Comparative analysis of upper limb muscle activity in elderly women during Smovey and Dumbbell exercise

The purpose of this study is to help select tools suitable for muscle activity and muscle function development of the upper extremities by presenting verification and evidence for the effects that selectively appear in specific muscles according to exercise tools during shoulder joint exercises using Smovey and Dumbbells in elderly women. The subjects of this study are individuals without shoulder or upper limb instability, musculoskeletal diseases, and without a history of shoulder joint surgery in the last year.BR The average and standard deviation of all data were calculated using the statistical program SPSS 26.0. A two-way ANOVA with repeated measurements was performed to verify the average difference, with a significance level set at p.05.BR The results of this study showed that, first, there was a significant difference in muscle activity in the upper limbs during the flexion-extension exercise of the shoulder joint using Smovey and Dumbbells (p.001). Second, there was a significant difference in muscle activity in the upper limbs during the abduction-adduction exercise of the shoulder joint using Smovey and Dumbbells (p.001). The vibration generated in the Smovey movement affected not only the working muscles but also the synergistic muscles, indicating significant overall muscle activity in the upper extremities.