Forest trail difficulty levels must be investigated to promote their safe usage. However, exercise-based physiological changes are difficult to estimate in a forest environment. Hence, studies comparing indoor and outdoor environmental activities are required. We aimed to investigate the physiological traits associated with different usage grades of national forest trails in the Republic of Korea. We conducted both field and indoor experiments to measure different variables of 20 healthy participants aged 40–50 years to evaluate the exercise intensity and physiological effects of hiking on these trails. Significant variations in physiological responses were observed based on trail difficulty, with the highest heart rate and energy expenditure recorded during the most challenging uphill segments. Specifically, the heart rate increased from 115.4 ± 13.7 bpm in easy segments to 140.3 ± 15.6 bpm in difficult segments, whereas energy expenditure ranged from 404.1 ± 112.2 kcal/h to 518.1 ± 131.0 kcal/h. This study highlights the importance of considering both objective trail difficulty and users’ physiological reactions, including perceived exertion, to enhance user safety and optimize the health benefits of national forest trails. These findings provide essential data for developing comprehensive exercise programs and improving the national forest trail usage grade system.

Inadequate management of blood glucose levels in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses risks for both pregnant women and the developing fetus. Attaining appropriate blood glucose control is crucial to mitigate potential adverse outcomes. This study aimed to consolidate the latest guidelines from representative professional societies, providing insights into exercise therapy for GDM patients and suggesting potential avenues for future research. The review was conducted with up-to-date exercise guidelines from prominent societies, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the Korean Diabetes Association. The ACOG and SOGC/CSEP recommend 150 min of low to moderate intensity exercise, 3–4 times a week, combining aerobic and resistance exercises. All guidelines advise against activities involving sudden directional changes, physical contact, a risk of falling, and exercises performed lying down. Despite cautions from the ADA and ACOG on blood glucose fluctuations during physical activity, the lack of specific methods and recommendations from other societies reveals a notable gap in evidence-based guidelines for GDM. For effective and safe blood glucose management in GDM patients, further research should be conducted on the exercise-related precautions outlined for GDM patients. Establishing ample evidence would facilitate the development of customized exercise guidelines for GDM patients.

Accurate information on trail difficulty is essential for ensuring safety and enhancing the effectiveness of forest-based health and recreational activities. This study examined the physiological responses of middle-aged adults to varying trail difficulty levels across both controlled indoor and natural outdoor walking environments. A total of ten healthy individuals aged 40–50 years participated in walking tasks across three designated trail difficulty levels: Moderate, Difficult, and Very Difficult. Physiological indicators assessed included step speed (SS), step count (SC), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (OS), energy expenditure (EE), metabolic equivalents (MET), and oxygen consumption (VO₂). As trail difficulty increased, HR, RPE, VO₂, EE, and MET consistently showed upward trends, whereas SS and SC demonstrated significant decreases. Additionally, the outdoor setting imposed generally greater physiological demands compared to the indoor condition, suggesting that terrain complexity and elevation changes amplify physical exertion during real-world trail use. The findings contribute valuable empirical evidence for the design of individualized exercise programs, improved trail difficulty classifications, and the advancement of forest-based health promotion policies.

PURPOSE This study was conducted for the purpose of exploring the direction and quality of Pilates research in the future by comparing and analyzing research trends in the field of Pilates natural science at home and abroad. METHODS In order to analyze domestic and foreign Pilates research trends, we analyzed academic papers of the last 10 years (2013-2022) in the natural science field, and domestic papers were used as the keyword 'Pilates' using DP Pia, Kiss, and Riss, which are academic information services. A total of 105 papers were used by searching. For overseas studies, Pub med and Scholar were used, and only SCI and SCIE papers were collected and 129 papers were searched. RESULTS First, according to the comparative analysis of research trends by domestic and foreign fields, physiology (61%), kinematics (24.8%), and rehabilitation (14.2%) were found in the order of domestic, whereas in foreign countries, kinematics (34.9%) and physiology (33.3%) and rehabilitation (31.8%), a study with a relatively even distribution was conducted. Second, in the comparative analysis by study subject, domestic literature was the highest with 68.7% of studies targeting women, and was conducted separately by various age groups. Foreign fields, 40.9% of studies conducted by gender were found, and there were many studies that considered the characteristics of musculoskeletal disorders and metabolic diseases rather than gender. Third, looking at the comparison by research variable, studies have been conducted on various topics in physiology and kinetic dynamics. However, while domestic studies have focused on changes in body composition, foreign studies are actively conducting research on muscle function, musculoskeletal disorders, and rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS In summary, it is judged that active research in the field of kinematics and rehabilitation should be conducted for more diverse subjects in the field of Pilates.

Backgrounds/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare blood flow and exercise performance in high-temperature environments with Kinesio taping. Methods: Ten heathy men performed a Bruce treadmill test until volitional fatigue in a heated environment (35 °C, 50% relative humidity), with (KTC) and without Kinesio taping (UTC). Blood flow (BF), maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate (BL) were measured at baseline, after 30 min of acclimation, during treadmill exercise, and after 30 min of recovery. Results: Baseline and resting measurements of BF, VO₂max, HR, and BL were similar between conditions (p > 0.05). The results revealed no significant differences in any variables between conditions (p > 0.05), except for BF. BF was significantly higher in the KTC compared to the UTC during exercise (p < 0.05). VO₂, HR, and BL significantly increased during exercise, immediately post-exercise, 10 min post-exercise, and 30 min post-exercise compared to baseline in both KTC and UTC conditions (all p < 0.05). When Kinesio tape was applied, BF significantly increased during and after exercise. However, VO₂, HR, and BL did not differ between conditions. Conclusions: These results showed no evidence that Kinesio tape improves exercise performance or recovery in heat conditions.

Purpose: This exploratory cross-sectional study examined associations between generalized joint hypermobility (GJH), physical performance, and ankle mobility in physically active young adults. Methods: Forty university students (28 males and 12 females) from Korea National University of Transportation were recruited by convenience sampling. GJH was assessed using the Beighton Scoring System (BSS), and outcomes included handgrip strength (HGS), countermovement jump (CMJ), and passive ankle range of motion (ROM). Pearson correlations, GJH–NGJH group comparisons, and exploratory sex-stratified analyses were performed. All p values were unadjusted and interpreted as nominal. Results: BSS score showed a positive association with left ankle dorsiflexion ROM at the unadjusted significance level (r = 0.322, 95% CI [0.012, 0.576], unadjusted p = 0.043); this association did not meet the Bonferroni-adjusted threshold for seven principal correlations, whereas no significant associations were observed with HGS, CMJ, or other ankle-ROM outcomes. No significant differences were found between GJH and NGJH groups. Males showed higher absolute HGS and CMJ, whereas females showed greater left ankle dorsiflexion ROM (p = 0.045). Sex-stratified correlations were not statistically significant, and no significant sex difference in correlation coefficients was detected. Conclusions: No statistically significant associations were detected between BSS scores and HGS or CMJ performance. The nominal association with left ankle dorsiflexion should be interpreted cautiously and considered hypothesis-generating.