Making your own yoga bands can be quite an interesting activity as it helps you further personalize your workouts by unleashing your creative side. Consequently, the texture of the fabric used to make your yoga bands must be selected in such a way that it can give you comfort and stability while doing this workout. In this article, we will discuss the best fabrics to sew yoga bands along with their characteristics, strengths and suitability for different workouts. This guide seeks to enable you to make the right choice when you are designing your own yoga bands.
Yoga Bands: A Brief Introductory Perspective
Yoga bands also referred to as resistance bands, exercise bands are elastic bands utilized during strength training, during stretches and rehabilitation workouts. They can render assistance with yoga exercises while supplying adequate resistance to enhance range of motion and strength. The types of materials used in the manufacture of the yoga bands dictate to a larger extent how practical the bands are, their efficiency and how long they can last.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Fabric
When it comes to choosing fabric for your yoga bands, there is much that needs to be considered such as:
- Stretchability: It must be able to stretch because without stretching it would be impossible to sustain the yoga band during the exercise.
- Durability: Durability is largely determined by the use of suitable fabrics which can be used for long periods and can be relied upon to maintain their strength almost independently of the times they are used.
- Breathability: It prevents moisture build-up and helps keep you relaxed and cool throughout the workouts. A breathable fabric will suit the individuals workout well.
- Weight and Thickness: The weight and thickness of the fabric will determine the amount of resistance of the band and how it feels when worn.
- Ease of Sewing: Don’t forget to take into account the ease with which the material can be used particularly if you are a novice.
Taking Yoga Bands into Action
Yoga Bands Cotton Spandex Blend
One of the most commonly used fabrics while making yoga bands is the cotton spandex blended fabric because; it is very breathable and stretchy. The cotton serves to provide comfort on the skin while spandex gives enough stretch for movement. The softness of this fabric makes it ideal for soft exercises and yoga. It is also able to sustain its form which allows the bands to be functional in the long run.
Pros: Breathable, comfortable, simple, and cambered fabric with easy sewing properties Retains the correct resistant span.
Cons: The longevity may not be as good as synthetic ones.
Nylon Spandex Blend.
Nylon spandex blends can be used in making activewear as a suitable fabric that can also be suitable for yoga bands. The nylon adds toughness and high abrasion resistance, while the spandex elongates remarkably well. This combination results in a tough but elastic fabric that can tolerate the idea of fraying physiological activities. Nylon is moisture wicking as well which helps in keeping the body dry during the yoga session.
Pros: Extremely tough, moisture absorbing, and excellent stretch.
Cons: Breathability tends to be less when compared with the cotton alternatives.
Polyester Spandex Blend
Polyester Spandex bands are also a good material for yoga bands. Polyester is recognized for its toughness and durability, making it an appropriate fabric to be used normally. Coupled with spandex, it allows the making of fabrics that are stretchable and also keep their shape. This fabric dries quickly as well making it stand out for hot yoga and outdoor workouts.
Pros: Tough in nature, dries quickly, retains the shape effectively.
Cons: Doesn’t feel as soft as the cotton variants.
Lycra
Lycra or Spandex is a highly durable and stretchable fabric that is able to retain its original shape even after extensive use. It is majorly used in construction of activewear due to its stretching capabilities. While constructing yoga bands, sewing covers with Lycra makes it easy for the bands to be fitted easily and to not add restrictions in the range of the desired motions. Moreover, fading of colors due to the sun or wear and tear are also not an issue with this fabric so users can look good with their yoga bands for longer periods of time.
Pros: Great extensibility and returns easily to its original shape along with good resistance to colors fading.
Cons: It is a slippery fabric which makes it difficult to sew.
Bamboo Fabric
Bamboo fabric is one of the most eco-friendly fabrics and has recently cemented itself in the activewear market. It is soft in texture, provides the wearers with enhanced breathability and also wicks away moisture which is exactly what is needed during moving or wearing of yoga bands. Bamboo has natural antibacterial which prevents the odor from getting into the bands even after numerous uses. However, it may not be able to produce the stretching effects similar to other synthetic blended fabrics, think about that when planning to use this fabric.
Pros: Biodegradable, comfy, cellulose active fabrics, has antibacterial features.
Cons: Synthetic fabrics are more elastic.
Selecting the Thickness
Thickness also determines the firmness and comfort of the fabric used in yoga bands. With regard to thickness, here are some general recommendations:
- Thin Fabrics (0.5mm – 1mm): Suitable for stretching muscles or rehabilitation exercises since resistance is light.
- Medium Fabrics (1 mm – 2 mm): Would offer a fairly moderate resistance hence can be adopted for diverse workouts.
- Thick Fabrics (2 mm upwards) : Useful in endurance building hence also more resistance workout.
Notes for Seaming Yoga Bands
- Do not forget to prewash the fabric: Once you have stitched the yoga bands, do not forget to pre wash the fabric. This will minimize the amount of shrinkage that is likely to occur.
- Make Use of Stretch Needle: Make use of stretch needle to reduce chances of skipping stitches in elastic fabrics.
- Machinery thread: employ the use of polyester or nylon thread to assume durability and proper stretch since cotton thread should be avoided as it may break when tension is applied.
- Test the stretch: For best results, test the stretch prior to cutting the fabric to gauge the amount of resistance and comfort required.
Tailoring Your Yoga Bands
As soon as you are done with sewing the fabric, you may consider lengthening your yoga bands for personal usage as well as stylistic purposes:
- Length: Reduce the length to correspond with your height as well as the particular exercises you will be undertaking.
- Width: The wider the bands, the more area coverage and therefore support, the narrower bands are easier to handle.
- Design: Try out various colors and designs to make yoga bands which suit you best.
Conclusion
The choice of fabric for your yoga bands is very important to provide you with the desirable level of comfort and durability while also maintaining functionality. If you decide to use cotton and spandex in your blends, you will benefit from the softness of these fabrics, or opt for nylon, which is a more durable spandex base for blends. Depending on how active you are, your workouts, what you like, and how well you can sew, consider the appropriate materials for your custom made yoga bands that suit you.
