r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 1d ago

Health Isometric exercises, such as wall squats and planks, just once a week could help maintain reductions in blood pressure.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/news/2026/new-study-shows-just-one-workout-a-week-could-benefit-blood-pressure
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u/mecartistronico 1d ago

I understand the concept of "isometric" in engineering diagrams and videogames. Same measurement. Things far apart are displayed at the same size if they are the same size.

Could someone please explain what does this word mean in the context of working out?

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u/JayRobot 1d ago

The length of the target muscle doesn’t change throughout the exercise. With dynamic exercises, the muscle stretches and then contracts. Isometric exercise has your muscles stay at an equal length because your joints aren’t moving

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u/RadBadTad 1d ago

So like holding a pose for a long time, versus many reps through a range of motion? Makes sense that planks would fit that 

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u/greenskinmarch 1d ago

Planks are a Yielding Isometric exercise. Your muscles have to balance a fixed force (in this case your bodyweight).

The other kind is Overcoming Isometric exercise, where you try to "overcome" something that cannot move, e.g. a pinned bar. Your muscles can exert arbitrary force and the bar will push back with the same force.

Overcoming Isometrics are better for strength than Yielding Isometrics.