Dangers of Stretchy Bands

[Libby]

I love using stretchy bands (the flat ones about 5 inches wide) but today and one other time, while I had the band around my foot and my leg stretched up above my head relaxing, the band slipped off and slapped me in the chest really hard. It was so loud and happened so fast, it spooked me both times! It seems like its hard to get the bands to stay flat around the bottom of your feet without them rolling up. Anyone else have this problem?

[NoraKate]

I fear stretch bands 0_0

ever since one *thwapped* me right in the schnoz!

[txfitmom]

They are just dangerous. I remember hearing a story a while back of someone that went blind after being hit in the eye from a band with one of those attachments on it (I think the kind you place in a door). Even the stretchy ones without the handles can be dangerous. I am the type that is kind of clumsy so I have to be careful with them.

[AsSweetAsSugar]

That has happen to me twice, the first one excatly as you describe while I was doing stretching, luckily it didn't hit me hard, the second time I was in table top position working the leg, and it was so loud that my beautiful little DD got scared and started to cry.

I haven't have any issues with the ones with handles, but I feel a bit stressed when I use them.

[cpcathy]

I thought I was such an idiot last week, I was doing Powerfit, and my band got caught in my hair! (you had to stretch the band behind your back) I felt so stupid! It's nice you guys can understand!

[Irisg1]

I had an incident with tubing years ago, and never quite got over my fear, lol. I was doing P90, and using a tube in place of chin-up bar. The tube snapped right off the hook I had it draped over, and slapped me across the chest, like a sling-shot. I had a welt across the chest, that lingered weeks. A little awkward to explain how I got it. Of course my kids thought it was funny, but not me. I'm not crazy about working out with tubes or bands because of this.

[Libby]

Mine hit me both times in the chest but it would have been bad if it had hit me in the face or chest. I'm surprised that there haven't been law suits over someone being injured from them. I will still use but with caution.

[CatInTheHat]

Ack! YES!

I was doing Element's Accelerated Pilates (a video I love) and when lying on my side the band slipped off my foot and snapped me in the face. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I've been keeping the band really powdered up to ensure it doesn't roll up real fast and snap, but still. They're not my preference because I'm also exercise OCD - much like I hate when instructors don't do the equal amount of reps on the other side of the body, I hate the idea that the resistance of a band is not equal because it depends on how tight I have it and where the grip is.

[Kitten]

Originally Posted by cpcathy

I thought I was such an idiot last week, I was doing Powerfit, and my band got caught in my hair! (you had to stretch the band behind your back) I felt so stupid! It's nice you guys can understand!

And this is why I now wear my hair in a bun when I exercise with a band

[sweatie]

Originally Posted by txfitmom

They are just dangerous. I remember hearing a story a while back of someone that went blind after being hit in the eye from a band with one of those attachments on it (I think the kind you place in a door). Even the stretchy ones without the handles can be dangerous. I am the type that is kind of clumsy so I have to be careful with them.

I think this is the story you're referring to.

Note, however, that she took bands with clips and clipped them together to make them longer and then hooked them to the door some way. It was the clips that hit her in the eye. Clearly the tragedy resulted from misusing the bands.