Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the impact of whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise with a low frequency (30 Hz) on anterior trunk flexion flexibility among sedentary female university students. METHODS: A pre-test and post-test experimental study design was carried out with 60 sedentary females in the age range of 20 to 30 years, who were divided evenly into an experimental group and a control group. Participants in the experimental group underwent three sessions of WBV exercise on a Power Plate platform (2 minutes each session, frequency 30 Hz, and amplitude 2 mm), followed by 1 minute of rest in between sessions. The participants in the control group stood on the Power Plate platform with the mechanical vibration turned off. The anterior trunk flexion test was used to assess the degree of flexibility. RESULTS: The WBV technique significantly improved the anterior trunk flexion (mean difference 2.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2384-2.9617, p<0.05). The experimental group showed greater improvement (mean difference 2.20; 95% CI: 1.037-3.363, p<0.05) compared to the control group, as well as a larger effect size. CONCLUSION: Acute WBV immediately improved the anterior trunk flexion flexibility in female sedentary university students.