Simply put, an isometric exercise is a contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. The muscle is contracted in a fixed joint position, or against an immovable object – think planks or wall sits.
1. Lowers Blood Pressure
“Isometric resistance training lowers Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, and mean arterial pressure. Our data suggest that this form of training has the potential to produce significant and clinically meaningful blood pressure reductions and could serve as an adjunctive exercise modality.” – The Journal of the American Heart Association
2. Aids in Weight Loss
Isometric exercise benefits include reducing both body fat and weight. In a test group, some subjects lost as much as 22 pounds over a 4-week period. – Journal of Applied Research
3. Saves You Time
“Using isometric exercise for 6 minutes would be the equivalent muscle work of 30 to 35 minutes on a commercial weight lifting equipment.” – Journal of Applied Research
4. Reduce Overall Pain
“Older adults experience significant reduction in pain subsequent to several different intensities and durations of isometric contractions.” – Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
5. Reduce Back Pain
“Isometric stabilization exercises reduce pain and enhance vitality as dimensions of Health Related Quality of Life among women with chronic low back pain with such effects lasting for at least nine months” – Journal of Physical Activity and Health
6. Improve Range of Motion
Regular isometric exercises have been shown to significantly improve range of motion.
— Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research
7. Quit Bad Habits (Smoking)
Brief isometric exercise provides immediate relief in the desire to smoke.
— Human Psychopharmacology Journal
8. Get Stronger and Bigger Muscles
Isometric exercise is associated with an increase in muscle bulk, upper and lower body strength, increase in bone density, and a decrease in bone fractures.” – The Journal of Clinical Hypertension
“Isometric exercises not only prevent reduction of bone density, but may also increase the mineral density of the injured bone.” – Journal of the Facility of Medicine
9. Benefits Over Aerobic Exercise
“Stretching and aerobic exercising alone have proven to be a less effective form of training than isometric strength training.” -Journal American Medical Association (JAMA)
10. Concussion Avoidance
“A retrospective analysis of professional rugby union players revealed that isometric training reduced match-related cervical spine injuries and a prospective study found that greater overall isometric neck strength reduced concussion risk in high school athletes.” Sports Med (2016)
11. Pre and Post Operative Rehab
“Isometric exercise is a fundamental component of both nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation of shoulder instability” – Current Orthopaedic Practice
