Isotonic exercise is a type of exercise that involves placing a constant amount of weight or tension on your muscles while moving your joints through a full range of motion. The word "isotonic" comes from the Greek "iso-", meaning equal, and "tonos", meaning tone, which refers to maintaining equal muscle tone while shortening in isotonic exercise. Isotonic exercise is recognized by rhythmic muscular contractions with changes in muscle length, using a relatively small force. Examples of isotonic exercises include squats, push-ups, pull-ups, bicep curls, and other resistance training exercises. Even everyday activities like house cleaning, lawn mowing, and gardening can provide isotonic exercise.
Isotonic exercise is different from isometric exercise, which involves engaging muscles without moving your joints and without lengthening or shortening the muscle. Isokinetic exercise is another type of exercise that is not the same as isotonic exercise, as it refers to using exercising at the same speed throughout each movement.
In summary, isotonic exercise is a type of exercise that involves placing a constant amount of weight or tension on your muscles while moving your joints through a full range of motion. It is an effective way to increase muscle mass and strength, burn calories, and improve important health numbers such as cholesterol and blood sugar levels.