Background: Core muscle weakness occurs due to trunk asymmetry and spinal malalignment after stroke. Core exercise is being implemented to improve trunk control and sitting position in stroke patients. Objectives: To investigated the effects of core muscle electrical stimulation on trunk control and dynamic balance in stroke patients. Design: Quasi-experimental study. Methods: A total of 30 stroke patients were recruited and divided into two groups: experimental group (core muscle electrical stimulation group) and control group (sham core muscle electrical stimulation group). Trunk impairment scale (TIS) was used to measure trunk control. BioRescue was used to measure sitting dynamic balance. Results: In both groups, all TIS scores and sitting dynamic balance abilities were improved increased significantly after intervention (P<.05). Changes in TIS scores and sitting dynamic balance abilities were significantly greater in the experimental group than the control group (P<.05). Conclusion: It was found that core muscle electrical stimulation can be used as an effective method for trunk control and balance recovery in stroke patients.

Background: Gluteus medius muscle is important for the stability of hip joint. The sufficient core stability can be contributed to the performance of gluteus medius muscle in standing position. In addition, the external support may affect core stability in standing position. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigated the effectiveness of the external support on the strength and muscle activity of hip abductor muscle during hip abduction in standing position in subjects without core stability. Methods: Fifteen subjects participated in this study. The subjects were evaluated by using the double-leg lowering with bent knees to measure the core stability. The strength and muscle activity of hip abductors was measured in standing position with the condition with and without external support using the tensiometer sensor and the surface electromyography. The paired t-test was used to investigate the difference between hip abductor strength and activity according to external support. The level of statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: The hip abductor strength and muscle activity of gluteus medius muscle with external support were significantly greater than those without external support during hip abduction in standing position (p < 0.05). Conclusion: During hip abduction in standing position, the external support may be contributed to the improvement of the hip abductor strength and muscle activity of gluteus medius especially in the subjects without core stability.

이 연구의 목적은 8주간의 코어 훈련이 프리스타일 스키 선수들의 배근력, 서전트 점프, Y- 자 검사 및 평형감각 조절 능력에 미치는 영향을 보고자 하였다. 14명의 프리스타일 선수를 무작위로 운동군 7명과 통제군 7명으로 분류하였다. 훈련군은 8주간의 코어 훈련을 하였고, 통제군은 일반적인 훈 련을 하였다. 연구 결과 배근력과 서전트 점프에서 효과를 보였고, 집단 간 유의한 차이는 보이지 않았다. Y-자 검사의 경우 좌측 앞쪽에서 효과를 보였고, 좌·우측 좌측 후방 안쪽에서 집단 간 차이를 보였다. 종합점수의 경우 운동군은 사전의 좌·우 차이 7.5cm, 사후에서 1.66cm로 감소하였으나 통제군은 사전 3.73cm에서 사후 7.01cm로 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 평형감각 조절 능력에서는 조건 2, 5, 6에서 유의한 효과를 보였으나 집단 간의 차이는 없었다. 결론적으로, 8주간의 코어 훈련은 프리스타일 스키 선수들의 자세 조절 능력에서 유익한 효과를 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

Background: Unstable surface-based core training can significantly enhance core strength, but no studies have compared the effects of balance pad- and sling-assisted exercises. Objects: To study the effects of unstable surface-based balance pad- and sling-assisted core strength exercises on muscle activity. Methods: Twenty male students aged 20–25 years participated in this study. The effects of three types of core strength exercises, performed with a sling or balance pad, on the activities of three muscles, i.e., the right musculus obliquus externus abdominis (EO), right erector spinae (ES), and right gluteus maximus (GM), were examined. Results: 1) In the glute bridge exercise, the percentage of maximum voluntary contraction of the EO, ES, and GM were significantly different between the balance pad- and sling-assisted exercises. The relative contribution of the ES and GM activities to all muscle activity were not significantly different between the two training types, whereas that for EO showed a significant difference. 2) There was no significant difference in the percentage value of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) among the EO, ES, and GM during the “leg-lifting with flat support”exercise, and there were no significant difference in the relative contributions between the two training types. 3) In the “side bridge leg separation exercise”, the %MVC of the ES, EO, and GM were significantly different between the two training types. Conclusion: Sling training for core muscles was generally better than balance pad assist training. The majority of physiotherapy patients require core training. Our results could guide physiotherapists in the choice of targeted exercises for these patients.

