Top Exercises You Can Do with Can Do Exercise Bands

What are Can Do Exercise Bands? These are simple, helpful tools used for exercise and getting stronger. People often call them resistance bands, therapy bands, or stretch bands. They are great for lots of different workouts and can be used by almost anyone.

Can Do Exercise Bands are like big rubber bands that help you work your muscles. They come in different strengths, so you can pick the one that’s right for you. People use them for building muscle, getting more flexible, and even when they are getting better after an injury in physical therapy. You can do many exercise band exercises to help your body feel better and get stronger.

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Why Use Can Do Bands?

Using Can Do Exercise Bands is a smart choice for many reasons. They offer a new way to move your body and build strength. Here are some main points:

• Easy to Use: You don’t need a gym or big machines. You can use them at home, outside, or when you travel.
• Light and Small: They take up almost no space. You can pack them in a small bag.
• Good for Your Joints: Bands give you resistance that is smooth. This is often easier on your joints than lifting heavy weights.
• Many Ways to Use: You can work every part of your body. They help you push, pull, and stretch.
• Different Strengths: Bands come in different resistance levels. This means you can start easy and move to harder bands as you get stronger.
• Cost Friendly: Bands are usually much cheaper than weights or exercise machines.
• Great for Getting Better: Therapists use therapy bands for rehabilitation exercises. They help people get movement back after injuries.

These workout bands give you a full-body workout option that is easy to start and keep doing.

Getting to Know Your Can Do Bands

Can Do makes different kinds of resistance bands. Knowing the types helps you pick the right one for your strength training or therapy needs.

Types of Bands

• Flat Bands: These are wide, flat pieces of rubber. They often come in rolls or cut into pieces. They are good for many moves, especially stretching and some physical therapy moves. Stretch bands often look like this.
• Tube Bands: These are like hollow tubes of rubber. They sometimes have handles on the ends. Handles can make them easier to hold for some exercises, like rows or chest presses. These are also called exercise tubing.
• Loop Bands: These are flat bands or tube bands made into a circle. Small loops are great for leg and hip exercises. Bigger loops can be used for pull-up help or full-body moves.

Seeing the Resistance

Can Do bands use colors to show how much resistance they give. Lighter colors mean less resistance (easier). Darker colors mean more resistance (harder).

Here is a general idea of the colors and resistance levels, but check your specific band as colors can sometimes vary a little:

Color	Resistance Level	Good For
Tan	Extra Light	Early rehab, very weak muscles, gentle moves
Yellow	Light	Rehab, starting out, many repetitions
Red	Medium	Basic strength training, general exercise
Green	Heavy	More strength training, getting stronger
Blue	Extra Heavy	Stronger muscles, challenging moves
Black	Special Heavy	Advanced users, very strong people
Silver	Super Heavy	High-level strength training
Gold	Max Heavy	Elite strength, very demanding exercises

When you start doing exercise band exercises, begin with a lighter color. Learn the move first. Then, you can move to a darker color band to make it harder. You can also use two bands at once for more resistance.

Getting Started Safely

Before you jump into your strength training or rehabilitation exercises, take a moment to think about safety.

• Check Your Band: Always look at your band before you use it. Check for cuts, tears, or weak spots. A damaged band can break and hurt you. If it looks bad, don’t use it.
• Start Slow: If you are new to workout bands or getting over an injury, pick a light band. Do the moves slowly. Learn how the band feels.
• Control the Movement: Don’t let the band snap back fast. Control the band as you stretch it and as you let it return. This makes your muscles work harder and keeps you safer.
• Good Posture: Stand or sit tall. Keep your back straight. Use your core muscles (stomach). Good posture helps you do the exercise right and protects your body.
• Listen to Your Body: If a move hurts, stop. Exercise should challenge you, but it should not cause sharp pain. If you feel pain, talk to a doctor or physical therapist.
• Use a Door Anchor or Handle: For some exercises, you can loop the band around something strong or use a door anchor. Make sure it is secure.

