The purpose of this study is to compare the activities of the gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscle according to changes of hip joint angles during a bridge exercise using a sling.
This study was conducted on healthy adult men and women in their 20s and 30s in Busan, who are physically and mentally healthy. In consideration of the safety of the study, the study subjects participated voluntarily, and 18 participants were selected from among those who were given a full explanation and were informed of the significance of the study and agreed to the study procedure. The surface electromyography (TELEmyo DTS, Noraxon, USA) was used to measure the activities of gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscle. To reduce errors in motions, a goniometer was used to adjust angles of a hip joint and the height of the sling line, and the average value was used after measurements were made three times. The data were statistically processed and analyzed with SPSS version 20.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc., USA).
The results of the study show that there were significant differences in gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscles during a bridge exercise using a sling, for the abduction of the hip joint at 0˚, 15˚, and 30˚ (p<.05). Gluteus maximus showed the highest activity at 30˚, which is the highest angle of a hip joint, and erector spinae muscle showed the highest activity at 0˚, the lowest angle. Among the measurements, gluteus maximus showed a meaningful difference at each angle, while erector spinae muscle displayed a meaningful difference at 0˚ and 30˚ (p<.05).
The muscle activity of gluteus maximus was most significant at 30˚, the highest angle of a hip joint, during a bridge exercise using a sling. The muscle activity of erector spinae showed the most significant result at 0˚, the lowest angle. This study researched the differences in the activities of the gluteus maximus and the erector spinae muscle during a bridge exercise with a sling, according to the changes in the abduction angles of a hip joint. This study would be helpful for selective activation of gluteus maximus and erector spinae muscles during a bridge exercise with a sling, as angles of hip abduction increase at the three angles.