Effects of Weighted Seated Core Exercises on Immediate Postural Stability in Healthy Young Adults: An Exploratory Study
- 1Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Objectives: This exploratory study investigated whether low-load, seated core exercises could produce immediate improvements in standing balance among healthy young adults, aiming to provide a foundation for safe, early-stage rehabilitation protocols. Methods: Ten healthy males performed seated core exercises consisted of alternating hip flexion 5 times per side while seated and maintaining bilateral shoulder flexion at 120-degree shoulder flexion under four load conditions: upper-limb weight only, a 400-g empty box, a 1-kg ball, and a 2-kg ball. Immediately following the exercise, participants performed a 10-s single-leg stance. Transversus abdominis (TrA) thickness was measured via wireless ultrasound at baseline, post-exercise, and during the stance. Center of pressure (CoP) sway was recorded concurrently to evaluate postural stability. Results: Left-side TrA thickness during stance increased significantly under the 1-kg and 2-kg load conditions compared to baseline (p < 0.05), although substantial missing data for the left-side measurements limited the robustness of this finding. No significant load-dependent effects were observed for CoP sway parameters (p > 0.05). A moderate positive correlation (rho = 0.43, p = 0.002) was found between right-side TrA thickness and CoP sway velocity during the single-leg stance. Conclusions: Low-load, seated core exercises do not yield immediate enhancements in standing stability in healthy populations. The results suggest that increased TrA thickness during a balance task may correlate with heightened postural instability rather than improved balance control. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings translate to clinical populations with impaired physical fitness.
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BibTeX
@misc{fujino2026effects,
title = {{Effects of Weighted Seated Core Exercises on Immediate Postural Stability in Healthy Young Adults: An Exploratory Study}},
author = {F. Fujino and M. Yamakawa and T. Kono and T. Higaki and K. Maeda},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.64898/2026.11.03.26366886},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.03.26366886v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Effects of Weighted Seated Core Exercises on Immediate Postural Stability in Healthy Young Adults: An Exploratory Study
AU - F. Fujino
AU - M. Yamakawa
AU - T. Kono
AU - T. Higaki
AU - K. Maeda
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.11.03.26366886
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.03.26366886v1
AB - Objectives: This exploratory study investigated whether low-load, seated core exercises could produce immediate improvements in standing balance among healthy young adults, aiming to provide a foundation for safe, early-stage rehabilitation protocols. Methods: Ten healthy males performed seated core exercises consisted of alternating hip flexion 5 times per side while seated and maintaining bilateral shoulder flexion at 120-degree shoulder flexion under four load conditions: upper-limb weight only, a 400-g empty box, a 1-kg ball, and a 2-kg ball. Immediately following the exercise, participants performed a 10-s single-leg stance. Transversus abdominis (TrA) thickness was measured via wireless ultrasound at baseline, post-exercise, and during the stance. Center of pressure (CoP) sway was recorded concurrently to evaluate postural stability. Results: Left-side TrA thickness during stance increased significantly under the 1-kg and 2-kg load conditions compared to baseline (p < 0.05), although substantial missing data for the left-side measurements limited the robustness of this finding. No significant load-dependent effects were observed for CoP sway parameters (p > 0.05). A moderate positive correlation (rho = 0.43, p = 0.002) was found between right-side TrA thickness and CoP sway velocity during the single-leg stance. Conclusions: Low-load, seated core exercises do not yield immediate enhancements in standing stability in healthy populations. The results suggest that increased TrA thickness during a balance task may correlate with heightened postural instability rather than improved balance control. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings translate to clinical populations with impaired physical fitness.
ER -