By taking these simple steps, you can make sure your exercise band exercises are safe and helpful.

Top Can Do Band Exercises

Here are some great exercise band exercises you can do with your Can Do bands. This list includes moves for strength training, mobility, and might be part of rehabilitation exercises. Remember to pick a band with the right resistance levels for you.

Moving Your Arms and Shoulders

These moves work the muscles in your arms and the top of your body.

Bicep Curls

• What it works: The front of your upper arms.
• How to do it:
  • Stand on the middle of the band.
  • Hold one end in each hand.
  • Your palms should face forward.
  • Keep your arms down straight at your sides.
  • Keep your elbows close to your body.
  • Curl your hands up toward your shoulders.
  • Stop when your hands are near your shoulders.
  • Lower your hands back down slowly.
  • Keep the band tight the whole time.

Triceps Extensions

• What it works: The back of your upper arms.
• How to do it (Standing):
  • Stand on the middle of the band with one foot.
  • Hold both ends of the band in one hand.
  • Lift that hand straight up over your head.
  • Let the band hang down your back.
  • Keep your elbow close to your head.
  • Straighten your arm up toward the sky.
  • Feel the muscle in the back of your arm work.
  • Bend your arm slowly back down.
  • Do all your reps on one side, then switch.
• How to do it (Sitting):
  • Sit tall in a chair.
  • Put the band under your seat or loop it around a chair leg.
  • Hold both ends of the band in one hand.
  • Lift that hand straight up over your head.
  • Let the band hang down your back.
  • Keep your elbow close to your head.
  • Straighten your arm up toward the sky.
  • Bend your arm slowly back down.
  • Do all your reps on one side, then switch.

Shoulder Press

• What it works: The top of your shoulders.
• How to do it:
  • Stand on the middle of the band.
  • Hold one end in each hand.
  • Bring your hands up to your shoulders.
  • Your palms can face forward or toward each other.
  • Keep your elbows under your wrists.
  • Push your hands straight up above your head.
  • Do not lock your elbows.
  • Lower your hands back to your shoulders slowly.

Lateral Raises

• What it works: The sides of your shoulders.
• How to do it:
  • Stand on the middle of the band.
  • Hold one end in each hand.
  • Let your arms hang down at your sides.
  • Your palms should face your body.
  • Keep your arms mostly straight, but not locked.
  • Lift your arms out to the sides.
  • Stop when your arms are level with your shoulders.
  • Look like a ‘T’ shape.
  • Lower your arms back down slowly.

Working Your Chest and Back

These exercise band exercises help build strength in your upper body, front and back. These are key for strength training.

Chest Press (Standing)

• What it works: The front of your chest.
• How to do it:
  • Wrap the band around something strong behind you.
  • Or have a partner hold it behind you.
  • Or use a door anchor at chest height.
  • Hold the ends of the band in each hand.
  • Bring your hands to your chest. Your elbows should be bent.
  • Step one foot forward for balance.
  • Push your hands straight out in front of you.
  • Feel your chest muscles squeeze.
  • Bring your hands back to your chest slowly.

Rows (Seated)

• What it works: The muscles in your upper and middle back.
• How to do it:
  • Sit on the floor with your legs out straight.
  • Loop the band around the bottom of your feet.
  • Cross the band if you need more resistance.
  • Hold one end of the band in each hand.
  • Sit tall with a straight back.
  • Keep your shoulders relaxed.
  • Pull the ends of the band toward your body.
  • Bring your hands to your sides, near your waist.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together in your back.
  • Let your hands go back slowly. Keep the band tight.

Pull-Aparts

• What it works: The upper back and shoulders.
• How to do it:
  • Hold the band straight out in front of you.
  • Your hands should be shoulder-width apart or wider.
  • Keep your arms mostly straight.
  • Pull the band apart.
  • Move your hands out to the sides.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
  • Your arms should make a straight line across your chest.
  • Bring your hands back together slowly.

Strengthening Your Legs and Glutes

Your legs and glutes are big muscles. These exercise band exercises help make them strong. Loop bands are great for many of these.

Squats

• What it works: Your legs (thighs) and glutes (butt).
• How to do it (with flat band):
  • Stand on the middle of the band with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Hold the ends of the band up at your shoulders.
  • Lower your body down like you are sitting in a chair.
  • Keep your back straight and your chest up.
  • Go down until your thighs are almost flat with the floor.
  • Keep your knees over your feet.
  • Push through your feet to stand back up.
  • Feel the band resist as you stand.
• How to do it (with loop band):
  • Place a loop band around your thighs, just above your knees.
  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Lower your body down like you are sitting in a chair.
  • Keep your back straight.
  • Push your knees out against the band as you go down and up.
  • This works your outer glute muscles more.

Glute Bridge

• What it works: Your glutes and the back of your thighs.
• How to do it (with or without loop band):
  • Lie on your back.
  • Bend your knees. Put your feet flat on the floor near your butt.
  • Keep your arms by your sides.
  • If using a loop band: Place it around your thighs, just above your knees. Push out on the band a little.
  • Lift your hips off the floor.
  • Squeeze your glute muscles tight at the top.
  • Make a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
  • Lower your hips back down slowly.
  • Do not let your back arch too much at the top.

Leg Press (Seated)

• What it works: The front of your thighs.
• How to do it:
  • Sit on the floor.
  • Loop the band around the bottom of one foot.
  • Hold the ends of the band in your hands.
  • Sit tall. Keep your other leg bent or straight on the floor.
  • Your foot with the band should be close to your body, knee bent.
  • Push your foot straight out away from your body.
  • Straighten your leg against the band’s resistance.
  • Bend your leg slowly back in.
  • Do all reps on one leg, then switch.

Side Leg Raises

• What it works: The outer hip and glute muscles. Great for stability. Often used in physical therapy.
• How to do it:
  • Lie on your side.
  • Put a loop band around your ankles or just above your knees.
  • Keep your legs straight or slightly bent.
  • Lift your top leg straight up toward the ceiling.
  • Keep your core strong so you don’t roll back.
  • Keep your foot pointing forward, not up.
  • Lower your leg back down slowly. Don’t let it rest fully.
  • Keep tension on the band.
  • Do all reps on one side, then switch.

Tightening Your Middle (Core)

A strong core helps with everything you do. Workout bands can make core exercises more challenging.

Banded Crunches

• What it works: Your front stomach muscles.
• How to do it:
  • Lie on your back.
  • Loop the band around your feet.
  • Cross the band over your body.
  • Hold the ends of the band near your chest or shoulders.
  • Keep your knees bent, feet flat.
  • Lift your head and shoulders off the floor.
  • Pull your rib cage toward your hips.
  • Feel the band pulling you back, adding resistance.
  • Lower back down slowly.

Wood Chops

• What it works: Your side stomach muscles (obliques) and core.
• How to do it:
  • Anchor the band high to one side (like on a door frame with an anchor).
  • Stand sideways to the anchor point.
  • Hold the end of the band with both hands.
  • Your hands should be up high near the anchor.
  • Twist your body down and across.
  • Pull the band down toward the opposite knee.
  • Keep your arms mostly straight but not locked.
  • Let your body turn, but don’t let the band snap you back.
  • Twist back up slowly.
  • Do all reps on one side, then switch.

Full Body Moves

Some moves use bands to work many muscles at once. These are great for strength training when time is short.

Banded Push-Ups

• What it works: Chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• How to do it:
  • Get in a push-up position (hands on the floor, body straight).
  • Put the band across your upper back.
  • Loop the ends of the band under your hands.
  • Your hands should be on the band and the floor.
  • Lower your chest toward the floor.
  • Push back up, working against the band.
  • The band makes it harder the higher you push.

