[Purpose] To confirm the necessity of considering students' Grit scores when determining their stages of vocational identity development. [Subjects and Methods] A questionnaire survey was conducted, involving 85 students of the Department of Physical Therapy of a health care college, to examine their scores from a vocational identity scale for health care students (vocational identity scale) and the Japanese-version Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), in addition to basic attributes. The relationship between scores from the 2 scales and their subscales was analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.[Results] There was a significant positive correlation between the students' scores from the Grit-S and vocational identity scale, including their subscales.

[Purpose] To obtain basic data for rehabilitation to help patients return to sports activities or with other goals by examining changes in the side-stepping movement velocity, representing trunk muscle activity. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty healthy adult males executed side-stepping movements at 5 different velocities to measure the activities of the following muscles during the movements using surface electromyography: the rectus abdominis, ex-and internal oblique, and lumbar multifidus muscles. [Results] With increases in the side-stepping movement velocity, the activities of all muscles were promoted.[Conclusion] The trunk muscle activity level increased when executing side-stepping movements at a higher velocity, suggesting that the muscles of the trunk are involved in such performance.

[Purpose] To investigate the effects on spinal cord excitability, as measured by evoked electromyography H waves, of a continuous stretching exercise and a repeated dynamic exercise. [Subjects and Methods] The lower limbs of 14 healthy adults with no history of neurological disorders were investigated. The H wave of the soleus muscle was measured using evoked electromyography under three conditions: at rest, continuous stretching, and repeated dynamic exercise.[Results] After continuous stretching, no significant difference was found from at rest; however, a significant decrease in H wave amplitude was found after repeated dynamic exercise. Also, after the repeated dynamic exercise, the percentage change in H wave amplitude was significantly lower than that after continuous stretching.[Conclusion] The results showed that spinal cord excitability under the repeated dynamic exercise was significantly lower than that under the continuous stretching exercise.