Isometric Exercises For Connecting Your Core

http://goodhealthfront.blogspot.com/Traditional aerobic and anaerobic exercises will keep you fitter, stronger and healthier.

It builds muscle, keep joint and bone supple and strong.

The same thing can be said of sporting activities and games like football, tennis, badminton, running and swimming.

Core Of The Body

In all these physical exercises, one thing saliently left out is the core of the body. Do you know the core of your body? Your core is the major and minor internal muscles that are hidden deep in the external musculature or the external body that is devoid of any clothing.

You can easily see or felt the biceps and triceps, since these are part of the external musculature, but you cannot see the pelvic floor. 

They are more than 15 of these muscles including the diaphragm, the pelvic floor and the transverse abdominal muscles. Many of us have learnt a thing or two about these three muscles in our biology or health science class. These three form part of the major core. The lower back and the hip form part of the minor core. Generally, the core supports the anatomic and posture of the body. Without it, I think you are a picked vegetable.

In an exercise such as isometrics, all the major and minor internal muscle is committed together, in a functional manner to form the core of the body. Let’s say you bent to lose your shoe and carry it up to be put on the clothing cupboard. Every one of these 15 muscles is involved in the movement and not a single isolation. Your core is a complex mechanism.

Isometric Exercises

They is an exercise that you can do anywhere at any time of the day or night. This exercise is that which connects your core.

It is called isometrics exercise.

The prefix “iso” means equal or same. Metrics comes from “metro” which means distance or length. Hence, isometric is equal length or distance.

The heart of all isometric exercises is strength building or strength training. Your muscle is conditioned to build strength. 

You do not have to lift any heavy weight to build strength though that may help. Barbells and dumbbells are not even necessary but are vital tools for building powerful muscles and strength.

But isometric exercises, simply tricks you to tense or challenge the muscles of the various parts of your body to a certain extent until their revolt or felt a little useful pain!

Isometrics help you take a break from weight lifting, barbells and dumbbells and all the crunches necessary for building strong muscles and strength or that body builders uses.

It would not cost you a penny to do isometrics. The basic tool you have to use is any resistance or immoveable object and is 100% free.

What then is this tool? It is any hard and immovable surface like the floor, wall or ground.

You do not need rocket science class in doing isometrics or if you need one, it is for you to know how to tense the muscles of the leg, arm, hip, shoulder and so on hard against a hard surface. Is it had to place the palms of your two hands in a prayer posture and press them together for 10 seconds while breathing in and out? It can be the floor or ground, or wall of your office, or a tree in your garden anywhere. 

Isometric exercises can be done anywhere and you can get good results when done properly. 

You can see results in two weeks time.

Better and excellent results can be got when you do isometrics weekly and regularly.

I usually incorporate all my isometric exercises into my aerobic exercises. After doing all the basic supple or limbering (stretching) workouts, I execute some more as the jumping jack, the frog jump, press up and down; thereafter, I go jogging leisurely for 30 minutes.

At the end, I cool off with few of these basic aerobic exercises; this ensure that my muscle, bone, nerve and ligament are stay supple without any pain at the end of the day, and catapult into isometrics for only 5 to 10 minutes.

Each isometric exercise will take me just a minute. 5 or 8 exercises will take 5 or 8 minutes. 

As a beginner, do only 5 isometric exercises and build it up later to 10 or more.

Here are some health benefits you get by doing isometric exercises regularly every week.

·        You are customized or conditioned to strength training

·        Your muscles develops and become strong

·        You gain muscular strength

·        You become fit for anything any time

·        Your core is connecting to all bodily muscles and nerves including the bone and ligament

·        You gain stronger bones

·        It is an exercise that promote good health front, and can significantly reduce your blood pressure

·        Doing isometric exercises regularly or weekly keeps you fitter into old age

·        Your muscles become useful and very well coordinated

·        You gain balance in avoiding a fall (even in old age)

·        Your muscles can be easily rehabilitated any time.

With all these said, we can get started with only 10 to 15 seconds. In other words, each isometric exercise will take us just a minimum of 10 seconds or a maximum of 15 seconds after resting for between 20 to 30 seconds. Then you repeat the same set for 2 or 3 more time.

Some physical exercise nuts usual make a set for between 3 to 5 minutes. That is good in its self. I would not be surprised if someone will do a set for 10 minutes upfront. That would be superb!

The more you tense your muscles, the more they become accustomed to static strength training, and the more they develop powerfully. 

Static Strength Training

In isometric exercises, muscular actions do not change the length of the muscles nor is there any movement at the joint of the muscle. The length of the muscle whether shorten or elongated remain the same size. As there is no any sign of movement at the muscle or joint, the action is static compare to dynamic in aerobic or anaerobic exercises. For this reason, isometric exercises are sometimes called static strength training.

