Investigating the Immediate Effects of Static and Dynamic Stretching Exercises of Lower Extremities Muscles on Core Stability in Young Healthy Females

Introduction: This study investigates the immediate effects of warm-up exercises, specifically static and dynamic stretches for the lower extremities, on strength, endurance, flexibility, motor control, and core stability function in young, healthy females. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 healthy, active women aged 19-30 years were randomly divided into three groups as follows: Static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and a control group (CG), which received no exercises. Evaluation methods for core stability included strength, endurance, sit-and-reach, Y-balance, and bilateral squat tests. Meanwhile, these tests were conducted before and after the prescribed exercise protocols. Results: Both the SS and DS groups experienced significant increases in all core stability components compared to their baseline values (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the analysis of variance/ analysis of covariance indicated that immediately after performing the stretching exercises, the SS and DS groups exhibited significantly greater improvements in parameters, such as strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance tests (except for the posterior-medial direction) when compared to the CG (P<0.05). Regarding functional parameters after the exercises, there were no statistically significant differences between the study groups (P>0.05). In addition, dynamic exercises demonstrated a higher effectiveness than static exercises for most parameters (P<0.05). Conclusion: Warm-up exercises, involving both static and dynamic stretches for lower limb muscles appear to have an immediate positive impact on core stability parameters. In sports that demand strong trunk muscles and balance, the dynamic protocol may be more effective