Endurance Times for Trunk-Stabilization Exercises in Healthy Women: Comparing 3 Kinds of Trunk-Flexor Exercises

Objectives: To establish isometric endurance times for trunk-stabilization exercises in 6 different positions and compare 3 kinds of trunk-flexor exercises. Participants: 28 healthy young women with no history of disabling back pain. Design: Isometric endurance times were measured in 6 tests: 60° flexor, 45° flexor, curl-up, extensor, and left- and right-side-bridge exercises. Results: The mean endurance time was 375 ± 252 seconds for the 60° flexor test; 101 ± 51 seconds, 45° flexor test; 107 ± 54 seconds, curl-up test; 158 ± 45 seconds, extensor test; 70 ± 23 seconds, left-side-bridge test; and 68 ± 23 seconds, right-side-bridge test. Conclusions: Of the 3 flexor exercises, the 60° exercise was time consuming and had a larger variance. The 45° flexor exercise and curl-up exercise were time effective and showed less variance. The curl-up exercise is easy, convenient, and representative of trunk-flexor effort and can be considered a preferable alternative to the 60° flexor exercise.