I Added Resistance Bands to My Workouts—Turns Out, They're the Ultimate Strength Hack for Busy Mums

While I don't need any convincing on the benefits of strength training, as a busy mum-of-three, more often than not, finding the actual time to train is the challenge. Especially during the summer holidays (IYKYK), when I'm lucky if I manage to carve out small pockets of time to work out.

Which is probably where the idea of incorporating resistance band workouts into my routine appealed to me. I've used them on and off over the years, but never fully committed to them. But when I was looking for a new way to fit strength training into my week, I realised resistance bands tick a lot of boxes - you can do them almost anywhere, you don't need lots of equipment, and they're convenient enough to fit into a busy lifestyle.

And if the evidence is anything to go by, they're effective, too. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that elastic resistance training can produce similar strength gains as using weights or machines. Translation: you don't necessarily need a gym full of equipment to get stronger.

Rebecca Bossick, physiotherapist and founder of One Body LDN, explained why they could be the ideal solution to fit into my lifestyle. "Their adaptability, portability, and lower cost are a big reason why they’ve become a mainstay of workout regimens, especially among busy mums," she said.

With this in mind, I decided to get serious about adding resistance bands to my workout routine. For two weeks, I committed to fitting 10-minute resistance band sessions into my routine several times a week to see if they could be the low-effort strength training session I'd been looking for. Keep scrolling to see how I got on, and while you're here, we've got plenty more resistance band content, including our guides to the benefits of resistance bands, how to make resistance bands effective, best resistance band leg workouts, best resistance band core workouts and best resistance band arm workouts.

Resistance Bands Promise to Build Strength in No Time: I Tried for 2 Weeks

Can a 10–15 minute resistance-band session genuinely improve strength?

If, like me, you're often strapped for time, the good news is even a short resistance band session can make a noticeable difference. In one seven-week study, published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, participants who added heavy elastic bands to their strength training saw improvements in upper-body strength similar to those using more traditional resistance-training methods.

"Even if you can only do a 10-15 minute workout routine each day, adding resistance bands into the mix will improve your overall strength," says Samantha Cubbins, strength and conditioning coach and Lifting Club Ambassador at Gymshark.

Bossick agrees that short sessions can be worthwhile, and says that regardless of your fitness level, resistance bands are a great way to build muscle. "Even though working with them does look rather simple, bands actually have quite the advantage over free weights: the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension right through the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point."

One of the main appeals to me was that resistance bands don't take up much room - they're small enough to live in a kitchen drawer or tote bag. "Using resistance bands means you don't need a gym membership or even much floor space, and even ten to fifteen minutes is more than enough to recruit and build various muscle groups properly," adds Bossick.

What are the best resistance band exercises if you only have 10 minutes?

“The great thing about resistance bands is the versatility," says Cubbins. "They can be added into so many different movements, meaning for many, you won’t even need to create a whole new workout routine."

If you're really short on time, Bossick recommends choosing movements that hit multiple muscle groups in one exercise.

1. Banded squats

What? Stand with the band looped just above your knees or under both feet and held at shoulder height, then sit back into a squat as if lowering onto a chair before pushing back up through your heels.

Why? "This works the major muscle groups within your lower extremities like glutes, quads, and hamstrings with an extra focus on your hip abductors and stabilisers, covering all your lower body’s biggest muscle groups in one time-efficient movement," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

2. Banded rows

What? Loop the band around something secure at chest height, or anchor it under your feet if seated, and pull both handles towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together before releasing slowly.

Why? "This engages the whole of the upper back and rear shoulders, so it's brilliant for posture alongside strength," says Bossick.

How many? Aim for 12 to 15 reps.

3. Glute bridges

What? Using a shorter band, looped just above your knees, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push your knees outwards against the band as you lift your hips towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top, then lower slowly.

Why? It works your glutes and also challenges the muscles around your hips, helping to build lower-body strength.

How many? Aim for 15 reps.

4. Bicep curls or overhead press

What? Stand on a longer band, holding a handle in each hand. Bend your elbows to bring your hands towards your shoulders, and again, start with your hands next to your shoulders and push straight overhead for a rep.

Why? "These moves combined can help you build upper and lower body strength with minimal transitions between moves, so perfect for those in a time crunch," says Bossick.

Cubbins adds that you can try this during a wall sit for added heat.

How many? 10 to 15 bicep curls.

My experiment: Trying resistance band workouts for 2 weeks

Week 1

The focus during the first week of my experiment was simply to get into a flow with resistance band training and make it part of my routine.

One piece of Bossick's advice resonated with me before I'd even practised any of the exercises: "With these moves there's zero setup, meaning no weights to load or equipment to move around or clean up, which is essential when you have limited space or children to look after."

On days when I'm stuck in with the kids and struggling to get out, I'll often rely on my walking pad for getting some movement in, but I'll be honest, sometimes having to set it up can feel like it's eating into my (often limited) workout time.

So whether I had a spare 10 minutes first thing in the morning, or later in the day when it was the kids' mealtimes, with no preparation involved, there wasn't really any room to talk myself out of it.

I kept the actual exercises themselves fairly straightforward to begin with. Using a set of three loop bands - light, medium and heavy - I started with the lightest and alternated between glute bridges and squats for the first few sessions. The light band felt manageable on the bridges, but I noticed the tension on squats by around rep 10, and my thighs were starting to feel noticeably shaky by the last few reps.

By day four, I started to feel the physical effects - DOMS in my glutes that I wasn't expecting from such a short, equipment-light session. While it wasn't anything dramatic, I could definitely feel the burn walking down the stairs the next day.

Bossick had said the more you stretch, the higher the resistance, meaning that you get genuine tension throughout the whole movement rather than just at the hardest point. I could feel what she meant, particularly on the banded rows, where my upper back was working the entire way through rather than just at the squeeze.

Week 2

By week two, I started mixing things up and experimented with the medium-strength resistance and then the heavy band. I wasn't suddenly spending an hour lifting weights; I was still doing short sessions, but I liked the fact that I could make them more challenging if I wanted to, without making the workout itself any more complicated.

One of the things Cubbins told me stuck with me, too. "You need to be progressively overloading your muscles, meaning you continually challenge your strength, increasing weight, reps and time under tension." For me, that didn't suddenly mean spending longer exercising. It was as simple as swapping the light band for the heavier one when I wanted a more intense workout.

I was predominantly using a set of shorter loop resistance bands, but for arm workouts I did keep an elasticated tube band to hand, as the loop bands don't have enough give for a proper curl. Lifting my toddler the following day was the proof that I was starting to see results - the aching in my arms was real.

I wasn't expecting two weeks to produce a dramatic physical transformation - and if I'm honest, I can't say I felt noticeably stronger. But what I did notice consistently was how much better mentally I felt for having done it. Just carving out 10 minutes felt like a small sense of achievement on days when it would be easy to do nothing at all. Plus the mild, lingering aches I started to feel were actually a reassuring payoff.

It was my mindset that shifted more than anything. Rather than feeling like I'd failed to fit in a 'proper' workout, I started to see how valuable these small pockets of exercise were for me mentally and physically.

My verdict? Resistance band workouts haven't magically created more time in my day, but I realised they're a great way to make the time I have feel more useful.

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