In physiotherapy, isometric exercises are increasingly used. In this method, the muscle builds up more tension without significantly changing its length. This increase in tension while the length of the muscle remains the same is also known as the static method.
An increase in tension with a simultaneous reduction in the length of the muscle is called concentric working. An eccentric mode of operation, on the other hand, consists of an increase in tension with a simultaneous increase in length. Isometric exercises are used by bedridden persons, persons who are acutely unable to move one or more joints, and sports-oriented persons. Many situations in everyday life require a certain holding power (isometric/static work) of the muscles to stabilize joints in the respective situations. Duration: Hold the isometric exercises for 15-20 seconds and repeat them 5-10 times.
Simple exercises to imitate
Exercises for the foot Exercises for the knee Exercises for the hip Exercises for the lumbar spine Exercises for the lumbar spine Exercises for the BWS Exercises for the cervical spine Exercises for the shoulderIsometric exercise ankle 1 You are sitting on a chair and your back is straight. Place something soft under your heels (e.g. a cushion). In the isometric exercise make sure that your knees are hip-wide apart and point outwards.
Now imagine three points under the heel that form an inverted triangle. One point is at the back of the heel, the second is at the front inside of the foot. The third point is on the front outside of the foot.
Try to press the points into the ground at the same time. No section of the heel may lift off the floor or give way during the isometric exercise. Also, all toes remain on the floor.
Do the exercise with one foot first and then switch to the other. Isometric exercise ankle 2 You sit on a chair with your back straight. Both knees remain hip-wide apart and are turned outwards.
The foot makes a line with the knee and both heels rest completely on the floor. Now try to stretch out all toes and then let go again. Again, the toes are not lifted off.
Isometric exercise ankle 3 You are sitting on a chair and your knees are hip-wide apart. In the isometric exercise your back remains straight and all heels are on the floor. Now try to press only your big and little toe into the floor.
The three middle toes remain loose. Isometric exercise ankle 4 You lie on your back and have a ball between your feet. Your legs are stretched out and you press the ball together with your feet.
Hold the pressure and then start to pull the outside of the foot towards the nose. Still you continue to give pressure on the ball. Keep the tension.
More strengthening exercises for the ankle joint can be found under Physiotherapy exercises ankle joint. Isometric exercise knee joint 1You lie on your back and both legs are stretched out. Now pull the tips of your toes towards your nose and keep them pulled close.
Now press your knees into the floor and tense your bottom. Hold this position and then let go again. Isometric exercise knee joint 2You are lying on your back with arms and legs stretched out.
Before you do this, you place a folded blanket under your legs and have your legs hip-wide apart. Now press both legs into the blanket, tensing your stomach, thighs and bottom. Hold this.
Isometric exercise knee joint 3You are standing and bring your legs together. Your ankles are touching. Now push your knees outwards as if you wanted to bring your knees apart.
However, your ankles are still touching. Make sure that your knees do not turn outwards. Isometric exercise knee joint 4You are sitting on a chair and have a ball between your knees.
Your back is straight and you press the ball together with your knees. In the isometric exercise, make sure that your ankles do not move outwards and that your knees are in line with the ball. Isometric exercise hip joint 1Do this isometric exercise standing up and keeping your back straight.
Stand with your legs slightly more than hip-wide apart and turn your knees slightly outwards. In this isometric exercise make sure that the knees remain in this position. Bend your knees slightly and hold them behind your toes.
They must not go beyond them. Now let your pelvis tilt forward and pull your navel towards the spine. Tense your thighs and buttocks additionally.
Hold the whole position. The back remains straight.Isometric exercise hip joint 2You stand with your back to the wall and lie down with your whole body. The heel legs also touch the wall.
Stand with your legs hip-wide and straighten your back. Now press one heel firmly against the wall. Tense your belly, thighs and bottom.
Hold the tension and then release it again. Change legs and repeat the exercise. Isometric exercise hip joint 3 Stand against the wall, side by side and hip-wide, and touch the wall with your whole body.
The arm facing the wall is bent behind the head. The ankle facing the wall touches the wall. Press your leg into the wall and hold the tension.
Also, bring your thigh, bottom and belly back to tension. Isometric exercise hip joint 4 You lie on your back and both arms and legs are stretched out. Between your legs you have a long cushion for padding and bring them together.
Now press the cushion together. Abdomen, thighs and bottom are tensed again. Hold the tension.
You can find more exercises under physiotherapy hip exercises. Isometric exercise lumbar spine 1Lying on your back, both legs are positioned hip-wide. Both arms are stretched out on the floor.
You pull your toes towards your nose and press your heel into the floor. The tips of your toes remain pointing upwards. Tilt your pelvis towards the ceiling and pull your pubic bone towards your navel.
Tense your bottom and bend your elbows slightly. Press them into the floor and unfold your fingers. Lift your head slightly and point your chin towards your chest.
Keep the isometric tension throughout the body without yielding. Isometric exercise lumbar spine 2Exercise this isometric exercise again lying on your back. Stand with your legs slightly apart from each other, waist-wide.
Tilt the pelvis forward and press the lumbar spine into the floor. There must be no more passage under your lumbar spine (hollow back). Tense the gluteal muscles one after the other and let them loose again.
