objectives: the incidence of stereotyped behaviors is one of the major symptoms of diagnosis of individuals with autism spectrum disorder that causes disruption in daily life. this study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of ball exercises on the reduction of stereotypical behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder. methods: in this study, 16 children (boys) with autism spectrum diso...

OBJECTIVE Only a few abdominal muscle exercises have been quantitatively evaluated on both a mat and exercise ball, but the benefits reported for the ball have been equivocally applied to all exercises. The purpose of this study is to evaluate differences in the biological response of muscle activation, lumbar spine posture, and loading variables for extensor exercises performed on 2 surfaces. ...

background & aim:  considering the fact that cesarean section (c-section) poses greater risks of maternal and neonatal complications, compared to vaginal delivery, scholars seek different strategies to decrease the prevalence of this surgical procedure. birth ball exercises during pregnancy are among the proposed strategies. thus, this study aimed to determine the effect of using birth ball dur...

This study sought to examine any differences in upper rectus abdominis (URA) and lower rectus abdominis (LRA) muscle activity during four abdominal exercises, the curl-up, Swiss ball curl-up, Swiss ball jackknife and Swiss ball rollout. Fourteen healthy adults (7 males, 7 females, mean age+/-S.D.=21.8+/-3.8 years) performed abdominal exercises in a randomised order following maximal voluntary i...

BACKGROUND Prone, supine, and side position exercises are employed to enhance core stability. HYPOTHESIS Overall core muscle activity would be greater in prone position exercises compared with supine and side position exercises. STUDY DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. METHODS Eighteen men and women between 23 and 45 years of age served as subjects. Surface electrodes were positioned ove...

The purpose of this investigation was to compare trunk muscle activity during stability ball and free weight exercises. Nine resistance-trained men participated in one testing session in which squats (SQ) and deadlifts (DL) were completed with loads of approximately 50, 70, 90, and 100% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Isometric contractions during 3 stability ball exercises (quadruped (QP), pe...

BACKGROUND A Swiss ball is often incorporated into trunk strengthening programs for injury rehabilitation and performance conditioning. It is often assumed that the use of a Swiss ball increases trunk muscle activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of a Swiss ball to trunk bridging exercises influences trunk muscle activity. METHODS Surface electrodes recorded the...

BACKGROUND Weighted-ball throwing programs are commonly used in training baseball pitchers to increase ball velocity. The purpose of this study was to compare kinematics and kinetics among weighted-ball exercises with values from standard pitching (ie, pitching standard 5-oz baseballs from a mound). HYPOTHESIS Ball and arm velocities would be greater with lighter balls and joint kinetics woul...

[Purpose] This study compared the effects on neck-shoulder pain and mobility of strengthening exercises for the neck flexors and scapular retractors performed on a Swiss ball and a mat. [Subjects] Twenty student volunteers were the subjects. [Methods] The students were randomly assigned to two groups: Mat group (n=10), and Swiss ball group (n=10). At pre-test, post-test, and 1-week follow-up pa...

The objective of this pilot study was to determine the effect of 6 different abdominal exercises on the electrical activity of the upper rectus abdominis (URA) and lower rectus abdominis (LRA). Eight healthy, adult volunteers completed 6 random abdominal exercises: curl up, Sissel ball curl up, Ab Trainer curl up, leg lowering, Sissel ball roll out, and reverse curl up. Action potentials were r...