Isometrics is a type of exercise that involves contracting muscles by pushing, pressing, and pulling against an immovable object. Muscles are built with minimal movement in this type of exercise. Rather, the force of muscle contraction, muscle – against muscle resistance, increases strength. Place your left and right palms on the ground. Put your hands together as tightly as you can. Your pectoral, shoulder, and arm muscles are all active. This is an illustration of an isometric exercise.
When you suck your stomach, you are performing an isometric contraction. Another example is the kegel exercise, which is a contraction of the vaginal muscle that women are advised to do during pregnancy to counteract the pressure of the fetus on the bladder and after childbirth to tone the muscles that have been stretched by childbirth.
It not only burns calories but also strengthens, relaxes, and tones muscles.
Here are some isometrics that you can do almost anywhere, at any time. Hold each contraction for five seconds to begin. Two sets of ten repetitions is a good place to start. Work your way up to 10 and then 15 seconds per contraction, followed by three or more sets. Continue reading to learn how to tune into Isometrics.
- Stand in a doorway, place your hands at thigh level, and press the backs of your hands against the door jambs. Repeat with a sub-maximal force for 8 seconds. This exercise targets the deltoids and supraspinatus.
- Stand in a doorway, raise your right arm above your head, and press it against the door frame. Switch sides. This exercise targets the pecs, obliques, and arms.
- Stand in a doorway, bend your elbows, and press your palms outward against the door jambs at chest level. This exercise targets the pecs and biceps.
- Place yourself about two feet away from a wall. Raise your arms to shoulder height and press your palms against the wall. Contract your abdominal muscles, straighten your elbows, and push against the wall with your body weight. This exercise strengthens your arms and shoulders.
- Place your back against a wall. Tighten your buttocks until your back is flush against the wall. Step your feet forward a few inches at a time, until your thighs form a 45-degree angle but no more than a 90-degree angle with the floor. (At 90 degrees, your thighs are parallel to the floor and form a right angle to your upper body and shins.) Hold this position for as long as possible before walking your feet back to stand up and relax. Repeat. This exercise is also referred to as the “wall-sit.”
- Place your hands on your thighs and press down slightly, leaning forward slightly, while sitting in a firm chair. This exercise works your abs.
- Still sitting, press down with your palms on the front of the chair seat. This exercise targets your biceps and shoulders.
- Squeeze your knees tightly together while sitting, or place a rubber ball between your knees and squeeze. This exercise targets your inner thighs.
- Place your hands in front of you at chest level, palms together, while sitting or standing. Bring your hands together and press them together. This exercise targets the pecs.
- Hook your feet under the edge of a desk (pad the tops of your feet with a folded towel or something soft), the front of a sofa, or another large piece of furniture while sitting in a chair. Raise your feet to the sky. This exercises the quadriceps. To work the quads without having to book your feet under a piece of furniture, raise one leg at a time and hold it parallel to the floor with your toes flexed.
- Push your right ankle against a stationary object while standing next to a wall, door frame, or piece of heavy furniture. Change sides. This works the right thigh’s outer thigh and the left thigh’s inner thigh.
- Hold on to the front of a straight chair and pull your shoulders up and back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. This exercise targets the rhomboids and trapezius muscles.
- Press your palms against the undersides of the table while seated, with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. This exercise targets the forearms.
Remember that an isometric exercise is one in which you flex or apply force against something.
Disclaimer
The Content is not meant to be a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions about a medical condition, always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider.