Investigating the Postural Control Strategy of the Lower Extremity Muscles on Unstable Surface

This study examines the postural control strategy of individuals with active and inactive lifestyles using an unstable surface i.e. BOSU with and without vision. The sway area, sway velocity and lower extremity muscle activities were investigated. The results show that despite regular exercise, the active group does not have an advantage in balancing ability over the inactive group. It is also found that as the difficulty increases, the lower extremity muscle activity increases. This implies that the participants controlled their posture by moving their lower extremity and shifting their center of gravity to maintain body stability and reduce the risk of fall. This is also supported by greater sway area and sway velocity. It is also found that both groups experienced greater instability when visual cues were removed and had to rely on vestibular and proprioceptive feedback. The study concluded that regular exercise does not necessarily improve balance in challenging situations; rather, specific balance training or participation in balance-oriented sports could be more effective in enhancing balance under perturbed conditions.