What does isotonic exercise involve?

Isotonic exercise involves movement while contracting muscles. This type of exercise allows the muscles to change length while generating force, which leads to joint movement. In isotonic exercises, the tension in the muscles remains consistent throughout the motion, enabling the individual to perform activities such as lifting weights, doing push-ups, or squats.

The key characteristic of isotonic exercise is that it allows for a full range of motion, promoting strength, endurance, and flexibility. When muscles contract and shorten (concentric contraction) and also when they lengthen while remaining under tension (eccentric contraction), the benefits include increased muscle size and strength through dynamic movement.

Other types of exercise such as isometric involve static contraction of muscles without any movement, while constant muscle tension can be relevant in different contexts such as resistance training but does not define isotonic activity. Rapid energy expenditure without movement describes a different kind of physical activity that does not focus on muscle contraction while moving.