This study analyzed the effects of an 8-week Pilates exercise program on health-related physical fitness and spinal morphology in female college students. As a result of performing 8 weeks of Pilates exercise program, there was a significant difference in flexibility and muscular endurance in the experimental group. In addition, there was a significant difference in lateral deviation after performing 8 weeks of Pilates exercise program. Therefore, it is expected that consistent participation in Pilates exercise will lead to improvements in flexibility, endurance, and lateral deviation. Pilates requires professional and systematic theoretical establishment, and therefore, future research requires more specific qualitative studies on Pilates exercise.

Adolescence is a critical period during which physical activity (PA) may influence cognitive processes and academic performance (AP). Although PA has been linked to favorable academic outcomes, evidence remains mixed with respect to activity intensity, frequency, and developmental stage. This systematic review narratively synthesized recent empirical studies (2024-2025) examining the relationship between PA and AP in healthy adolescents, with attention to activity characteristics, developmental moderators, and cognitive and psychosocial mediators. Searches in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar identified 9 original research from 825 articles. Overall, moderate-to-vigorous PA and vigorous PA were generally associated with better AP, however, effect sizes were modest and associations were not uniform. Several studies indicated curvilinear relationships, whereby moderate PA was associated with optimal AP, while higher frequency or intensity was linked to weaker outcomes or inconsistent associations. Positive relationships were more consistently observed in middle school than high school students. Evidence from selected studies suggested that PA may influence AP indirectly through attention, inhibitory control, self-concept, and physical and mental health. These findings support promoting regular, moderate-intensity PA within adolescents' daily routines, particularly in school-based programs, while emphasizing balanced approaches that account for developmental stage and mediating mechanisms.

The global aging population is rapidly increasing, with associated declines in motor and cognitive function leading to higher fall risk and reduced independence. Exercise interventions improve strength, balance, and cognition, but accessibility barriers remain. While technology assistance programs are promising, they often lack clinical perspectives, are difficult to adapt, and lack features that encourage participation. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a motion recognition-based interactive training program designed by a physical therapist to enhance motor function and physical fitness in older adults. Twenty-eight community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=13) or control group (n=15). The experimental group completed three weekly sessions of motion recognition exercises with adaptive feedback for 4 weeks, while the control group performed stretching. Outcomes included task performance metrics (attempts, corrections, accuracy) automatically recorded by the program and fitness measures from the senior fitness test. The experimental group showed significant increases in attempts and corrections across all body parts, with notable accuracy improvement in head movements (P<0.05). Flexibility significantly improved between groups, while both groups improved in lower extremity strength and endurance. No significant changes were observed in upper limb strength or agility. A clinically designed, motion recognition-based interactive program enhanced motor performance and flexibility in older adults. Incorporating adaptive difficulty and real-time feedback, it shows potential as a scalable, cost-effective digital intervention for promoting active aging.

The talk test (TT) is a subjective, self-administered method used to gauge aerobic exercise intensity based on a person’s ability to speak comfortably during physical activity. This study aimed to validate the TT by examining its relationship with physiological markers collected during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) on both a treadmill and stationary bicycle in healthy adults. Twenty-two healthy participants (17 males and 5 females), with no known musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary conditions, completed two exercise sessions—one on a treadmill and another on a stationary bicycle. Each session was structured into three stages of increasing intensity based on the TT. During each stage, various psychophysiological and cardiorespiratory variables were measured, including heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, metabolic equivalents, arterial oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, and ventilatory threshold. Significant differences were found across the three TT stages for all measured variables, with values increasing linearly as intensity progressed. However, no significant differences were observed between exercise modalities (treadmill vs. bicycle) or in the interaction between TT stages and modality. The findings support the TT as a valid indicator of exercise intensity, correlating well with physiological responses measured during CPX. The consistency across both exercise modalities suggests that TT is a practical, effective tool for guiding aerobic exercise intensity, particularly in clinical and rehabilitation settings.

