[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of ankle strengthening exercises combined with motor imagery training and those of ankle strengthening exercises alone in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty stroke patients were randomly assigned to one of the following two groups: experimental group (15 patients) and control group (15 patients). The experimental ...

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of ankle strengthening exercises combined with motor imagery training and those of ankle strengthening exercises alone in stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty stroke patients were randomly assigned to one of the following two groups: experimental group (15 patients) and control group (15 patients). The experimental ...

BACKGROUND The decrease in muscle strength in older adults has an impact on functionality. Muscle strengthening programs have been proposed, however there is some controversy surrounding the effects of stretching prior to strengthening exercises on muscle strength gain. OBJECTIVE To verify the impact of static stretching on the gain in knee-extensor strength of community-dwelling elderly wome...

OBJECTIVE Autonomic dysfunction is an important mechanism that could explain many symptoms observed in fibromyalgia (FM). Exercise is an effective treatment, with benefits potentially mediated through changes in autonomic modulation. Strengthening is one of the less studied exercises in FM, and the acute and chronic effects of strengthening on the autonomic system remain unknown. The objective ...

The purpose of this study was to compare electromyographic (EMG) activity of the abdominal muscles between the crunch exercise and five other popular abdominal exercises. Surface EMG recordings of four muscles (upper rectus, lower rectus, external oblique, and internal oblique) of the anterior abdominal wall were collected and analyzed on 20 healthy, male volunteers. EMG activity was recorded d...

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of toe-spread (TS) exercises and hip external rotator strengthening exercises for pronated feet on lower extremity muscle activities during stair-walking. [Subjects and Methods] The participants were 20 healthy adults with no present or previous pain, no past history of surgery on the foot or the ankle, and no foot deformitie...

BACKGROUND Strengthening exercises for the scapular muscles are used in the treatment of scapulothoracic dysfunction related to shoulder injury. In view of the intermuscular and intramuscular imbalances often established in these patients, exercises promoting lower trapezius (LT), middle trapezius (MT), and serratus anterior (SA) activation with minimal activity in the upper trapezius (UT) are ...

BACKGROUND Deconditioning of the lumbar extensor musculature (lumbar erector spinae and multifidus) is a risk factor for low back injury and pain. The article presents various aspects of scientific reports which confirm the effectiveness of lumbar extensor exercises. MATERIAL AND METHODS The articles to be reviewed were extracted from the MedLine and PubMed data - bases. The following key wor...

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is recommended for managing osteoarthritis (OA). However, few people with OA are physically active. Understanding the factors associated with PA is necessary to increase PA in this population. This cross-sectional study examined factors associated with leisure-time PA, stretching exercises, and strengthening exercises in people with OA. METHODS For a mail sur...