What Is Isometric Exercises?

[artluvr09]

Many years ago my cardiologist told me I should not do isometric exercises and weight lifting that they make my heart work too hard and actually damage it. I never really knew what they were but I never had to worry about them because all my life I never really exercised. Then I left my boarding school august 23rd 2013 and after 2 weeks of not being busy I was feeling depressed. I was over weight 146 pounds and I am 4 foot 10. I started exercising. I felt better after exercising and I started losing weight too. I started working out by playing the biggest loser workout on the wii which I would do planks and yoga and stuff like that For a few months. Then I started doing the drop 10 workout which was 100 sit ups, 90 jumping jacks, 80 lunges, 70 squats, 60 seconds running in place, 50 second plank, 40 more jumping jacks, 30 more squats, 20 high knees and 10 push ups. I had enough energy to do them. Then this june 2014 I had a cardiology appointment and my cardiologist doesn't talk to me long his assistant usually does. and the assistant said I shouldn't do anything that makes me grunt or strain. But my actual cardiologist is not being clear on what I cant do. It seems like when I do the planks and different things I get more palpitations. Then In June after the assistant said I shouldn't be doing those I stopped and started some tae bo which I am allowed to do aerobics.

I did my own test with the plank. I wanted to see what happens. So I took my blood pressure before the plank and it was in the 90s/60s. I went in the plank position from 30 to 50 seconds then I took my blood pressure while still in the plank position and my blood pressure shot up to 145/102! That's insane! So now after working out and dieting I am finally down to 110 pounds! I want to be 105 pounds but I don't know what toning exercises I can do that are not isometric for the abs. Denise Austin is one of the videos I use to workout. Hers aren't too hard.

My question is what is isometric exercises exactly? What are some toning exercises that are not isometric? I don't have energy to do tae bo anymore though.

[dkd]

Isometrics are holding a position, like a plank or a wall sit (there are many others), for an amount of time. I used to do a lot of isometrics before I got my dysautonomia diagnosis. The important thing is to breathe (not hold your breath and strain) when you are doing anything isometric. Since you've tested it, maybe you should just avoid them all together.

I now use light hand weights and resistance bands to do just basic exercises (dumb bell curls, triceps kickbacks, shoulder raises). Just be sure to not hold your breath. Also squats and calf raises seem ok for me.

I used to follow videos too and I don't seem to have the energy anymore either. I never could do Taebo though-lol!!--even when I was in good shape!

[flip24]

There are three categories of muscle contractions: concentric, eccentric, and isometric. Of those, isometric literally means "same length" or "no movement" meaning that there is no overall change in muscle length. Like what was said above, most examples of this are holding any position. Most movements that involve motion would be either concentric or eccentric (i.e. not isometric). For example, sit ups, crunches, leg raises, russian twists, bicep curls, squats, etc. Think "is the muscle moving?" if it is not then it is isometric. Hope that made sense to you.