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Eccentric exercise: A way to get stronger and improve heart health

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Eccentric exercise: A way to get stronger and improve heart health

Eccentric exercise may help to improve your strength, and boost heart health. Here are a few examples that should be part of your fitness training.

Weight loss isn’t the only reason why many of us exercise. For many people, the aim may be to build strength, and simply be healthy. There are many techniques that can help you meet your fitness goals. One example of this is eccentric exercise. This involves gradually lowering weight while maintaining control. It is a popular technique in the fitness world, as it can help to improve physical strength, and lead to muscle growth. It may also enhance flexibility, and improve your heart health. If you are a fitness enthusiast then you are probably already doing this exercise. However, it is not limited to gym enthusiasts, as people of all fitness levels can try it.

What is eccentric exercise?

Eccentric exercise is a strength training technique that is often used while working out. It focuses on active lengthening of muscles under tension, according to research published in Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance in 2019. It happens when you lower a weight or control a movement against resistance, such as during the downward phase of a squat or push-up.

Know what is an eccentric exercise. Image courtesy: Freepik

“This type of exercise focuses on slowing down the negative or lowering phase of a movement, which builds strength and control,” explains fitness expert Abhi Singh Thakur.

What are the benefits of eccentric exercise?

Before learning how to include it in your fitness routine, know the benefits of eccentric exercise:

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  • Increased muscle strength: Eccentric exercise is great for improving strength. It can improve muscle strength and power in healthy people, according to research published in Sports Medicine in 2013. It creates tension in the muscles that leads to strength gains.
  • Improved coordination: “Controlling the lengthening phase improves stability and coordination,” says the expert. This is especially important in sports or daily activities where you need to control your body under different conditions.
  • Enhanced flexibility: Since the muscles stretch while under load, eccentric exercise can increase flexibility and reduce stiffness over time. For example, lowering into a deep squat can improve hip and hamstring mobility.
  • Injury prevention: By strengthening muscles and tendons through their full range of motion, eccentric training helps to protect joints and connective tissues from injuries, especially during high-impact movements.
  • Better muscle growth (Hypertrophy): During the eccentric phase, your muscles work harder to resist the weight or control movement. “This generates high levels of mechanical stress, leading to microscopic tears in the muscle fibers,” shares the expert. When muscle fibers experience these microscopic tears, your body triggers a healing response where muscle stem cells activate. These cells repair and rebuild the damaged fibers, making them thicker and stronger.
  • May be good for the heart: Eccentric exercise may help to keep your heart strong. A 2023 study, published in the Journal Of Sports Science & Medicine, showed that eccentric exercise improved health-related risk factors such as lipid profiles and reduced heart rate, and blood pressure.

6 best eccentric exercises

Here are some of the best eccentric exercises to do regularly.

1. Eccentric squats

  • To do eccentric squats, start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Slowly lower your hips back and down for 4 to 6 seconds, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
  • Pause at the bottom, then rise back up normally.

2. Eccentric push-ups

  • Begin in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
  • Lower your chest to the floor slowly (4 to 6 seconds), keeping your core tight.
  • Push back up quickly to the starting position.

3. Eccentric pull-ups

  • Start at the top of the bar with your chin above it (use a box if needed).
  • Slowly lower yourself down over 4–6 seconds until arms are fully extended.
  • Reset and repeat the steps.

4. Eccentric deadlifts

  • To do eccentric deadlifts, start by standing with the barbell or dumbbells at thigh level.
  • Lower the weights slowly while keeping your back straight and core engaged.
  • Stop when the bar reaches shin level, then return to standing normally.

5. Eccentric step-downs

  • Stand on a step or box with one foot hanging off.
  • Slowly lower your other foot to the floor over 4–6 seconds.
  • Return to the starting position and repeat.

6. Eccentric calf raises

  • Stand on the edge of a step with your heels hanging off.
  • Raise up onto your toes, then lower your heels down slowly over 4–6 seconds.

Common mistakes to avoid while doing eccentric exercise

Eccentric exercise may look simple, but people tend to make mistakes. Here are some of the mistakes to avoid while doing it:

  • Rushing through the movement: Eccentric exercise is about controlled lowering. “So avoid dropping the weight or rushing the negative phase,” says Thakur.
  • Using excess weight: Too much weight can compromise form and increase injury risk. Start light and focus on control. If you are a beginner, and using dumbbells, go for 5 kg.
  • Neglecting range of motion: Not using the full range can limit the benefits of eccentric exercise. Ensure you lower the weight completely.
  • Ignoring warm-up: Jumping into eccentric training without warming up increases injury risk, so always prep your muscles beforehand.
  • Overtraining: Eccentric movements are intense, and so, doing too much can cause extreme soreness or injuries.
A woman doing push-ups
Beginners should do this exercise with the help of a trainer. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Who should avoid eccentric exercise?

