Resisted Exercises is an integral component of conditioning program for those who wish to promote or maintain health and physical well-being, enhance performance of motor skills, reduces the risk of injury and disease. Resisted exercise referred as resistance training , Resisted exercise is an activity in which dynamic or static muscle contraction is resisted by an outside force applied manually or mechanically.
Image/google
Muscles performance is the capacity of a muscle to do work. Muscle performance is a complex component of functional movement and is influenced by all the body system. Factors that affect muscle performance include the muscle morphology and physiology ; neurological, biochemical and biomechanical influences; and metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, cognitive and emotional function.
Once a resistance exercise is developed and prescribed , the therapist should either implement the program directly teach or supervise the exercise before prescribing home based exercise or independent exercise to the patient. The three main elements of muscle performance are Strength, power and endurance they are all can be enhanced by resistance exercise and it will meet an individual’s need and goals.
Table of Contents
Muscle strength:-
- Muscle strength is refers to the extent that the contractile element of muscle produce force . The contractile tissue generate enough force to meet the physical and functional demands placed on the biological system. The muscle strength is the greatest measurable force that is exerted by a muscle or group of muscle to overcome resistance during single maximum effort. Insufficient muscular strength can contribute to loss of even the most basic function and activity of daily living.
- Strength Training is referred to as strengthening exercise, it is the systemic training of using muscle force to raise, lower, or control heavy external load for a relatively low number of repetition or over a short period of time. It increase the maximum force producing the capacity of muscle primarily the result of neural adaptation and increase the size of muscle fiber.
- There are methods of muscle grading :-
- 0- No contraction
- 1- Flicker of contraction
- 2- Full range of movement in elimination of gravity position
- 3 -Full range of movement in against gravity position
- 4- Full range of movement in against gravity position with minimal resistance
- 5-Normal.
Muscle Power:-
- Muscle Power is refer to the strength and speed of movement and is defined as the work ( Force x Displacement) produced by a muscle per unit of time (Force x Displacement/Time). The rate of a muscle produces a force and a relationship between the force and velocity are factors that affect muscle power.
- Muscle Power Training- Muscle strength is necessary for developing muscle power . The Power can be gained by either increasing the work of muscle perform (Force x Distance) . The greater the intensity of the exercise and the shorter the time period taken to generate force, the greater is the muscle power.
Muscle Endurance-
- Muscle Endurance is the ability to perform repetitive activities over a prolonged period of time. It is associated with dynamic motor activities such as walking, swimming, cycling or upper extremities ergometry. It involves the uses of the large muscle of the body. It is the ability of a muscle to contract repeatedly against and external load, generate tension and resist fatigue over an external period of time.
- The term aerobic power can be used with muscle endurance. Maintaining balance and proper alignment of body requires endurance of the postural muscle.
- Muscle Endurance Training- Endurance Training also known as the Endurance Exercise, it is the systemic practice of using muscle force to raise, lower or control a light external load for many repetition over an extended period of time.
Principle of Resisted Exercise-
The principle of resisted exercise include overload, specificity, Progression, reversibility, individuality and full range ,inner range etc.
Overload Principle- This principle helps in improving muscle performance with the use of resistance exercise. To improve the performance of a muscle the load which is said to be resistance helps to increase the metabolic capacity of a muscle.
Types of Resistance Exercise
- Manual Resistance Exercise
- Mechanical Resistance Exercise
Manual Resistance Exercise- This exercise is type of active resistive exercise in which external resistance is provided by a physical therapist . A patient is said to apply self manual resistance to certain muscle group. This technique is is useful in early stages of an exercise program when that specific muscle is need to be strengthen which is is weak and can overcome minimal or moderate resistance.
Mechanical Resistance Exercise- This exercise is a type of active resistive exercise in which external resistance is provided with the help of mechanical device or equipment. Mechanical resistance is given when the therapist unable to give proper amount of resistance to a muscle need.
Isometric Exercise
Isometric Exercise is a static form of exercise in which a muscle contracts and produces force without any change in the length of a muscle and motion in the joint. An Isometric exercise include body weight, an immovable object, a manually applied force, or a weight maintained in a static joint position.
Repetitive isometric Exercise such as a set of 20 repetitions a day and hold for 6 seconds each against maximal resistance. It has been shown very effective method to improve or overcome isometric strength. The physiological effects of the muscle shows that if we hold on to any position at a high level of resistance for a short period of time and low level of resistance for a longer period of time. In this muscle performance shows muscular endurance than muscle strength.
A cross-exercise increase in the strength of the contra-lateral, unexercised muscle group, as the result of transfer of training, also has been observed with maximum isometric training.
Characteristics and Effects of Isometric Training
The total tension that can be generated during an isometric muscle contraction depends in part on joint position and the subsequent length of the muscle at the time of contraction. The greatest amount of isometric force will be generated at the joint angle at which there is maximum actin and myosin protein overlap and the potential for cross-bridge formation.
Isometric force potential decreases as the joint angle moves progressively away from this optimal angle. An exercise intensity of at least 60% of a muscle’s maximum voluntary contraction is sufficient to improve strength. The amount of external resistance against which the muscle is able to resist varies by joint angle and needs to be adjusted at different points in the range. As strength increases from isometric exercise, the external resistance must be progressively increased to continue to overload the muscle.
Types of Isometric Exercises
Forms of isometric exercise can be used to serve different therapeutic purposes during successive phases of rehabilitation.
- Muscle-setting exercises- These type of exercises involves low-intensity isometric contractions performed against little to no resistance. They are helps to lower muscle pain and spasm and to promote relaxation and circulation during the acute stage of healing after soft tissue injury. It can slow muscle atrophy and maintain mobility between muscle fibers when a joint is immobilized to protect injured or healing tissues.
- Multiple angle isometrics- In this type of exercise, resistance is applied to multiple parts of the joint position within range of motion of the joint. This helps when the therapist goal is to strengthen the muscle throughout to the range of motion when it is permissible.
- Stabilization exercises- This is a type of isometric exercise is used to develop a submaximal but sustained level of contraction to improve postural stability or dynamic joint stability. Stabilization exercises typically consist of isometric contractions against resistance in antigravity or weight-bearing positions if weight-bearing is permissible. External resistance is usually provided by body weight or applied manually.
To learn more about resistance exercise click the given link-https://study.com/academy/lesson/video/progressive-resistance-exercise-definition-types.html
To learn and understand more about Shortwave Diathermy click the given link- https://physiocontent.com/shortwave-diathermy-swd/
To learn and understand more about Relaxation Technique click the given link https://physiocontent.com/muscle-relaxation-techniques-and-benefits-of-relaxed-muscles/