Changes in Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Balance Ability on Plank Exercises with Various Surfaces

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effects on muscle thickness and balance ability after performing plank exercise on various surface types. Methods: In this study, there were thirty healthy participants. Participants were randomly distributed into three groups, a control group (n= 10), sling group (n= 10), and ball group (n= 10). All participants performed plank exercises three times a week for four weeks. Plank exercises consisted of five sets of 30 seconds each with a one minute break between each set. Muscle thickness of the transverse ab-dominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) was measured using an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and balance was measured using I-balance. Results: Evaluation of muscle thickness revealed that the IO and EO muscle of the ball group changed significantly relative to the control group (p< 0.05). However, there were no significant changes in balance. Conclusion: The results revealed that performing plank exercise on a ball is more effective among various types of surfaces.