Fitness bands are elastic bands used to build muscle and increase strength. They have been around since the 1950s, but have become more popular in recent years. Fitness bands are versatile exercise tools. They are small, easily portable, inexpensive and available in different types to give you a reasonably wide variety of strength-training exercises.

Fitness bands are also called exercise resistance bands or just exercise bands. The term “band” refers to a flat elastic material that is usually made of rubber latex (non-latex bands are available for people who are allergic to latex).

Fitness tubes are also available and are used much in the same way as fitness bands. Both use the principle of progressive resistance to build muscle strength and can be used through any plane of motion to work any group of muscles.

The choice of bands or tubes is a matter of personal preference. Bands cover more surface area during exercises. Because of this attribute, a band across the chest or back may be more comfortable than a tube; whereas it may be more comfortable to grip a tube in the hand for arm exercises as opposed to a band. The end result of using a band versus a tube for an exercise is the same. For the purpose of this article, the term bands will be used for both bands and tubes.