Banded Deadlifts

• What it works: Back of your legs, glutes, and lower back.
• How to do it:
  • Stand on the middle of the band with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Hold the ends of the band in your hands.
  • Keep your legs mostly straight, with a slight bend in your knees.
  • Keep your back straight.
  • Bend forward at your hips.
  • Let your hands go down toward your feet.
  • Feel a stretch in the back of your legs.
  • Keep your back straight, chest up.
  • Stand back up by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings.
  • Feel the band pulling you down, adding resistance.

Exercises for Healing and Recovery

Can Do Exercise Bands are very important tools in physical therapy. They help people regain strength and movement after injuries or surgeries. These rehabilitation exercises are often gentle at first. Therapy bands are typically the lighter colors.

Common Rehabilitation Exercises

Ankle Pumps

• Why: Helps with blood flow, good after ankle/foot injury or surgery.
• How:
  • Sit or lie down.
  • Loop the band around your foot.
  • Hold the ends of the band.
  • Pull your toes toward your body (flex).
  • Point your toes away from your body (point).
  • Do this slowly and with control.

Shoulder External Rotation

• Why: Works small muscles in the shoulder important for stability. Often used after shoulder issues.
• How:
  • Stand holding the band.
  • Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees.
  • Tuck your elbow close to your side.
  • Hold one end of the band steady with the other hand or hook it around something low.
  • Pull the band by moving your hand away from your body.
  • Keep your elbow glued to your side.
  • Move your hand out like opening a door.
  • Move back slowly.
  • Do on both sides.

Hip Abduction (Side Leg Lifts)

• Why: Works outer hip muscles. Important for walking and balance. Used in many lower body rehab plans.
• How:
  • Lie on your side (see Side Leg Raises above).
  • Or, stand and loop the band around your ankles. Hold onto a chair for balance.
  • Keep one leg straight on the floor.
  • Lift the other leg straight out to the side.
  • Keep your toe pointed forward.
  • Lift only as high as comfortable.
  • Lower slowly.
  • Keep tension on the band.
  • Do on both sides.

Physical therapy often uses these bands because they provide gentle, controlled resistance throughout the entire movement. This helps muscles get stronger without sudden heavy loads that can hurt healing tissues. Doing exercise band exercises as part of a rehab plan helps improve motion, strength, and function.

Stretching with Your Bands

Stretch bands are just resistance bands used for stretching. They can help you reach further or get a deeper stretch. Use a light band for stretching.

Hamstring Stretch

• How:
  • Lie on your back.
  • Loop the middle of the band around the bottom of one foot.
  • Hold the ends of the band in your hands.
  • Keep your other leg straight on the floor (or bent if easier).
  • Gently pull the band to lift the leg with the band straight up toward the sky.
  • Keep your knee mostly straight.
  • Pull until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your thigh.
  • Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.
  • Do not pull so hard it hurts.
  • Lower and repeat on the other leg.

Chest Stretch

• How:
  • Hold the band with both hands.
  • Your hands should be wider than your shoulders.
  • Lift your arms up and slightly back.
  • Feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulders.
  • Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears.
  • Hold the stretch.

Using workout bands for stretching helps improve how far your body can move. This is good for everyone, not just those in physical therapy.

Putting Exercises Together

How do you make a full workout with your Can Do Exercise Bands?

Making a Plan

1. Warm-up: Start with light movements. Walk in place, gentle arm circles, leg swings. Do this for 5-10 minutes.
2. Choose Exercises: Pick 6-10 exercise band exercises. Make sure they work different parts of your body (arms, legs, core).
3. Sets and Reps: For strength training, try 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions for each exercise. For rehabilitation exercises, your therapist will tell you how many. It might be more reps with a very light band.
4. Rest: Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets.
5. Cool-down: Finish with some stretches using your stretch bands.

Example Full Body Workout

Here is an example using basic resistance bands or exercise tubing:

1. Warm-up (5-10 minutes)
2. Bicep Curls (2 sets of 12-15 reps)
3. Shoulder Press (2 sets of 12-15 reps)
4. Seated Rows (2 sets of 12-15 reps)
5. Chest Press (2 sets of 12-15 reps)
6. Squats (2 sets of 15-20 reps)
7. Glute Bridges (2 sets of 15-20 reps)
8. Banded Crunches (2 sets of 15-20 reps)
9. Cool-down stretches (10 minutes)

This is just one idea. You can mix and match exercise band exercises to fit your needs and how much time you have. For physical therapy, your plan will be specific to your injury.

