Increased arterial stiffness is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to examine the acute effects of a body maintenance program on arterial stiffness. Fifteen healthy adults participated in both control (CON) and body maintenance (BM) trials in random order on separate days. In the BM trial, participants performed a passive body maintenance program using dedicated devices for approximately 30 minutes. In the CON trial, participants maintained the same body postures as in the BM trial. Arterial stiffness was measured using the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after each session. CAVI values showed no significant differences between the trials before starting, and no significant changes were observed in the CON trial. However, in the BM trial, CAVI was significantly reduced immediately after the session and returned to the baseline level after 30 minutes. Therefore, these findings suggest that a 30-minute passive body maintenance program temporarily reduces arterial stiffness.

The slow squat exercise using body weight (SQ) has training benefits in healthy individuals and may be applicable in rehabilitation settings. Including or excluding a pause phase during muscle exertion may provide greater flexibility; however, no studies have examined its effects on exercise performance or muscle activity. This study clarified the impact of a pause phase during SQ on the number of repetitions and the dynamics of muscle activity. A crossover trial included seven young adult male individuals performing SQs without a pause phase (CON; transition to the next repetition with slight knee flexion), and with a pause (FEA; with the knee fully extended). Concentric-eccentric movements lasted 3 s, with a 1-s pause, and continued until volitional exhaustion. The number of repetitions (NR) until exhaustion and integrated electromyography (EMG) of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis during exercise were normalized to the %EMG obtained during the isometric maximal voluntary contraction of knee extension. The NR until exhaustion was approximately two-fold higher in the FEA group than in the CON group (p < 0.001). The %EMG of the rectus femoris for repetitions 1–40 was significantly lower in the FEA group than that in the CON group (p < 0.01). A strong positive correlation was observed between the rate of change in the NR until exhaustion and the rate of change in rectus femoris activity (r = 0.82, p < 0.05), suggesting that incorporating a pause phase during SQ alters rectus femoris activity during movement and may enhance exercise endurance.

In recent years, advances in measurement technologies have greatly accelerated research on the brain, an organ that still retains many unresolved aspects. In exercise science, growing attention has been directed toward cerebral circulation, autonomic regulation, and cognitive function during exercise. Research on exercise-related cerebral blood flow expanded markedly following the seminal report by Aaslid et al. in 1989, with an exponential increase in publications since 2000. This progress has been driven largely by the development of transcranial Doppler ultrasound, near-infrared spectroscopy, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The author began research on cerebral circulation in 2002, at a time when the field was relatively underexplored and methodological limitations posed significant challenges. Drawing on personal research experience, this article reflects on how this frontier field has evolved and aims to convey its scientific significance and appeal to young researchers aspiring to build independent research careers.