Effects of pilates on physical-functional performance, quality of life and mood in older adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To verify the effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, SportDiscus, Scielo, and PEDro. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that intervened with Pilates and had HRQoL as an outcome were eligible. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the PEDro scale and the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE system. Meta-analyses were conducted by standardized mean difference (SMD).

RESULTS

Initially, 760 records were located. After screening, 11 RCTs were included in the systematic review. Five studies presented low risk of bias (PEDro score ≥ 6). Evidence of very low to moderate certainty demonstrated significant effects in favor of Pilates exercises vs control groups for five of the nine HRQoL domains analyzed: bodily pain (SMD = 0.96), physical functioning (SMD = 0.85), social functioning (SMD = 0.45), role physical (SMD = 0.79), and role emotional (SMD = 0.61). Subgroup analyzes demonstrated that Pilates had a positive impact on more domains whens administered for ≥ 48 sessions (eight domains) vs < 48 sessions (three domains); and when administered on equipment (seven domains) vs mat (three domains).

CONCLUSION

Pilates exercises, in general, allowed significant effects to improve HRQoL in postmenopausal women, especially when performed on equipment and when administered for at least 48 sessions. However, no analysis showed high certainty of evidence, and more RCTs of high methodological quality are needed to confirm these findings.

Exercise as a falls prevention strategy in the care of older people

Older people who sustain a fall may experience a range of adverse outcomes, such as distress, injury and loss of independence. Falls increase the risk of frailty and frailty increases the risk of falls. Regular exercise is a pillar of falls prevention and can have extensive benefits for older people's health, well-being and ability to undertake activities they enjoy. As part of the multidisciplinary team, nurses have a pivotal role in implementing exercise-based falls prevention strategies for older people and in encouraging their patients to exercise. This article discusses exercise as a falls prevention strategy in hospital and in the community and supports nurses to develop their knowledge and confidence in promoting exercise in older people.

Pilates and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review

OBJECTIVES

To summarize the evidence of associations between Pilates and multiple health outcomes, and evaluate the strength and validity of these associations.

DESIGN

Unbrella review.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to February, 2023. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews, version 2 and the certainty of evidence was graded by the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. We recalculated each outcome using random-effects models with standardized mean difference.

RESULTS

We identified 27 systematic reviews with meta-analyses in this umbrella review. 1 was rated as high quality, 1 as moderate quality, 15 as low quality, and 10 as critically low quality. These studies focused on the populations with diseases of the circulatory system, endocrine, nutritional or metabolic diseases, genitourinary system diseases, mental, behavioral, or neurodevelopmental disorder, musculoskeletal system diseases, neoplasms, nervous system diseases, sleep-wake function disorder and others. Compared with inactive/active intervention, Pilates can reduce body mass index and body fat percentage, relieve pain and disability, and improve sleep quality and balance. The certainty of evidence was very low to moderate for these outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Pilates showed benefits on several health outcomes related with low back pain, neck pain and scoliosis. However, the certainty of the evidence was mostly low; further high quality randomized controlled trials are needed to elucidate and support these promising findings.

Psychophysiological Adaptations to Pilates Training in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Topical Review

The prevalence of overweightness and obesity has been documented as a major public health issue since it has increased at an alarming rate worldwide. Structured physical exercise programs have been reported as an essential strategy for preventing, managing, and treating obesity, inducing critical improvements in various physiological and psychological markers. However, it is unclear whether Pilates training can elicit positive changes in body composition, physical fitness, cardiometabolic health, and well-being among overweight and obese populations. The purpose of this topical review was to catalog studies investigating the physiological and psychological adaptations to Pilates training in order to identify what outcomes have been assessed, the research methods used, and the results. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were met by 14 published articles involving 582 participants (83% female) who were overweight or obese. The present topical review on Pilates training-induced adaptations shows that this widely used exercise type can significantly improve the majority of the selected indicators. These beneficial changes are frequently focused on anthropometric parameters, body composition, glucose, and lipid metabolism, as well as blood pressure in sedentary overweight or obese women. Specialized equipment-based Pilates interventions and trials investigating various mental health indices were limited. Further research is warranted in this area, emphasizing the Pilates training configuration and potential mechanisms behind positive alterations in several psychophysiological markers through large-scale randomized controlled trials with superior methodological quality, implementing long-term interventions in various populations that are overweight and obese.