Top 5 Exercise Band Exercises for your Elbows

One of the most overlooked body parts in the fitness world is the elbow joint. However, it is not overlooked in the therapy world. There are many reasons, but two of the most common issues with the elbow are tennis elbow (commonly known as lateral epicondylitis) and golfer’s elbow (commonly known as medial epicondylitis). As the name suggests, one is often caused from playing tennis, the other from playing golf, although in reality, many things can cause elbow pain.

At Surrey Physio, we see and advise hundreds of patients every year who present with elbow pain. In the vast majority of these cases, there is an overload pattern, usually repetitive. This causes the pain at the common tendon in the elbow. Interestingly, there is no strong consensus if the tendon pain in tennis and golfer’s elbow is caused by inflammation, or degeneration.

Exercise Bands can play a useful role in strengthening your elbows. Let’s look at some common elbow band exercises.

Repeat each exercise for 10 to 12 reps, and perform the exercise one to two times per day. Stop if you get any pain and consult a physio or osteopath.

1. Arm Extension with Band

Loop an exercise band around a door or other stable object at about chest level. Ensure your palm is facing backward. Pull your arm backwards into extension, against the resistance of the exercise band. This is a shoulder strengthening exercise.

2. Lawn Mower with Band

Stand in a rotated lunge position. Place an exercise band under your foot on your good side and hold on to the other end with your affected side. Step back in a diagonal pattern as you transfer the weight onto that side. Elevate your arm above your head and out to the side as far as comfortable and against the resistance of the band. This is a scapular and shoulder strengthening exercise.

3. Elbow Supination with Band

Bend your arm to 90 degrees, and holding a band in your other hand, rotate your forearm to feel tension in the band. The palm will start facing up and should finish facing down. You will feel a tension across the outer part of the elbow. This will strengthen the supinator muscles around the elbow.

4. Triceps Curl Extension Both Hands with Band

Hold an exercise tube or band with both hands and wrap it around a chair, and straighten your arms creating a resistance in the band. This exercise predominantly strengthens the Triceps muscle at the back and side of your upper arms.

5. Elbow Flexion (Bicep Curl) with Band

Stand on one end of an exercise band, and hold the other end, then bend your elbow. When you reach your end of range, let your elbow return to the start position in a controlled manner. This is a strengthening exercise for the upper arm muscle (Biceps).

Strengthening your elbows can be beneficial to overall health and fitness, and is important as part of a rehabilitation programme for tennis and golfer’s elbow, and should not be overlooked.

If you want to buy any exercise bands, please go to www.rehabme.com/shop where we have a range of our high-quality products.

If you are a therapist and like the exercises and information in this document, please go to www.rehabmypatient.com and sign up to this amazing exercise prescription software.

If you are a patient and need some advice, treatment or a consultation, please go to www.surreyphysio.co.uk/bookonline. We provide virtual and face-to-face appointments with our expert team.