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Blogs from October, 2020

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About Red Cord Training Sessions

Suspension training is a type of bodyweight exercise that uses an instability platform and is mainly made up of elastic straps and a pulley system to leverage gravity into resistance. Suspension training was originally used by Navy SEALs to improve the results of their workout by incorporating another element into their practice. Benefits of suspension training include:

  • Intense and effective core workouts

When people think about the core, they often think of the abdominal muscles primarily. However, the core encompasses much more than that. It includes the pelvis, abs, back, and the chest. The core muscles are very important, and they help to coordinate movement to the arms, legs, and spine. They protect the spine from excessive load and transfer force from the lower body to the upper body. When you use a suspension trainer, the stability, balance, and flexibility of your body are continuously challenged.

  • Diversification of exercise options

Even though suspension training mechanisms only have two adjustable bands, they provide an engaging workout for all of the muscles in the body. For example, facing away from the unit enables patients to engage in movements that benefit the chest and the shoulders. Facing towards the unit will allow the patient to engage in movements that benefit the back and the biceps.

  • Highly customizable workouts

One of the best aspects of suspension training is the fact that the exercises are available for patients of all kinds and levels of advancement. For example, the workouts provide a way to help pregnant women who are having difficulty exercising in the ways they normally might. Our trainers can adjust the intensity level of the suspensions in order to help the patient achieve their personal fitness goals.

  • Improving patients’ balance and coordination

Suspension training encourages the muscles to use more fibers than traditional workout methods. This is because when you use a suspension trainer, you must incorporate the core muscles in order to give you balance. A suspension trainer requires patients to use all of the muscles of their body, which helps strengthen their balance and coordination skills.

  • Improving cardiovascular health

Many people think that suspension training is mostly used for strengthening, but it also makes for an effective cardiovascular workout. Patients are able to transition quickly from various exercise, and their heart rates stay up during the workouts.

  • Ideal for patients who require a low impact workout

Sadly, many patients experience negative effects from traditional workouts, and these effects deter them from working out in the future. Suspension training offers a low impact alternative for patients who need a gentler workout for their joints. Suspension training still enables patients to perform effective workouts without the risk of injury.

  • Correction of imbalances in the body

Many patients need help with muscular imbalances, which occur when one side of the body is stronger than the other. This imbalance can cause severe issues and injuries, and traditional exercising options might not provide the level of correction that patients need. This is because suspension training makes it simpler for patients to work a specific side of the body.

  • Development of functional fitness

When you are utilizing your muscles to perform everyday tasks, the muscles collaborate. This process is different from the way the muscles work with traditional exercises, in which people are usually isolating individual muscles at a time. With suspension training, patients are recruiting multiple muscles in the same way that they would during real-world applications.

How Suspension Trainers Work

Typically, suspension exercises are done with the trainer anchored above the floor. Patients can change the length of the straps or their body position for an endless amount of exercises. Suspension trainers are flexible in what they can attach to, from a pull-up bar to the branch of a tree. When patients hold onto the suspension trainer, they can move the handles individually and connect them to an anchor point. Our specialists are happy to show our patients a variety of exercises that will help them achieve their goals. As a general rule, the closer the center of gravity is to the floor, the more difficult that exercise will be. What many patients enjoy the most about suspension training is the freedom to adjust the intensity of their workouts with great ease. Overall, suspension trainers are simple to use, but can be used in a multitude of ways to achieve a wide array of fitness goals.

At ProFysio, we utilize the power of RedCord in order to facilitate zero gravity suspension training for our patients. When our patients are using our equipment, we carefully monitor them to ensure that there is no adverse pressure on their bones, joints, muscles, or organs. Red Cord has revolutionized the concept of physical therapy because it eliminates one of the biggest sources of pressure: gravity. Patients can use bungee cords, slings, and ropes with a highly advanced suspension system to lift their bodies. Some of the exercises our physical therapists might recommend for our patients include bridging, planking, squats, and push-ups.

If you believe you could benefit from RedCord suspension training, call our team at (732) 812-5200 or contact us online.