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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Muscle Function Obtained with Motion Mode Ultrasound and Surface Electromyography during Core Endurance Exercise
Published on: August 25, 2022
Pelvic floor muscle contraction and abdominal hollowing during walking can selectively activate local trunk
Ah Young Lee1, Seung Ok Baek1, Yun Woo Cho1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Korea.
Background:
Trunk muscle exercises are widely performed, and many studies have been performed to examine their effects on low back pains. However, the effect of trunk muscles activations during walking with pelvic floor muscle contraction (PFMC) and abdominal hollowing (AH) has not been clarified.
Object:
To investigate whether walking with PFMC and AH is more effective for promoting local trunk muscle activation than walking without PFMC and AH.
Methods:
Twenty healthy men (28.9 ± 3.14 years, 177.2 ± 4.25 cm, 72.1 ± 6.39 kg, body mass index 22.78 ± 2.38 kg/m2) were participated in this study. Surface electrodes were attached over the multifidus (MF), lumbar erector spinae (LES), thoracic erector spinae (TES), transverse abdominus-internal oblique abdominals (TrA-IO), external oblique abdominals (EO), and rectus abdominus (RA). The amplitudes of electromyographic signals were measured during a normal walking with and without PFMC and AH.
Result:
PFMC and AH while walking was found to result in significant bilateral increases in the normalized maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of MFs and TrA-IOs (p< 0.05). Ratios of local muscle activity to global muscle activities were increased while performing PFMC and AH during normal walking. Bilateral TrA-IO/EO activity ratios were significantly increased by PFMC and AH (p< 0.05).
Conclusion:
Performance of the PFMC and AH during walking resulted in significantly more recruitment of local trunk muscles. This study suggests that PFMC and AH during normal daily walking improves activation of muscles responsible for spinal dynamic stabilization and might be useful if integrated into low back disability and pain physical rehabilitation efforts.
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