Maintenance of Effects after Stopping Toe Exercises

• Published in: Orthopedics & Traumatology Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 393 - 397
• Main Authors: Ihara, Hidetoshi, Miwa, Megumi, Ishibashi, Toshiro, Takayanagi, Kiyomi, Kawashima, Mahito
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: West-Japanese Society of Orthopedics & Traumatology 1997
• Subjects: durability; DYJOC-training; neuromuscular coordination; toe exercise
• ISSN: 0037-1033; 1349-4333
• DOI: 10.5035/nishiseisai.46.393

Toe exercises are part of dynamic joint control training in improving neuromuscular coordination. In another study we showed that an 8-week course of these exercises could improve various functions of the lower extremities. The purpose of this study was to assess the maintenance of effects after stopping the 8-week toe exercises. These consisted of 4 kinds of exercises; feet grasping, transferring of marbles of various sizes, stretching an elastic band, and walking like a caterpillar. These 4 exercises took about 20 minutes all together. Eleven students trained, 3 days a week, over 8 weeks, and then stopped completely. Effects of training were evaluated by 5 different methods before the exercises and 3 months after stopping the exercises. Evaluation was made in regard to foot grasping power, ankle muscle torque, body gravity sway, athletic performance such as repeated lateral stepping and long jump distance, and lower extremity control ability using a DYBOC machine. The DYBOC machine could evaluate controllable ability, of the lower extremities in a closed kinetic chain. Response time of the 4 movements was measured on a response curve obtained from the DYBOC machine. The results showed that foot grasping power (p<0.01), ankle dorsiflexors torque (p<0.005), time of repeated lateral stepping (p<0.001), long jump distance (p<0.005), and lower extremity control ability (p<0.01) were significantly maintained after 3 months. These results indicate that simple foot exercises improve and maintain posture control ability.