Abstract
[Purpose] We developed “restorative exercises for cough capacity” that mainly focuses on trunk function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificity of trunk muscle activities during the exercises. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 8 healthy volunteers. The exercises were performed while sitting in a chair, and consisted of three types of exercise: chest expansion exercise (four types), spinal extension exercise (seven types), and abdominal wall muscle facilitative exercise (seven types). Oxygen consumption, tidal volume, and electromyography of the abdominal muscles were measured during the exercises. [Results] For the whole exercise, the metabolic equivalent and tidal volume were 1.6 ± 0.8 METs and 1,338.0 ± 610.8 ml, respectively. Furthermore, the total time of active internal abdominal oblique muscle use was significantly greater than those of the other muscles. [Conclusion] The exercises have low exercise intensity and increased the activity of the internal oblique muscle taking part in expiration during voluntary cough. Therefore, this particular exercise program can be expected to enhance the cough capacity of the elderly.
