Try and place one foot behind the other in a straight line. This will not only improve your balance, it will also strengthen your hip muscles and hamstrings or the posterior muscles of the lower body.
Hip flexors workout
Shift the loop around your shoes. Lift one knee upward as high as your hip. Hold for five seconds and release.
Jumping Jacks
Shift the loop around the ankles. Execute Jumping Jacks as you would normally do them. The loop makes the exercise more challenging.
Bridging
Shift the loop around the thighs, just above the knees. Lie face up on an exercise mat, keep both knees bent and legs apart to feel the tautness in the thighs. Lift your hips up. Your body from shoulders to the knee should be in a perfect slant. Hold for 10 seconds and then release.
Back exercise Lie face down on the mat. Wear the band around your wrists. Touch your forehead to the mat. As you exhale, lift your upper body off the floor. The tautness in the band should be maintained by pulling the arms away from each other and the shoulder blades down, towards the hips. Hold for five seconds and release. Avoid tilting the head up. Continue to maintain a neutral cervical spine and look at the mat instead.
Nisha Varma is an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist. A monthly column with exercises for a home workout
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