Isometric exercise is nothing new, and you may already be familiar with several effective isometric techniques. I’ve recently become more interested in isometric training, as I have found it helpful for my battles with a lung tumor and bronchiectasis.

So what is isometric training? Have you ever seen a body builder flexing at competition? That’s isometric. Bruce Lee holding a pose, breathing out, and using a martial arts yell? Also isometric. Based upon my own experiences and what I’ve been able to research, I think it’s worth another look at the possibilities for isometric strength training.

Recently, I decided I needed to work my lungs more. I have an “incentive” spirometer from my hospital stay last year for an emergency appendectomy. I have found just using the spirometer helpful, but I wanted to add a bit more to it. So, I began “flexing” my diaphragm when my belly was full of air, holding my breath and pushing my diaphragm downward. I saw some immediate improvement in the relaxation and elasticity of my diaphragm. I use what I call “54BB,” or 54 belly breathing (5 count breathing in until your belly is full, then 4 counts breathing out, thinking “relaxed and smooth”), between reps and even during my workouts, so I added a “flex” to my diaphragm to that belly breathing technique. It seems counterintuitive, but it helps me to relax. I tell myself, “In order to relax, flex.”

I have encountered an isometric exercise in my training as a teacher called “Body Squeeze,” where you squeeze your entire body isometrically in order to energize, focus, and relax. This is a technique worth using in the classroom, I have found, especially when the group needs a little energy or focus.

I have found focused flexing of specific parts of my body also helps me to find tension, to gain awareness of injuries, and even to gain strength. Just focusing on a particular muscle group as you do an exercise can help you to increase strength in that muscle group. For a more detailed discussion of the history and benefits of isometric exercise, check out this great article by Andrew Read: https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/isometric-training-what-it-is-and-how-to-do-it-correctly

If you have plateaued and are looking for new methods to gain strength, or if you are looking for another way to develop awareness of your body and deal with stress, give isometric training a try–it may be to your advantage.

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