This study was conducted to identify obesity status, body shape perception, and attempts at popular diet techniques, and to reveal the relationship between satisfaction with popular diet techniques and various factors such as body shape perception, body mass index (BMI), distorted body shape perception, and interest in weight loss etc. This survey was conducted from April to September 2024 with 1,486 female college students in Seongnam. Following results were obtained. In the question about body shape perception, the results were very fat (2.69%), fat (27.46%), average (54.44%), thin (11.91%), and very thin (3.50%). However, according to BMI, the results were obese (1.14%), overweight (4.17%), normal weight (66.76%), and underweight (27.93%). The satisfaction with popular diet techniques was higher in the obese group than in the underweight group. People with distorted perceptions of their body shape tried popular diet techniques more often than those with normal perceptions. And they were less satisfied than those with normal perceptions. As interest in weight loss increased, attempts at popular diet techniques increased. However, there was no significant relationship between interest in weight loss and satisfaction with popular diet techniques.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) leads to quadriceps neuromuscular dysfunction, including impaired force control and muscle degradation. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is widely used in rehabilitation to improve muscle mass and strength; however, its effects on neuromuscular functions and muscle quality, such as motor unit (MU) behavior and force steadiness (FS), remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of NMES on neuromuscular function and muscle quality in individuals with ACLR who could walk normally. Ten male ACLR patients underwent NMES 3 times weekly for 6 weeks, with 30 contractions per session. Neuromuscular function was assessed via FS, maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and MU behavior in the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis. Muscle quality was evaluated using muscle thickness (MT), echo intensity (EI), and ultrasound texture features. Measurements were taken at baseline and weeks 3 and 6. NMES significantly improved MVIC, FS, MU behavior, and muscle quality (MT, EI, and homogeneity) on the ACLR side, with significant interaction effects observed. At week 3, MVIC and FS showed no significant improvement; however, structural and qualitative muscle changes were evident. NMES effectively enhanced neuromuscular function, MU behavior, and muscle quality impaired by ACLR. However, a 3-week intervention may not be sufficient for optimal neuromuscular recovery, highlighting the need for extended NMES protocols.

Exercise and rehabilitation interventions are essential for health restoration, yet reviews on related clinical trials remain limited despite increasing research interest. This study analyzed the characteristics, designs, sample sizes, and outcome variables of clinical trials registered with the Clinical Research Information Service in South Korea, focusing on exercise and rehabilitation interventions. A systematic search using "exercise" and "rehabilitation" identified 1,089 trials registered up to June 9, 2024, with 470 meeting the inclusion criteria. Most studies (79.79%) were retrospectively registered, and 45.11% were open-label trials. Behavioral interventions (26.60%) and medical devices (22.34%) were most common, targeting circulatory (27.45%) and musculoskeletal (19.79%) conditions. Frequently assessed outcomes included 'balance,' 'pain,' and 'walking.' A notable increase in trials was observed since 2017. However, the high proportion of retrospective registrations and open-label designs highlights the need for more prospective and blinded trials to enhance research quality.

Fatigue is a state of difficulty maintaining voluntary activity. Cortisol, which is essential for stress regulation, can cause tissue damage when elevated for long periods of time, which is a common problem for office workers in stressful environments. Sleep quality is important for health and cognitive function, while sleep deprivation increases the risk of physical and mental health disorders. Gyrokinesis combines circular, spiral, and wave movements influenced by yoga, tai chi, and ballet to provide a calming effect on the sympathetic nervous system. This study investigated the effects of Gyrokinesis exercise on lower extremity edema, muscle strength, fatigue, and sleep quality in sedentary office workers. Twenty-seven adult women aged 20-40 years were randomly assigned to a Gyrokinesis exercise group (n=14) or a control group (n=13). The exercise group participated in 60-min Gyrokinesis sessions twice a week for 8 weeks, while the control group used elastic compression stockings during their working hours. Results showed a significant decrease in fatigue and an improvement in sleep quality in the exercise group. Cortisol and serotonin levels showed a significant between-group interaction effect, with within-group changes observed only in the exercise group. Sleep quality indices improved significantly over time. In conclusion, Gyrokinesis exercise has the potential to improve physical and psychological well-being in sedentary office workers by positively influencing fatigue, sleep quality, and related hormone levels.

Regular participation in regularly performed physical activity (PA) is recommended for proper development of rapidly changing physical and psychological status of adolescents. Despite the importance of proper PA, various prioritizing factors in adolescents' daily lives such as competitive academic performance deter regular participation. This study has been conducted to analyze impact of PA on academic performance (grades) for middle to high school female adolescents. 20th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey data with 8 factors were utilized for the study. 25,668 female adolescents across six grade levels (M1, M2, M3, H1, H2, H3) were grouped to sedentary (SG: 2 or fewer days/wk) and physically active (PG: 3 or more days/wk) groups based on their weekly PA days and compared. Also, each incremented day of PA (0- through 7-day PA) was further compared. Although SG and PG showed mixed results, incremented PA days showed either significantly better academic performances or no difference. Significant poor academic performances were shown for 7-day PA compared to 0-day PA for M2 (2.88±1.19 vs. 3.25±1.17), M3 (2.84±1.20 vs. 3.23±1.23), H3 (3.02±1.08 vs. 3.51±1.09). Although body mass index (BMI) of each grade level was within normal range for all PA groups, significantly increased BMI was shown in SG groups. Moreover, perceived effort on weight control (effort) was shown for all 7-day PA groups compared to all 0-day PA groups. In conclusion, regularly performed PA may positively influence or have no effect on academic performance. However, excessive PA aimed at weight control may have a negative impact.