Breathing And Isometric Exercise

In some exercises, one is required to hold the breath for a few seconds as in anaerobic exercises.

Isometrics required that you breathe continuously. Holding your breath even for 5 seconds can cause your blood pressure to rise when it comes to the resting stage.

You should never do this. 

Always breathe in and out when doing a set. Say you are doing 3 sets or repetitions of wall sitting 10 seconds each, you should breathe in and out throughout the duration of the 10 seconds.

If you suffer from cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, holding the breath speaks danger. So, you should breathe in and out as long as the action is on. 

In normal contexts, all exercises carry over to 30 minutes raise the blood pressure. Whether you suffer from high blood pressure or not, your blood pressure will be raised. At the end of this story, I will tell you a yoga asana posture that will help bring your blood pressure to the normal level.

Timing Your Sets And Repetitions

Base on the result of classical research, the longer the duration of a set, the fewer the repetition of the set or that specific action. For example, a press up (high plank) is timed for 15 seconds. It can be repeated for 3 times. If it were timed for 1 minute, the repetition would be none or just one repetition.

But if the press up is hold for 2 minutes, no repetition is necessary.  If your set is low timed for 10 seconds, it can be repeated 3 or 4 times for the same 10 seconds. It is this that delivered good health benefits. 

First things First

As in all exercises, do some warming up before attempting any isometric exercises. Your joint, muscle and ligament need to be thoroughly lubricate and supple before you get started.

Failure to do so is asking for some trouble that will send you to the rehabilitation station. Injuries result to joint and muscle and at times the inside of the body speak ill-health that is not warrant for a proper isometric exercise.

Remember all exercises are geared toward health and wellness. Starting to warm up by stretching is an exercise in its own right. This should be done right, that is the warming up or stretching action because it can even result into injury, if it is wrongly done before the exercise proper.

Again, like all good things or as in all exercises, isometrics should be done two or three times in the week.

Limits Of Isometric Exercising

Isometric exercises aim at creating higher tension in the muscle, bone and endocrine system. Hence you are limited in doing isometric exercise if your muscle or bone is injured. 

Rehabilitating the injured muscle or joint is the first thing to do.

If you have a medical condition like high blood pressure or any heart related disease, you are limited to doing the exercise unless you are encourage by your doctor. 

But the good thing about all this is that like all exercises, isometrics can help lower your blood pressure if it is done at a lower degree.

Here are five exercises to begin with.

1.     The High Plank (also called Plank Bridge)

Lie face down on the floor or ground on which you spread a board in case of the ground. Your elbows and forearms should be placed under your chest.

Raise yourself to form a bride by using your toes and forearm like as in doing the press up. Hold this for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds. Remember the high plank is similar to the press up, but you do not lower yourself here. The core and back muscles are worked here.

2.     The low plank

Take the same starting point as above. When raising yourself, make it low as in the aerobic press down position but forming a low bridge. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds. This will work the abs.

3.     The side Bridge

Lying on your right side, you press up fully with your right arm to form a bridge. Place your left arm on your waist and hold this for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times and rest for 30 seconds.

Next, turn on your left side and do the same by pressing up with your left arm to form the bridge. This exercise is number 4 here.

4.     The Wall Squat

Stand straight with your back to the wall of your office or living room. Lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the floor and try to squeeze your feet together. This helps the inner thigh muscles to be tense more.

The five exercises will take you between 3 to 5 minutes in all excluding the resting stage.

Yes, here is an exercise that connecting your core.

The wall push, another isometric exercise can take you only a minimum of a minute and your core is properly connected while working your shoulder. 

So if you lack time in doing some leisurely or moderate exercises, you can tune on isometrics any time day or night.

In all these exercises, remember to breathe in and out. If you felt sharp pains at the first count, stop at once and do another.

As in all exercise, it takes time for results to be felt. Regular practice your exercise weekly. Your core will be connecting wellness.

Later, you may be attempting more than this five exercises. And, it can be up to ten or more as you progress. It is certain that your blood pressure will be spike here. Why? Isometrics exert more pressure on the muscles, bones and the endocrine system.

There is an exercise in the yogis system that helps bring the blood pressure to normal level. This is the dead man’s posture. In Sanskrit, it is called yoga Shavasana. It tells you to lie flat on your back with face facing the ceiling or the sky with both hands parallel to the body, fist unclench while you take a breath in and out to relax for a few minutes. The outstretch feet should be 1 feet apart and the hands at 20 degree.

To your good health!

High Plank Isometrics

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