INFLUENCE OF ABDOMINAL CORE STRENGTHENING ON FLEXIBILITY IN KUNG FU ATHLETES

ABSTRACT Introduction Good flexibility is one of the foundations for developing a high level of exercise. Flexibility training in martial arts mainly focuses on flexibility training of the abdominal center and upper and lower limbs. Objective Explore the effect of strengthening the abdominal center on flexibility in martial arts athletes. Methods Among 20 experimental volunteers from the team of martial arts athletes, five men and five women in the experimental group and five men and five women in the control group, the experiment was conducted by strengthening the training of the abdominal center in a specific protocol for four months. Results Among the control group athletes in orthostatic posture, eyes open on both feet before the experiment, the flexibility score increased by 6.69% after the experiment; among the control group athletes in the same orthostatic posture, with eyes closed, the flexibility score increased by 3.41% after the experiment. Conclusion Strength training with the developed protocol and traditional strength training can promote flexibility improvement in martial arts athletes, with the specific protocol presenting the most significant effects. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.