Isometrics

Isometrics, which consists of contracting a muscle without changing its length, is a good stretching technique, but it does not involve full range of motion of the muscle. It is not the only kind of stretching exercise you should do. It is helpful to do these static muscle stretching exercises in conjunction with a more inclusive exercise routine. An advantage with doing isometrics is that you do not need any fancy equipment to do these exercises and you can do them almost any place. Two good examples of this is to try to lift a window that is stuck or to push hard against a wall.

Isometrics is also good in that you can isolate the muscle on which you want to work, for example, muscles in your low back. That way you don't have to think about the other muscles in your body at the time you are exercising. Another advantage is that you only hold the contraction for a very short time (about 15 seconds) and then repeat it a few more times. You should not exercise the same muscles everyday because they need to rest about 36 hours between exercises.

Young children and adolescents should not do isometrics as their bones are not fully grown yet and would be detrimental to them. Ligaments and tendons could also be damaged. You can find some good resources on the Internet or in exercise books at your local book store to help you get started on the proper way to do isometric stretches.