Combined Effects of Dead Bug Exercise and Double Straight Leg Raises Versus Conventional Physical Therapy Exercise on Abdominal Muscles Strength, Endurance, Flexibility and Waist Circumference in Healthy Young Individuals

Core muscles are significantly important in maintaining the stability of spine and lumbopelvic region thus affecting balance and activities of everyday living . Rapid advancement in technology has led to an increase in sedentary lifestyle thereby decrease in physical activity leading to muscular imbalances which in turn significantly decreases core stability and increases the risk of disorders related to musculoskeletal system. Moreover due to sedentary living behaviors and unhealthy eating habits, a significant reduction has been seen in lean body mass and an increase in body fat.Correlation between body fat and waist circumference has been found to be positive.

Core stability is related to the active participation of local / deep segmental muscles which may include transversus abdominis, lumber multifidus etc. and global / superficial muscles which may include rectus abdominis, erector spinae etc. during high demanding physical activities. Core stabilization exercises appear to show good efficacy in preventing the incidence of injuries. Included in the components of core stability are flexibility, endurance, strength, motor control and function. The exercise that is considered a gold standard abdominal exercise is abdominal crunches. But recently it has come under debate as a potentially dangerous movement capable of increasing lumber lordosis thereby elevating the risk of low bachache thus public should avoid performing this exercise. Other recommended alternatives include Dead bug exercise, Double straight leg raises etc. The efficacy of dead bug exercise and double straight leg raises has been observed both in isolation and in combination with abdominal crunches but not in combination with each other.

As recently questions on the safety of abdominal crunches have been popping up therefore alternatives are required. Such alternatives that have the capability to provide same, nearly similar or if possible even better beneficial effects than traditional abdominal exercises such as abdominal stretches along with a promising component of safety. This research is expected to serve the society by providing public an efficient and easy to perform combination of exercises that has the capacity to improve core stability by targeting the entire abdominal musculature and the capacity to decrease waist circumference by targeting the abdominal adiposity.

The objective that lies behind conducting this research is to determine the combined effects of Dead Bug Exercise and Double Straight Leg Raises versus Conventional Physical Therapy Exercise on Abdominal Muscles Strength, Endurance, Flexibility and Waist Circumference in Healthy Young Individuals.

The study design will be a Randomized Controlled Trial, conducted in Physiotherapy Department of University of Health Sciences, Jinnah Campus, Lahore with a calculated sample size of 50 participants (25 participants per group) alongwith a dropout rate of 20%.