Keep the lumbar spine constantly pressed to the floor and the abdomen remains tensed due to the tilting of the pelvis. Isometric exercise Lumbar spine 3 You are sitting on a chair and have a cushion under your buttocks. Place your legs hip-free away from each other and during the isometric exercise make sure that they are turned outwards and do not come closer together.
Your hands are resting below the iliac crest. Your pelvis is now tilted forward and for this you point your pubic bone towards your navel. Keep the pelvic position.
Your abdomen is now under tension and your shoulders are pulled back and your chest is stretched forward. You make the neck long. Make sure that your pelvis remains in the forward tilt position.
Hold this position. Isometric Exercise Lumbar spine 4 To increase the isometric exercise 3, you can also raise both arms. To do this, bring yourself into the same position.
Straighten your back, let your pelvis tilt forward and tense your abdomen. The legs do not come any closer during the exercise and are turned outwards. When you feel stable in the initial position of your body, stretch your arms forward and keep them at the height of your shoulders.
Make sure that your back remains straight and that your neck is extended. Further exercises for the lumbar spine and abdominal tension can be found under Exercises against Hollow Back, Lumbar Spine Syndrome Exercises and Physiotherapy for Spondylolysis. Isometric exercise BWS 1 This isometric exercise is performed lying on your back.
Turn your arms outwards and place them on the floor with the back of your hand. Bend both legs and your face is facing the ceiling. Pull your neck long and press your shoulders into the floor.
If you make the neck long, your chin will not come to your chest. Meanwhile, extend your chest to the ceiling and press the back of your hands into the floor. Try to keep the tension in the shoulder-neck area and in the arms.
Isometric Exercise BWS 2 Again, lie on your back with your arms stretched out close to your body. Make your neck long again. Place your shoulders on the floor and your chest on the ceiling.
Now push both arms towards your feet. Make your neck long again. Do not pull her chin towards her chest, but hold the back of her head firmly on the pad.
Isometric exercise BWS 3 You are sitting on a chair and have made your neck long again. Your shoulders are facing backwards and your chest is turned forward. Place your palms on your thighs and make sure that you maintain your shoulder-neck posture in the isometric exercise.Now press your palms into your thighs and hold the pressure.
Isometric exercise BWS 4 We assume the same posture from number 3 and straighten our neck straight up. Shoulders and chest are adjusted. When your back is straight, put both palms together.
The fingers are pointing forward. The hands are just above the navel. Press the palms evenly together, leaving the neck long and the shoulders pulled back.
Additionally, press the shoulder blades down towards the floor. Hold the position. For stretching and straightening the BWS you will find more exercises under Physiotherapy Bekhterev’s disease.
Isometric exercise Cervical spine 1 You lie on the floor and place one hand under your head. Make your neck long and press the back of your head into the palm of your hand. Make sure that the back of your head is only pulled along your hand and does not roll off.
Your chin should not be directed towards your chest. Keep the pressure of the head in the palm of your hand. Isometric exercise Cervical spine 2 You lie on your back again and place both hands on your cheeks.
Stretch out your neck and press your palms against your head one after the other. First press with one hand against her cheek and then with the other. Make sure that in this isometric exercise the neck is still stretched and the head does not turn.
The head should not move, but only counteract the pressure of the hands without moving. Isometric exercise Cervical spine 3 You sit on a chair and clench one hand to your fist. Put the other hand on your fist and place both under your chin.
Again, assume your shoulder-neck posture and extend the neck. Shoulders remain behind and chest in front. Press with your hands against her chin.
Her chin points forward and does not roll down to her chest. Keep your posture upright. Isometric exercise Cervical spine 4 You let your arms hang down loosely and sit on a chair.
You return to your original position in the shoulder-neck area. The neck goes lengthwise and the shoulders go back. The chest goes forward.
Their chin remains directed forward and does not roll down to the chest. Now pull your arms down to the floor. Isometric exercise shoulder 1 You stand with your complete back and arms against the wall.
Your thumbs point to the front. Press your wrists into the wall and do not let your shoulders slide forward. Keep the tension.
Isometric Exercise Shoulder 2 You stand with your back to the side of the wall and your arm facing the wall, angled 90 degrees at the elbow. The forearm also rests against the wall. The thumb points to the ceiling.
Now press the back of your hand into the wall. The upper arm is fixed with your upper body. This prevents it from swerving during the isometric exercise.
Isometric exercise shoulder 3 You sit on a chair and let your arms hang down loosely. The shoulders are pointing backwards and the chest is pointing forward. The thumbs are turned forward.
Move your palms to the outside of your thighs, the elbows may be slightly bent. Press both hands against your thighs. In the tension the shoulders must not go up, but are moved down.
Isometric exercise shoulder 4 You are sitting on a chair. The elbows are on the upper body and are angled at 90 degrees. The hands are clenched into fists and the shoulders are pulled back.
The chest is stretched forward. Now turn your fists outwards so that your fingers are facing the ceiling. Walk with the outside turn as far as it will go and keep the tension. Keep your position in the shoulder-neck area and the angle of the elbow does not change.
