Surface Electromyographic study of Core and Lower Extremity Muscle Groups during Lower Limb Exercises on the Pilates Reformer

The Pilates Reformer (PR) is used extensively for exercise as well as rehabilitation but limited research has been reported dealing on whether core muscles are selectively activated.  The purpose of this study is to examine the activation of specific core muscle e.g. rectus abdominins  groups via surface electromyography (SEMG) measurements and video recordings during two lower limb exercises performed on the PR.  Physically fit male and female subjects between the ages of 18 and 35 performed the “Leg Circles”(LC) and “Knee Circles”(KC) exercises.  SEMG was recorded of the following muscles: rectus abdominis both upper and lower components (RA), external abdominal oblique (EAO), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), biceps femoris (BiF) and adductor longus (AL).  Subjects performed 3 sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise.  The data suggests that KC exercise is preferable for selectively activating the core whereas the LC do not show such a pronounced activation.  Specific exercises on the PR could be effective in rehabilitation medicine since they activate the core preferentially but reduce the impact on the joints.