Trunk stability and breathing exercises superior to foam rolling for restoring postural stability after core muscle fatigue in sedentary employees

This study compares the magnitude and speed of restoring fatigue-impaired postural stability following passive and active recovery modalities, including diaphragmatic breathing, trunk stability exercises, and foam rolling, among sedentary employees. Eighteen sedentary adults (aged 36.2 ± 8.1 years) volunteered for this study. They performed a modified Abt's fatigue protocol involving 8 exercises specifically targeting their core muscles. Immediately following the fatiguing intervention, they underwent three active recovery modalities (diaphragmatic breathing, trunk stability, and foam rolling exercises), and one passive recovery (lying on the bed), each separated by a week. Postural stability and muscle activity were assessed pre-fatigue, post-fatigue, immediately, and 15 min post-recovery. After core muscle fatigue, center of pressure (CoP) velocity significantly increased in both stable and unstable conditions. Restoration of CoP velocity was most effective following trunk stability exercises, followed by diaphragmatic breathing, foam rolling, and passive recovery. Similarly, CoP displacement increased post-fatigue, with trunk stability exercises and diaphragmatic breathing showing the greatest effectiveness in restoring its values to pre-fatigue levels. After 15 minutes of recovery, no significant changes were observed in CoP velocity and displacement in either condition. These findings suggest that trunk stability exercises and diaphragmatic breathing rapidly restore postural stability after fatigue in sedentary adults, outperforming foam rolling and passive recovery.Trial registration: IRCT20221126056606N1. Date of registration: December 25, 2022.