Looking to protect both your health and physique despite a hectic schedule? Just 10 minutes of daily isometric core exercises can help strengthen your core muscles and even lower blood pressure.
What Is Isometric Exercise?
Isometric core exercise means training your core muscles without moving your body.
The benefits extend beyond core strength. Isometric exercise stimulates the endothelial cells in blood vessels to release nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, relaxes smooth muscle, and ultimately lowers blood pressure.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Hypertension found that isometric exercise can produce sustained blood pressure-lowering effects.
During isometric exercise, additional mechanisms—such as baroreceptor reflexes, adrenaline release, and endothelial regulation—also come into play, all of which are closely linked to blood pressure control.
Traditionally, increasing nitric oxide levels has relied on aerobic exercise. However, aerobic activities can be challenging for older adults, people with obesity, or those with limited mobility. For these groups, isometric exercise offers a safer, more accessible, and effective alternative.
10 Recommended Isometric Core Exercises
I recommend these 10 isometric core exercises that are most worth learning. When performing isometric training, please keep the following points in mind:
- Maintain core stability throughout the entire movement and breathe evenly. Avoid holding your breath.
- People with high blood pressure are advised to keep their head slightly raised and aligned with their neck, avoiding positions where the head is lower than the heart.
1. High Plank
Step 1: Start from a tabletop position (on all fours), with your hands placed directly under your shoulders.
Step 2: Extend both legs straight back, toes on the ground, and lift your body. Engage your core to keep your back flat, and lightly tighten your glutes. Avoid arching your lower back or piking your hips; hold for 20 seconds as one set.
2. Bear Plank
Step 1: Start from a tabletop position (on all fours), with your hands placed directly under your shoulders.
Step 2: Press your toes into the ground and lift your knees slightly off the floor. Engage your core to keep your back flat, and lightly tighten your glutes. Avoid arching your lower back or piking your hips; hold for 20 seconds as one set.
3. Plank
Step 1: Lie face down, with your elbows positioned directly under your shoulders at about a 90-degree angle. Extend your legs straight and place your toes on the floor.
Step 2: Engage your core and lift your body, focusing on using your abdominal muscles rather than your lower back. Keep the pelvis neutral, glutes slightly engaged, and back flat. Avoid arching the lower back or piking the hips; hold for 20 seconds as one set.
4. Side Plank–Right
Step 1: Lie on your right side, with your right elbow directly under your right shoulder and your forearm flat on the floor. Keep both legs straight and stacked together.
Step 2: Engage your core and lift your hips so that your head, spine, hips, and ankles form a straight line. Avoid letting your lower back sag or your hips pike upward. Your left hand can rest on your hip or be extended straight upward. Keep your gaze forward and hold for 20 seconds as one set.
5. Side Plank–Left
Step 1: Lie on your left side, with your left elbow directly under your left shoulder and your forearm flat on the floor. Keep both legs straight and stacked together.
Step 2: Engage your core and lift your hips so that your head, spine, hips, and ankles form a straight line. Avoid letting your lower back sag or your hips pike upward. Your right hand can rest on your hip or be extended straight upward. Keep your gaze forward and hold for 20 seconds as one set.
6. Superman
Step 1: Lie face down with your legs straight and arms resting by your sides. Keep your head relaxed and your spine in a neutral position.
Step 2: Engage your core to stabilize your spine, then lift both your legs and arms off the ground simultaneously. Hold for 20 seconds as one set.
7. Superman Leg Hold
Step 1: Lie face down with your legs straight and place your arms under your forehead. Keep your head relaxed and your spine neutral.
Step 2: Engage your core to stabilize your spine, then lift both legs off the ground. Hold for 20 seconds as one set.
8. V Crunch
Step 1: Lie on your back and raise both legs straight up to a 90-degree angle.
Step 2: Engage your core to stabilize your spine. Lower your legs from 90 degrees to 45 degrees while simultaneously lifting your head and neck using your core. Your arms can reach upward or toward your legs. Hold for 20 seconds as one set.
9. Leg Raise Hold
Step 1: Lie on your back with both legs straight and raised to 90 degrees.
Step 2: Engage your core to stabilize your spine, then slowly lower your legs from 90 degrees to 45 degrees and hold. Maintain for 20 seconds as one set.
10. Squat
Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider), with toes slightly turned outward. Your arms can hang naturally, extend forward, or be crossed over your chest. Keep your chest up, core engaged, and back straight.
Step 2: Engage your core and push your hips back as if sitting into a chair—knees should not pass your toes. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then hold for 20 seconds as one set. Keep your knees aligned with your toes at all times—do not let them cave inward.
To prevent falling, you can practice against a wall. Start by standing with your back flat against the wall, then slowly slide your body downward while stepping your feet forward. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground and hold this position for 20 seconds per set.