Self-palpation Feedback for Abdominal Hollowing Exercise

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate abdominal muscles’ thickness change during abdominal hollowing with self-palpation feedback. METHODSTwenty six healthy males participated in this study. Subjects were instructed how to perform AHE on hook-lying position. Ultrasound images (transverse abdominis (TA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO)) were measured during resting and AHE using self-palpation feedback or pressure biofeedback. RESULTS TA thickness increased significantly with both self-palpation feedback and pressure biofeedback groups (p<.05). In TA, the control group showed more increased thickness than the experimental group. How-ever, there was no interaction between AHE and using pressure biofeedback in IO and EO. Also, all subjects s muscle thickness of IO were increased (p<.01) and EO were decreased (p<.05) significantly. CONCLUSIONS Self-palpation feedback during AHE is useful to perform AHE. Therefore self palpation feedback is a simple method to provide feedback when ultrasound and biofeedback equipment are no available.