Making Exercises Harder

As you get stronger, your current band might feel too easy. This means it is time to make your strength training more challenging.

Increasing Resistance

• Use a Stronger Band: Move up to the next color band on the resistance levels chart.
• Use Two Bands: Combine a light band and a medium band for more resistance.
• Shorten the Band: For some exercises, hold the band shorter to create more tension from the start. For example, stand wider on the band during curls.
• Add More Reps: Do more repetitions (like 15-20 instead of 10-12).
• Do More Sets: Do 3 or 4 sets instead of 2.
• Slow Down: Do the move more slowly. Make the band resist you on the way back too. This makes your muscles work longer.
• Pause: Stop and hold the band at the hardest part of the exercise for a few seconds.

Progression is important for strength training. As your muscles adapt, you need to challenge them more to keep getting stronger. Pay attention to how the band feels. If you can do 15 reps easily with good form, it’s likely time to make it harder. This is also true in physical therapy as you get stronger and need more challenge for your rehabilitation exercises.

Caring for Your Bands

To make your Can Do Exercise Bands last a long time, take good care of them.

• Keep Them Clean: Wipe them down with a damp cloth after use. You can use a little soap, but rinse them well. Let them air dry away from direct sunlight.
• Store Them Right: Keep them away from very hot or very cold places. Don’t leave them in direct sun. Store them flat or loosely rolled. Do not tie them in tight knots for long periods.
• Check Before Use: Always do a quick check for cuts or weak spots before each workout.
• Avoid Rough Surfaces: Don’t use your bands on sharp edges or rough surfaces that can cut or damage the rubber.
• No Stretching Too Far: Don’t stretch the band more than three times its resting length. Overstretching can damage the band.

Taking care of your workout bands means they will be ready for your next strength training session or physical therapy exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

People often ask questions about using resistance bands. Here are some common ones.

Are bands good for building muscle?

Yes! Resistance bands can help you build muscle size and strength, just like weights. The key is to pick a band with enough resistance that your muscles feel tired after doing your sets. This is called strength training.

Can I use bands if I’m injured?

Often, yes. Therapy bands are a key part of physical therapy programs. They allow for gentle rehabilitation exercises that help muscles heal and get stronger safely. Always talk to a doctor or therapist before starting exercise after an injury.

What’s the difference between flat bands and tubes?

Flat bands are wide and flat. Exercise tubing is round and hollow, often with handles. Both offer resistance, but the feel can be different. Flat bands are often preferred for stretching and some physical therapy moves. Tubes with handles are convenient for pushing and pulling exercises. Loop bands (flat or tube material in a circle) are great for leg exercises.

How many times a week should I use bands?

For strength training, aim for 2-4 times a week. Give your muscles a rest day in between. For physical therapy or rehabilitation exercises, follow your therapist’s plan. Consistency is more important than how often you work out hard.

My band rolled up when I was using it. Is that okay?

Flat stretch bands can sometimes roll up, especially during leg exercises. This is common. It doesn’t hurt the band, but it can feel less comfortable. Try placing the band higher up on your leg (like above the knee instead of around ankles) or use a loop band which is designed not to roll.

How long do bands last?

With good care, Can Do Exercise Bands can last a long time, often years. Checking them often for wear is important. If a band looks cracked or worn, it’s time to get a new one.

Starting Your Band Journey

Can Do Exercise Bands are simple tools that offer a wide range of ways to exercise. From strength training to physical therapy, they can help you reach your goals. They are portable, easy to use, and work for many different fitness levels.

Pick a band, choose a few exercise band exercises from this list, and start moving your body. Be safe, listen to your body, and enjoy getting stronger with your workout bands.