It can be done by various people, but some people need to be cautious or simply avoid it.

  • People recovering from severe injuries or surgeries should not do this type of exercise. “Eccentric movements place significant stress on muscles, tendons, and joints, which can aggravate existing injuries or slow down recovery,” says the expert.
  • Eccentric exercise can feel too demanding for those new to fitness. Beginners should not do it on their own, as they need proper guidance.
  • People with joint or tendon issues should skip it. “Conditions like arthritis or tendonitis can worsen because eccentric exercise exerts high mechanical stress on these structures, leading to further inflammation or pain,” says Thakur.
  • People experiencing extreme muscle soreness should avoid it. “If you are already experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness from a previous workout, adding more eccentric stress can exacerbate discomfort and prolong recovery,” says the expert.

Eccentric exercise can help to build strength, improve flexibility, and coordination. It can be beneficial for people with different fitness levels, but make sure to do it under proper guidance, especially beginners.

Related FAQs

Is walking an eccentric exercise?

Walking is not fully eccentric but does involve eccentric components. For example, your quadriceps lengthen while controlling the impact as your foot strikes the ground. However, walking is not intense enough to count as a true eccentric workout.

Can seniors do eccentric exercise?

Yes, seniors can do eccentric exercise, but with caution. The exercise helps to improve strength, balance, and mobility, which are crucial for ageing. However, start with bodyweight or light resistance, focus on form and slow movements.

What is the difference between eccentric and concentric exercise?

In eccentric exercise, the muscle lengthens under tension (e.g., lowering a dumbbell in a bicep curl). In concentric exercise, the muscle shortens while contracting (e.g., lifting a dumbbell in a bicep curl).

Disclaimer: At Health Shots, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and authentic information to support your health and well-being. However, the content on this website is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised advice regarding your specific medical condition or concerns.

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Denise Austin, 67, Shares ‘Quick’ Move for ‘Menopause Belly’

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Denise Austin, 67, Shares ‘Quick’ Move for ‘Menopause Belly’
  • Denise Austin shared an exercise to target “menopausal belly.”
  • The 67-year-old demonstrated a standing core exercise to tone the abs.
  • She explained that the “quick” move helps with “ab strength, back health, and improving balance.”

Fitness pro Denise Austin knows that some women over 50 may struggle with a particular “problem area” that she calls “menopause belly.” Now, the fitness icon is sharing one of her go-to menopause exercises for toning the abs.

“Join me for this quick menopause belly move today!!! Try this core exercise for one minute on each side every day to help that problem area that so many of us have!! Plus…it helps with ab strength, back health, and improving balance!!” Austin captioned the video. “Think of it as ‘Denise’s Daily Habits’…start with this one and then build on it…small, simple steps WILL add up!! Take action and build healthy daily habits toward betting on yourself!! YOU are always worth it!!”

In the video, Austin stands on her yoga mat in a matching workout set and sneakers (we spy the Easy Spirit x Denise Austin Mel EMOVE Walking Shoes in the white colorway!). Imposed on the video is a bit of text that reads: “I’ve gotten through this phase of life happy and healthy, and you can too!”

The “menopause belly” move Austin demonstrates in the video is a variation of a standing crunch. She begins with her feet planted slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart, her right arm above her head, and her left hand on her left hip. She then lifts her left knee toward the right side of her body while lowering her right elbow to meet it.

“Pull right here and touch—reach and pull across,” Austin says as she performs the move. “Feel as though you’re pulling up and in the abdominals, and you’re tightening up your tummy.” She adds that this move targets the “lower abs” in particular. Per Austin’s caption, she recommends you do this exercise for one minute on each side.

While Austin performs this move without any equipment, easily amplify the exercise by holding a single hand weight in your working arm to add even more strength training benefits.

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Austin’s followers loved the simple, informative video. “Thanks again for the best exercises and advice, which is always positive and inspiring,” one follower commented. “You are an inspiration. Thank you for all you do,” another added. “Love this standing core move!” another chimed in.

But what is a “menopause belly,” anyway? Also known as “hormonal belly,” many women going through menopause experience a shift in hormones causing belly fat. The body experiences a decline in estrogen with the onset of menopause which can “create a shift in body composition which favors fat distribution towards the center of the body, around the abdomen,” Krista Gonzales, M.D., endocrinologist and educator at Pritikin Longevity Center previously told Prevention.

It’s important to note that while adding effective core exercises (like this one from Austin) to your routine may help tone a targeted area, you can’t pick and choose where you lose weight on your body. A balanced approach that includes cardio, nutritious eating habits, and weight training is key to overall weight loss, experts say.

