Isokinetic exercise is a type of strength training. It uses specialized exercise machines that produce a constant speed no matter how much effort you expend. These machines control the pace of an exercise by fluctuating resistance throughout your range of motion.
Your speed remains consistent despite how much force you exert. Exercise speed and range of motion can be adjusted to suit your needs. Isokinetic exercises are often used for rehabilitation and recovery since it’s a controlled form of exercise. Physical therapists and occupational therapists use isokinetic machines to help people recover from a stroke, an injury, or a medical procedure. Isokinetic machines can also be used to treat imbalances in the body that have the potential to cause injury. Being able to control the resistance and speed helps to prevent injury, increase muscle flexibility and control muscle development.
Isokinetic exercise is a form of strength training that can increase muscle tone, strength, and endurance. It can also help improve balance and coordination, and boost metabolism.
Strength training makes everyday activities easier to perform, and can increase your athletic performance. It can also have a positive effect on your cognitive function and quality of life.
Isokinetic exercise also has a beneficial impact on the core muscles that support the spine and stabilize the body.
A 2008 study found that isokinetic training effectively restored imbalances in knee muscle strength in professional soccer players. Older research from 1999 found evidence that isokinetic exercise may be effective in treating knee osteoarthritis in older adults. Participants in the study who did the exercises three times a week for eight weeks improved function, strength, and pain measures.
There’s also evidence from a 2016 study that isokinetic muscle strengthening increases the effects of aerobic exercises in people with obesity. As part of the study, isokinetic exercises were found to improve muscle strength, increase lean body mass, and reduce body fat. The participants who did the isokinetic training in addition to aerobic exercises showed greater improvements than those who did only aerobic training.