PURPOSE: Therapeutic exercise balls...

PURPOSE: Therapeutic exercise balls continue to gain popularity for treating patients who not away with limited range of motion, puissance balance and coordination. The cardiorespiratory answers to exercises performed on a therapeutic exercise ball have not been adequately documented. The design of this study was to evaluate the cardiorespiratory replys of 2 sustained abdominal exercises performed in succession a therapeutic exercise ball. SUBJECTS: Thirty healthy make submissives (15 males, 15 females) participated in this contemplation All subjects were classified as gentle risk for cardiovascular disease and were able to perform a posterior pelvic tilt. METHODS: While sitting onward the ball, subjects performed a posterior pelvic tilt and reclined to a point of perceived maximum contraction of abdominal muscles, while stabilizing the pelvis. The exercises varied in intensity based forward arm position (crossed at the chest versus hands behind the head). Heart rate (HR) was measured by the agency of ECG telemetry; oxygen consumption (VO^sub 2^) minute ventilation (V^sub E^) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were measured with a metabolic cart; and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded using Borg's RPE Scale. ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics were comput for all variables. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare between resting values and exercise answers for HR and BP. Paired t-test were used to ordeal for differences in ventilatory data between exercises. An alpha of the same height of 0.05 was adopted as the criterion for statistical significance. RESULTS: the pair exercises elicited a significant increase in HR compared to resting (average increase of 35 bpm for chest and 40 bpm for overhead exercise), although no significant differences were place between exercises. The relative exercise intensities ranged from 36% to 88% of age-predicted maximal heart rates. intensity cost in terms of oxygen consumption ranged from 17 to 39 MET and were significantly different between exercises (p = 002) No significant difference was set between the subjects' perception of effort required to clean each exercise. CONCLUSION: Based forward the magnitude of the replys these exercises appear to be safe for the majority of healthy individuals if it were not that may exceed exercise intensities desired for excellent patient groups. RELEVANCE:These results reinforce the importance of physiologic monitoring during the exercise sessions. Physical therapists should carefully cloak patients for contraindications to the workloads originate

Key Words: pelvic stabilization, exercise, perceived exertion

INTRODUCTION

Therapeutic exercise balls have gained popularity in many rehabilitation settings. Therapists incorporate exercise balls into treatment plans to address limitations in range of motion, impregnability balance and coordination, endurance, proprioception, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility across many patient populations.1 Exercise balls help therapists diversify treatment regimens in one as well as the other inpatient and outpatient settings. Their relatively depressed cost also allows many patients to purchase this exercise device for family use.

Despite a lack of evidence for their effectiveness, therapeutic exercise balls are marketed as valuable tools with many therapeutic benefits.2 The abdominal muscles necessary for main body stabilization may be strengthened with exercises performed forward such devices. Abdominal strengthening exercises incorporate the one and the other static and dynamic components as the subdue performs repeated isometric contractions while maintaining their balance onward the ball.

Therapists should consider precautions and contraindications to performing various exercises forward the exercise ball. While repeated exercise contractions may lead to desired gains in impregnability and balance, the isometric composing of the exercises may elevate the cardiorespiratory replys to a level that is potentially harmful for patients with conditions in which the cardiovascular or pulmonary plans are compromised. Upon review of the literature and material distributed at manufacturers, no information was plant pertaining to the estimated physiologic rejoinders to exercises preformed on balls. single one published abstract was located, regarding the use of exercise balls as a cardiovascular training tool.3

The object of the study was to assess and compare the cardiorespiratory replications to 2 pelvic stabilization exercises performed in succession a therapeutic exercise ball. We were interested in (1) measuring the physiological replications to these exercises including heart rate (HR) systolic and diastolic relations pressure, oxygen consumption (VO^sub 2^) and minute ventilation (VE) and (2) to determine subject's perception of effort for performing each exercise using Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale. Since previous findings were not reported in the literature, we chose to consideration the responses in healthy enthralls to serve as a baseline for time to come research in other patient populations. Based upon the pilot work previously complet in our laboratory,4 we hypothesized that significant changes from resting would be find outed in the measured variables, even now the magnitude of the answers would not exceed common aerobic training intensities prescribed for apparently healthy individuals or individuals at gentle risk for cardiovascular disease.5