If you’re looking for more of Austin’s top cardio and core moves, check out our favorites below.

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FIND YOUR STRENGTH THIS HEART HEALTH MONTH AT PLANET FITNESS

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FIND YOUR STRENGTH THIS HEART HEALTH MONTH AT PLANET FITNESS

Join today for just $1 down and only $15 a month and take advantage of best-in-class strength and cardio equipment to help promote a healthy heart

HAMPTON, N.H., Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, invites everyone to get moving this February with a special limited-time offer. There is still time left to start the year strong, and beginning today through Feb. 28, new members can join Planet Fitness for just $1 down and only $15 a month, cancel anytime*. Find the nearest club or join online here.

According to the American Heart Association**, adults should be getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week to maintain good heart health. Regular exercise doesn’t just strengthen your heart – it improves your body’s oxygen utilization, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, and supports better glucose levels.

To help all fitness levels strengthen both their hearts and bodies, and encourage them to remain focused on fitness resolutions, Planet Fitness’ National Lead Trainer, Teddy Savage, has some tips on incorporating heart-pumping workouts:

  • High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Doing exercises such as lunges, squat jumps, or burpees for a time interval of around 40 seconds helps raise heart rate and energy levels. Not only does this build your muscle mass, but it will also boost that heart strength.
  • Mobility and Joint Health: Incorporating mobility style workouts that feature movements such as hip openers or bear crawls can help bring blood flow to the muscles and lubricate joints.
  • Partner Power Workouts: Winter blues don’t stand a chance when getting stronger with a friend. PF Black Card® members can bring a guest for free anytime, making it easy to team up for partner exercises like medicine ball squat tosses, alternating lunge ball exchanges, partner leg pushdowns, and other dynamic combo movements that make working out more fun and engaging. 
  • Mindfulness & Mental Strength: Release winter stress with yoga-inspired moves such as warrior 1 and 2, triangle pose, and downward dog, designed to ground thoughts while stretching and strengthening muscles.

“This Heart Health Month, it’s important to note that both strength training and cardio are great ways to increase aerobic activity for a healthy heart,” said Teddy Savage, National Lead Trainer at Planet Fitness. “Whether you’re using the new plate-loaded strength equipment or getting stronger through HIIT exercises and partner workouts, Planet Fitness provides a welcoming community where everyone can focus on their heart health and strengthening their goals together.”

Planet Fitness is offering new plate-loaded strength equipment in more than 1,700 locations—with plans to expand to all 2,700+ clubs by the end of 2025—to further meet consumers’ evolving needs. The introduction of these new machines like the Magnum Supine Bench Press, Magnum Hack Squat, and Seated Calf ensures members can focus on building strength and achieving their fitness goals, no matter how big or small.

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Every Planet Fitness membership includes free fitness training with a certified fitness trainer and access to strength and brand-name cardio equipment, and the free Planet Fitness App featuring hundreds of on-demand digital exercises. The balanced mix of cardio and strength equipment ensures members of all fitness levels have everything they need to meet their fitness goals, all in a comfortable, non-intimidating environment. Many clubs are open 24 hours for added convenience.

To locate the nearest Planet Fitness club and take advantage of this limited time offer for new members, please visit PlanetFitness.com/Local-Clubs.

*U.S. locations only
**The New York Times. “7 Ways to Improve Your Heart Health” The New York Times, 2025, www.nytimes.com

About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the world by number of members and locations. As of December 31, 2024, Planet Fitness had approximately 19.7 million members and 2,722 clubs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, Australia, and Spain. The Company’s mission is to enhance people’s lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.

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Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma Is More Than Just A Run Club – It Is A Sisterhood 

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Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma Is More Than Just A Run Club – It Is A Sisterhood 
Sharon Chism and Maisha Gates, both members of Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma, begin running the Circle The Block 5K from the REI Store in Seattle on Jan. 26. Chism, a co-ambassador for BGR!, wears official BGR! gear after helping set up the event. (Photo by Ashlyn Bowman).

By Ashlyn Bowman, The Seattle Medium 

Sisters, friends, community. 

Those are the foundations of Black Girls RUN! (BGR!), a unique running club in Seattle/Tacoma that seeks to spread the joy and benefits of working out body and mind on the pavement. 

The national BGR! organization was founded in 2009 to provide Black women a supportive space to embrace running and walking, to pursue a healthy lifestyle and to address health disparities affecting Black women, according to Sharon Chism, co-ambassador of BGR! Seattle/Tacoma. 

According to the Black Girls RUN! website, African American women in the U.S. have some of the highest overweight and obesity rates compared to other groups. BGR!’s mission is to lower that number through a safe, supportive and empowering environment centered around fitness. 

