Theraband Exercises For Legs

Written By: Chloe Wilson, BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed by: KPE Medical Review Board

Theraband exercises for legs are a great way to build up strength and stability in your own home.

Theraband is a specially designed elasticated resistance band.

Theraband has been widely used by rehab therapists for around 40 years and resistance bands have become increasingly popular over the last 20 years or so. 

There are now a whole range of styles and types of resistance bands e.g. loop bands and tubes and different brands to choose from, Theraband being the most well-known. 

Resistance bands are a really useful lightweight, cheap way to make exercises more challenging and effective and there are many benefits of using resistance bands as part of your workout program.

1. Resistance Band Box Squats

These resistance band squats help pull you down into a deep squat and make your leg muscles work much harder as you have to really push up through your legs against the resistance of the band to come back up.

 ·  Stand on a length of theraband, feet shoulder width apart with the theraband anchored securely under each foot
 ·  Grasp an end of the theraband in each hand and stand up tall with your arms by your side
 ·  Slowly bend your knees and squat down, take your buttocks down and back as if you were going to sit on a large box/chair
 ·  Then straighten your knees, pushing up against the band.

TOP TIP: Don’t let your knees come forwards over your toes, or let them collapse inwards – they should be in line with your second toe the whole time

How To Progress

1. Move your hands down the band, closer to your feet so there is more tension in the band
2. If your band is long enough, hold it at shoulder height and perform these box squats. This will help with posture
3. Use two resistance bands, looping them under one foot and over the opposite shoulder and do box squats. These really help improve functional ability
   
   

These loop resistance band squats are awesome for really working your glutes as you squat.

Starting with your feet together, loop a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knee.

 ·  Step your feet apart bringing your knees apart so you push the resistance band out
 ·  Squat down, taking your butt backwards, making sure your knees don’t come in front of your toes
 ·  Keep pushing out against the resistance band throughout to really get the glutes working
 ·  Hold or do small pulses for 3-5 seconds and then come back up

Progressions

Loop another resistance band around your ankles as well as you do this exercise to work the legs and glutes harder.

Squat jumps with resistance bands focus on propulsive power, perfect for improving fitness, jump height and muscle tone and strength.

Place a resistance band loop around your legs, just above your knees

 ·  Stand with feet shoulder width apart, pushing out against the band
 ·  Squat down taking your weight through your heels and lowering your buttocks down and back as if you were going to sit in a chair
 ·  Then spring up, jumping in the air and land on the balls of your feet, keeping your feet shoulder width apart

Stand with your feet hip width apart and a resistance band looped around your thighs.

 ·  Step one leg forwards into a lunge position so you can feel tension in the resistance band
 ·  From here, take your back knee down towards the floor, letting the front knee bend, but keeping it level with your toes – don’t let it come forwards
 ·  Push up through the front knee and down through the heel on the front foot and step your feet back together.
 ·  Repeat

Both knees should bend to 90^o

Progressions

When you come up from the lunge position, rather than stepping your feet back together, lift your back leg up off the floor and stretch it backwards against the resistance band.

These power pull lunges with resistance bands are great for improving upper body strength and posture as well as challenging those leg muscles.

Fix the theraband to something solid in front of you at chest height e.g. door handle, stair rail or tree.

 ·  Hold each end of the band, or handles if you have them, palms facing in, hands by your waist, shoulder blades drawn back
 ·  Step one leg back bending both knees into a lunge position pulling back against the resistance band and keeping the band by your sides
 ·  Slowly push up through your legs and return to the starting position
 ·  Alternate legs

If you want to work the upper body even more alongside leg exercises with resistance bands, hold the lunge position and bring the resistance band forwards and backwards in a rowing motion ten times with each lunge.

Lie on your back holding your theraband down across your waist, knees and hips bent 90 degrees

 ·  Squeeze your buttocks and lift up as high as you can without arching your lower back
 ·  Aim to make a diagonal line through your knees, hips and shoulders
 ·  Hold or pulse for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower down, then relax your glutes

Lie on your back, feet together with theraband looped around your thighs just above your knees

 ·  Move your feet and knees out slightly so they are hip distance apart with some tension in the theraband
 ·  Clench your glutes and lift your buttocks up forming the diagonal line from knees to shoulders without arching your back
 ·  Hold for 3-5 seconds, then lower down slowly and relax your glutes

Progressions

1. Pulses: Whilst in the bridge position, pulse your knees out and in, pushing against the band - watch that your buttocks don’t start to drop down.
2. Go Slow: Slower = Harder!
   
   

These resistance band glute kickbacks are often known as "Donkey Kicks".

Start on all 4’s with theraband looped around your foot and grasped in each hand.

