1. Introduction
closed-eye
These authors contributed equally to this work as first authors.Stretching can affect balance ability by generating biomechanical and physiological changes in the postural muscles. Stretching of the lower extremity muscles can greatly affect posture maintenance strategies and balance ability. However, the relationship between stretching and balance ability has not been clarified. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of plantar flexor stretching on balance ability. Forty-four healthy young adults were randomly assigned to four groups (static stretching, dynamic stretching, ballistic stretching, and control). Ankle joint range of motion, static balance ability, and dynamic balance ability were evaluated before, immediately after, and 20 min after stretching. Stretching did not affect balance ability in the open-eye condition. After stretching, the sway area was significantly reduced in the closed-eye condition (Balance is defined as the ability to maintain the center of mass within a base of support [Various forms of rehabilitation, including strengthening and stretching, are used to improve balance ability [Various studies have investigated the relationship between stretching and balance. However, these studies reported inconsistent results on the relationship between the two factors. Martínez-Jiménez et al. [Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of plantar flexor stretching on balance ability in healthy adults.