Elastic exercise bands good for 12 year olds for dance?

[NewFerry]

DD has just returned from a 3 day dance workshop, and tells me that all some of the other girls had exercise bands to help improve their flexibility.

Are these a good idea? Are they suitable for 12 year olds?
And if so, can anyone recommend a suitable brand?

Plus, should she be looking at the long thick piece of elastic? Or the joined elastic band type thingy?

Or would something else be better? Or nothing at all?

Ones that they use for flexing their feet? Argos & spoorts shops do them for about a fiver, my dds use them for ballet.

aged 11 & 14

Yes that sounds right.

Are they a long piece of elastic? Or a joined piece (like a huge elastic band)

like for Pilates ?

Not sure!

I'm a bit concerned that I end up buying the wrong thing and DD ends up injured!

She wants the bands to improve her flexibility - for doing the splits, and I guess for strengthening her feet?

Ask her dance teacher. My daughter dances and does body conditioning lessons. For those they are meant to have stretch bands (the long price of thin elastic) and they come in differing resistance strengths. They also use the thicker joined bands and balance boards for strengthening their feet. She started these lessons and had her first stretch band when she was 6, although she has been taught how to use it properly. You can get them in most sport shops or on dancedirect.com

If you look under therabands on google images your daughter should be able to shoiw you which ones they mean.

DFD used to do a lot of competitive dancing in the US and has one of these for stretch and conditioning- could this be what she means?

www.amazon.co.uk/Rucanor-1-Resistance-Bands-Pink/dp/B001ASIY8Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365408514&sr=8-1&keywords=resistance+band+pink

You can get different strengths of band for different ages/abilities etc

Thanks for all the help everyone. I think we have narrowed down the options and will talk to DDs dance teacher this evening.