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Jiquanda Nelson represents Black Girls RUN! at the fourth annual Circle The Block 5K run and panel to celebrate and explore Black mental health and fitness, at the REI store in Seattle on Jan. 26. Nelson, the co-ambassador for the Black Girls RUN! of Seattle/Tacoma, is decked out head to toe in Black Girls RUN! merch to show support for her fellow members. (Photo by Ashlyn Bowman).

“One of the biggest things I love the most is the sisterhood,” said Jiquanda Nelson,  co-ambassador of BGR! Seattle/Tacoma. The Seattle/Tacoma chapter was established in 2013. Now, the group has grown to about 1,700 members.  

Each week, BGR! hosts two to three run/walk events across Seattle, with distances between 3 to 10 miles. Memberships and events are all free, with run information posted on their Facebook page. 

Nelson and Chism said they strive to make the runs accessible to all women, regardless of their running abilities or skill level. “So, even if you’re not running, because running isn’t for everyone, what we really want to encourage is for people to move their bodies,” Chism said. 

Nelson said BGR! ensures the events focus on movement over running, so more people feel welcomed. “We’re hyping up everybody. We’re not just hyping up the person who has the 8-minute mile pace, right, but we’re also hyping up the person with a 17-minute mile pace,” Nelson said. 

Nelson joined BGR! after moving to Seattle in late 2018. She said aside from her husband and children, she had no other family or friends in the area.

“They were my first family here,” Nelson said about the BGR! women.  

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Today, Nelson has built a strong community and lifelong friendships with BGR! women; she even got a matching tattoo with a fellow BGR! member:  The word “Believe,” with the “B” designed as a “13.” and the “i” as a “1” to represent 13.1 miles. 

But Nelson was initially hesitant to start running.

“When Black women want to run or walk, the first question they ask me is, ‘What do you do with your hair?’” Nelson said. “And that’s usually a barrier for them even trying sometimes.”

Nelson and other BGR! members wear a Gymwrap headband, a Hairbrella or a BGR! Bondi Band when they run to absorb sweat, shield against rain and protect their hair.

“There is something about being able to connect with women who truly understand your experience,” Nelson said. One thing she appreciates most about BGR! is always having someone to talk to – whether it is about life milestones or issues at work or in relationships.

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Me’Kyel Bailey, a member of Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma and a Washington state health policy adviser, and Les Sessoms, a Black Men Run Seattle member, talk before the Circle The Block panel at the REI store in Seattle on Jan. 26. Bailey and Sessoms discuss Black mental health, sharing their own experiences with mental health and offering resources and advice to audience members. (Photo by Ashlyn Bowman).

Me’Kyel Bailey, a BGR! member since 2021, describes Nelson as a big sister and mentor. The feeling is mutual among other BGR! members. 

“I would say from many of the friends I met through the group, a lot of us do think of each other as sisters and having a sisterhood and really caring for each other,” Bailey said. Support for one another is ingrained in BGR! Seattle/Tacoma’s culture. “There is just a sense of we have each other’s back, we’re family, we’re girlfriends,” Bailey said. 

Together, BGR! women will take yoga classes, explore coffee shops or attend concerts. They also go on race vacations, which they refer to as “race-cations,” where BGR! members travel together to complete a race. 

In November, Bailey ran her first marathon alongside two BGR! members in Savannah, Georgia. 

“Once you are a part of BGR! Seattle/Tacoma, you are always part of it,” Bailey said.  

No matter the city, BGR! women offer friendship and exercise partners, welcoming women from different areas to join in on their local events through the “Find a Community” page on the BGR! website, according to Chism. 

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Audience members at the Circle The Block 5K run and panel in the REI store in Seattle on Jan. 26 listen to the panelists Me’Kyel Bailey and Les Sessoms answer questions about mental health. Bailey, a member of Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma and a Washington state health policy adviser, believes mental health is just as important as physical health and should be prioritized. (Photo by Ashlyn Bowman).

“Knowing that they are there to support you and cheer for you, is just really, really nice and really warm and really welcoming,” Chism said about BGR! women. “It’s like having that familiar anchor that you can go to if you are in a different city.”

BGR! women live by the motto “no women left behind” in a race or an event. “We’re going to wait until the last lady finishes and then we’ll leave,” Bailey said.  

This sense of support and inclusivity is what makes BGR! more than a running club. It is a community, according to Bailey.

“If someone has anxiety, we want to let them know that they’re not alone and this is more than just a run group. We’re a supportive group and we are here for them,” Bailey said to those who may be nervous to join BGR! or start running. All it takes is showing up.
To become a member Black Girls RUN! Seattle/Tacoma, request to join the local Facebook page and answer a few short questions. 

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