Although exercise is beneficial for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP), the optimal type and amount of exercise are unclear. This study aimed to determine the impact of circuit training that combines aerobic and resistance exercises on adult women with CMP. A total of 139 women with CMP underwent circuit training for 3 months and were asked to complete the following questionnaires at baseline and 3 months later: Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ), Shoulder36, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Significant improvements were observed in NRS, PCS, RDQ, and KOOS activities of daily living (ADL) scores after the intervention relative to baseline (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0013, 0.0004, and 0.0295, respectively), whereas shoulder function did not improve. When considering the impact of exercise frequency, NRS scores improved regardless of exercise frequency. Furthermore, PCS, RDQ, and KOOS scores improved in participants who exercised at least twice a week (24 sessions over the course of 3 months). In conclusion, CMP, pain catastrophizing, and physical function in adult female fitness club participants with CMP of NRS 4 or higher improved after 3 months of aerobic-resistance circuit training.

This study aimed to compare the physical activity (PA) measured by a wearable sensor device (WSD) and the step count measurement, and to investigate the association between PAs and lifestyle. Data of 301 participants were collected from March 2019 to March 2021. Step counts, sedentary behavior, performance time of light/moderate/vigorous PA, METs × hour of “Locomotive” and “Household” categorized activities, and energy expenditure (EE) were measured by the WSD, respectively. Furthermore, the participants were classified into student, standing worker, and sitting worker groups. Data were analyzed using the Steel–Dwass and Pearson correlation coefficient tests. The correlation between the performance time of each PA and step count was weak, except for moderate PA. “Household” EE and step count also had a weak correlation. In the comparison of lifestyle, there was a significant difference in the mean performance time of each type of PA between the groups. Additionally, the standing worker and sitting worker groups had a significant difference in METs × hour of "Household" activities, indicating that the difference between the occupations is reflected in “Household” activities. The WSD measurement can be used to evaluate detailed individual PA, whereas the step count measurement showed weakness in the PA estimation.

[Purpose] We studied the effects of active exercise on preventing joint contractures secondary to joint immobilization in a functional position. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve female Wistar rats were used. The unilateral ankle joint of each animal was immobilized in a functional position by a cast for a duration of seven days. In the active exercise group, the casts were removed during treadmill running (20 min) once a day. In the control group, the casts were changed once a day. On the first and last days, the ranges of motion (ROM) of the ankle joints were measured.[Results] The ROMs were 117.3 ± 6.1° in the immobilized group and 119.7 ± 5.3° in the active exercise group on the first day with no significant difference between the two groups. The ROMs were 84.0 ± 4.6° in the immobilized group and 93.3 ± 8.0° in the active exercise group on the last day. ROM had decreased not only in the immobilized group but also in the active exercise group. The ROM of the active exercise group had significantly increased on the last day.[Conclusion] The fixation conditions described above could not prevent joint contracture.