Effect Of Cervical Strengthening Exercises and Lower Limb Balance Training on Craniocervical Flexion Endurance, Static and Dynamic Balance in Air Rifle Shooters

Abstract

Air rifle shooting places sustained postural demands on athletes, requiring precise neuromuscular control during prolonged standing positions. No prior study has examined whether combining cervical strengthening with lower limb balance training yields postural improvements or not. This randomised, three-group parallel trial enrolled 105 senior 10-metre air rifle shooters (mean age 20.86 ± 2.20 years) from Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) region. Group 1 received combined cervical strengthening and balance training, Group 2 underwent cervical strengthening alone, and Group 3 performed balance training alone, over six weeks. Craniocervical flexion endurance was assessed using the Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT), static balance using the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), and dynamic balance using the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) at baseline, three weeks, and six weeks. All three groups showed significant within-group improvements over time (p < 0.001). Group 2 recorded the greatest absolute gain in CCFT (32.77 points; 38.26 to 71.03), followed closely by Group 1 (30.40 points; 38.69 to 69.09). Group 1 showed the greatest gains in balance outcomes, with BESS errors reducing by 9.28 points and mSEBT composite scores increasing by 9.66 points. At six weeks, Group 1 was significantly superior to both Group 2 and Group 3 on BESS (F = 54.89, p < 0.001) and mSEBT (F = 11.71, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that combining cervical proprioceptive training with lower limb balance training produces postural adaptations that surpass those achieved by either modality alone, supporting their integrated use in air rifle shooting conditioning programmes.