2023 Volume 38 Issue 6 Pages 444-450
[Purpose] The immediate effects of the towel-gathering exercise (conventional method) and a devised intrinsic foot muscles exercise (yubidashi method) in the standing position on the muscle activities of the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles during flexion of the toes were examined by foot morphology. [Participants and Methods] Thirty-five limbs of healthy adults were divided into normal and pronated foot groups, and the muscle activities and toe grasping forces of the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles were compared before and after the two toe flexion exercises. [Results] The conventional method increased the muscle activity of the extrinsic foot muscles in the normal foot, decreased the muscle activity of the intrinsic foot muscles, and increased the toe grasp strength. The yubidashi method increased the muscle activity of the extrinsic and intrinsic foot muscles of the pronated foot. [Conclusion] The results suggest that the conventional method is effective for normal feet while the yubidashi method is effective for pronated feet.