 ·  Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, knees directly under your hips
 ·  Push your leg backwards, pushing against the band and straightening your knee
 ·  Don’t let your back dip
 ·  Hold or pulse for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower

Variations

1. If you only have a short band either loop it around both feet or both hips
2. If it is uncomfortable on your wrists, prop onto your elbows instead
3. Keep the knee bent as you take it back
4. If you want to work your core harder, stretch the opposite arm forwards as you take the leg back
   
   

Lie on your side with a theraband loop around your thighs, just above your knees, hips and knees bent.

 ·  Keeping your feet together lift the top knee up to the ceiling pushing up against the band
 ·  You are aiming to get as high as you can without your hips rolling back - it can help to put your hands on your hips to check for that
 ·  Hold or pulse for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower down

Variations

1. For more challenge, start with both feet lifted off the ground to hip height and then do the clam action
2. If you find it uncomfortable lying on your side, lie on your back instead, hip and knees bent, and bring your knees out to the side pushing against the band. You can make it harder by doing this in the bridge position.

1. Hip Abduction With Resistance Band

Loop the resistance band around your ankles or tie one end securely to a table leg.

 ·  Move your target leg out to the side, pulling against the band
 ·  Aim to hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower your leg

TOP TIPS: Keep upright, don’t let yourself bend at the waist
: Clench your glutes as you do this to get the muscles working hard
: Pulse your leg in and out slightly instead of holding

Alternative Positions

1. Side Lying: Lie on your side with your target leg uppermost, bottom knee bent for support. Lift the top leg straight up, pulling against the band, keeping toes pointing forwards
   
   

2. Resistance Band Hip Adduction

This theraband inner thigh exercise is great for toning this often ignored area.

Tie or loop one end of the resistance band around a low object e.g. table leg, and loop the other end around your ankle.

 ·  Move the target leg inwards across your body in front of your other leg, pulling against the band
 ·  Aim to hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly uncross your leg

Progressions

1. Work the inner thigh harder by adding some pulses during the hold
2. Alternate between crossing the leg being worked in-front and then behind the other leg
   
   

When people think of doing a leg press they envisage going to the gym and pushing against weights. But here’s how you can do a leg press exercises with resistance bands

Sit with theraband looped around the ball of your foot and held tightly in your hands, knee and hips are bent.

 ·  Push your foot away, straightening your knee and hip pushing against the resistance band
 ·  Hold or do small pulses bending the knee slightly for 3-5 seconds
 ·  Slowly return to starting position

Alternative Positions

1. Long Sitting: Sitting on the floor, target knee bent, heel on floor. Other leg bent or straight, whichever is most comfortable
2. Lying on your Back: Target leg hip and knee bent to 90 degrees, other foot resting on floor. 

With each of these theraband exercises for legs, you are doing the leg press movement of pushing the hip and knee from a bent position out straight against the theraband. Hold the ends of the resistance band firmly and loop it around your target foot.

When doing a leg press with resistance bands it is usually best to work one leg at a time. It works the muscles harder and is kinder on your lower back!

Stand with your legs slightly apart and loop a resistance band around your thighs.

 ·  Bend your knees slightly so you in a slight squat position and step one leg out to the side
 ·  Bring the other leg in but keep tension on the band throughout
 ·  Take a few more steps like this and then reverse the direction back to the start

Progressions

You can make this monster walk exercise harder by moving the band gradually further down your legs e.g. knee, mid-calf and ankle level. Having the theraband around your ankles will be hardest as the feet are the widest point when you step out, so there will be more stretch through the resistance band.

Loop a resistance band around your ankle, step both feet out slightly so there is tension in the band and squat down slightly

 ·  Step one foot forwards, keeping it slightly out to the side to keep maximum tension through the resistance band
 ·  Then do the same with the other leg
 ·  Take a few steps forwards like this, keeping the tension through the resistance band throughout
 ·  Reverse the direction taking backward steps to your starting position

1. Seated Hamstring Band Curls

 ·  Sit in a chair with the band looped around your foot and fixed to something in front of you e.g. table leg
 ·  Slide your heel backwards letting your knee and pull through the resistance band
 ·  Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly bring your foot forwards to the starting position

2. Propped Hamstring Band Curls

 ·  Sitting in a chair with your fixed leg propped up on a chair in front of you
 ·  Loop the band around your fixed ankle and under the ball of your target foot
 ·  Bring the target leg down and back so the knee bends, pulling on the resistance band
 ·  Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly return to the starting position

3. Prone Hamstring Theraband Curls

 ·  Lie face down with the resistance band looped around the foot of your target leg and the opposite ankle
 ·  Slowly bend your knee bringing your foot towards your buttock
 ·  Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower the leg
 ·  Keep the other foot down throughout to anchor the band

Progressions

You can challenge yourself further with each of these hamstring resistance band exercises by adding some pulses at the end of each movement.