This study reviews studies on the core stabilization of respiratory muscle training for the elderly health. Previous research data and presenting basic literature data suggest that respiratory activation is an important mechanism for core strengthening via exercise interventions for the elderly. The review found that first, the mechanism of improving the respiratory muscles weakened by aging to address the loss of core function due to old age sarcopenia among the elderly results entails promoting the autonomic nervous system by focusing on the respiratory muscle activation pattern, the core muscle sensation mobilized for body centering. Second, nerve roots, intraperitoneal pressure, and deep muscles in the trunk of the body can be promoted while controlling respiratory stimulation with cognitive feedback. Effortful inspiration increases the activation of respiratory assistive muscles and effortless exhalation can improve the core muscle mobilization by involving abdominal muscles. Third, through respiratory muscle training, the elderly can increase their awareness of spinal centering and improve the ability to control the deep core muscles that must be mobilized for core stabilization. In conclusion, respiratory muscle training to increase the utilization of the trunk muscles seems to be a useful core stabilization exercise for the elderly with chronic tension and joint degeneration.

Background : Several studies have suggested different arguments for the effect of stretching exercises and core muscle exercises on flexibility and balance ability. Objective : To determine the effects of stretching exercises and core muscle exercise on flexibility and balance ability. Design : Quasi experimental research Method : The study applied exercise interventions (three sessions per week for 6 weeks) on 40 subjects. The subjects were divided into stretching and core muscle exerciseing groups to identify the change of flexibility and balance ability. Sit- and- reach test results and hip hyperextension were measured for identifying changes in flexibility, and the Romberg test and Pedalo stabilizer were used for changes in balance ability. Results : Both the stretching exercise and core muscle exercise groups showed a statistically significant increase in flexibility (p<.05). However, the stretching exercise group showed a statistically significant increase in balance ability (p<.05), whereas the core muscle exercise group showed partially statistically significant differences in this par t(p>.05). In the analysis of the differences in the amount of change in flexibility, based on the types of exercise, stretching exercises showed a significant difference (p<.05), whereas a significant difference was not found in the amount of change in balance ability (p>.05). Conclusions : These findings indicate that stretching exercises are the more effective intervention for improving and maintaining flexibility, whereas there is no difference between stretching and core muscle exercises with respect to improving balance ability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of core muscle training on balance ability. Forty subjects in their 20s participated in a 6 week core muscle training program. Balance ability before and after the intervention were assessed and analyzed using the Romberg test, which was conducted on the floor, pedalo, and balancefit. The differences between the measurement methods of balance ability using varied platforms was also compared and analyzed. After the 6-week core exercise training program, the training group represented statistically significant increases in all 3 methods for static balance ability. In the control group, all 3 methods represented no statistically significant increases. Upon comparing the different methods of the Romberg test, there were no notable differences between conducting the test on varying platforms for both groups. This study suggests that the core muscle exercise training program increased the balance ability.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supporting surface instability to trunk and lower extremity muscle activities during bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise. Thirty young healthy adults (15 males and 15 females) voluntarily participated in this study. Each subject was asked to perform bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise on three different supporting surfaces (stable ground surface, the wooden balancing board, and the air cushion). The muscle activities were measured using surface electromyography (EMG) during performing exercise. To test statistical significance, one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used with the significance level of .05. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. (1) There were significant differences in muscle activities on internal oblique, external oblique, gluteus medius, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and lateral gastrocnemius during exercise (p<.05). (2) The biceps femoris and lateral gastrocnemius showed significantly higher muscle activity on the wooden balancing board rather than on the ground, and semitendinosus, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and lateral gastrocnemius showed significantly higher muscle activity on the air cushion rather than on the ground (p<.05). Therefore, it is concluded that muscle activities in the trunk and the lower limbs during bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise was affected with instability of supporting surface. Further researches are needed to investigate the long term effect of bridging exercise on muscle activity with patient group.