noun / verb
tone
The firmness and condition of muscles.
Regular exercise helps maintain muscle tone as we age.
Etymology
The Greek source means tension or stretching. Muscle tone preserves that physical tension sense in the resting firmness of muscular tissue.
More examples
- The therapist checks the muscle tone in his injured leg.
- These exercises tone the muscles in your arms.
- After weeks of bed rest, she has less muscle tone.
Forms
tone · tones · toned · toning
Similar words
- firmness
- Emphasizes how firm muscles feel, rather than their overall condition.
- condition
- Describes overall physical fitness, not specifically the firmness of muscles.