Effects of 8-week Pilates exercise program on menopausal symptoms and lumbar strength and flexibility in postmenopausal women

The effect of resistance training in reducing hot flushes in post-menopausal women: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this meta-analysis is to study the effect of different strengths of resistance training programs on the severity and frequency of hot flushes in postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms.

BACKGROUND

Menopause is defined as the state in which the menstrual cycle of a biological female spontaneously comes to a halt for a period of about 1 year. Through a detailed analysis of much of the research, it is found that the resistance training program is beneficial not only for reducing the severity as well as the frequency of hot flushes in postmenopausal women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Online research was conducted through databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Trial Register, and Google Scholar till the 20th of March 2023. The Review Manager (version 5.4.1) was used to statistically analyze the data from the studies. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria, comparing the vasomotor symptoms in resistance training groups as compared to control were used for this meta-analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the alleviation of hot flushes in the resistance training group. Random-effect model was used to pool the studies and the result was reported in SMD with 95% Confidence Interval (CI).

RESULTS

5 studies were selected for this review. Statistical analysis shows that vasomotor symptoms were more common in the control group and decreased significantly in the resistance training group after the intervention (SMD = -1.31, 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.77, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Resistance Training significantly affects vasomotor symptoms and can be considered for such symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Comparing right and left hamstring flexibility and its association to nonspecific lowr back pain among women of different age groups

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Decreased hamstring flexibility has been associated with LBP (lower back pain). Increased tightness or shortening of hamstring muscle may cause pelvis imbalance or tilt and create instability and increase LBP risk. This study was conducted to pinpoint the differences between right and left hamstring length and their association to LBP in Israeli adult and elderly women.

METHODS

N = 109 women which were divided into two groups: Adult group, 41 women (aged 45-60) and older group, 68 women (aged 60-75), with LBP that exercise regularly (minimum twice weekly) were selected based on inclusion criteria. Hamstring flexibility was measured using the Passive Straight Leg Raise test and Sit and Reach test, and LBP was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (OS), the Roland-Morris questionnaire (RM), and a personal information questionnaire.

FINDINGS

Findings indicate a statistically significant difference (p < .05) in hamstring flexibility between right and left legs in PSLR test, with the left being shorter than the right. A significant negative correlation was found between hamstring shortening to function in OS and RM questionnaires in the older group, no significant correlation was found between left -right hamstring flexibility differences and reduced function with LBP in the OS and RM questionnaires.

CONCLUSION

s: Hamstring shortening in adult and elderly women exists despite regular exercise. Future studies must be incorporated to improve hamstring flexibility with emphasis on balance of left and right legs to examine how this will affect LPB reports and compare women who exercise versus women who do not.

Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Although it is known that resistance training can be as effective as stretch training to increase joint range of motion, to date no comprehensive meta-analysis has investigated the effects of resistance training on range of motion with all its potential affecting variables.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of chronic resistance training on range of motion compared either to a control condition or stretch training or to a combination of resistance training and stretch training to stretch training, while assessing moderating variables.

DESIGN

For the main analysis, a random-effect meta-analysis was used and for the subgroup analysis a mixed-effect model was implemented. Whilst subgroup analyses included sex and participants' activity levels, meta-regression included age, frequency, and duration of resistance training.

DATA SOURCES

Following the systematic search in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) and reference lists, 55 studies were found to be eligible.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Controlled or randomized controlled trials that separately compared the training effects of resistance training exercises with either a control group, stretching group, or combined stretch and resistance training group on range of motion in healthy participants.

RESULTS

Resistance training increased range of motion (effect size [ES] = 0.73; p < 0.001) with the exception of no significant range of motion improvement with resistance training using only body mass. There were no significant differences between resistance training versus stretch training (ES = 0.08; p = 0.79) or between resistance training and stretch training versus stretch training alone (ES = - 0.001; p = 0.99). Although "trained or active people" increased range of motion (ES = 0.43; p < 0.001) "untrained and sedentary" individuals had significantly (p = 0.005) higher magnitude range of motion changes (ES = 1.042; p < 0.001). There were no detected differences between sex and contraction type. Meta-regression showed no effect of age, training duration, or frequency.

CONCLUSIONS

As resistance training with external loads can improve range of motion, stretching prior to or after resistance training may not be necessary to enhance flexibility.

Effects of exercise on vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The frequency and severity of menopausal vasomotor symptoms negatively impact quality of life. This systematic review evaluates the potential of exercise to relieve the subjective frequency and severity of vasomotor symptoms. We searched four databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of structured exercise (e.g. aerobic training) on the severity and/or frequency of vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. Two reviewers independently screened records for eligibility, extracted data and assessed risks of bias and evidence certainty using the Cochrane tool and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). When suitable, data were pooled using random-effect meta-analyses. We appraised 21 RCTs involving 2884 participants. Compared to no-treatment control, exercise significantly improved severity of vasomotor symptoms (10 studies, standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.04 to 0.47, p = 0.02, very low certainty of evidence); the effect size was attenuated when studies with a high risk of bias were excluded (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.26, p = 0.13). No significant changes in vasomotor frequency were found between exercise and control (SMD = 0.14, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.31, p = 0.12, high certainty of evidence). In conclusion, exercise might improve vasomotor symptom severity. Future rigorous RCTs addressing the limitations of current review are warranted to explore the optimal exercise prescription principles to target the severity of vasomotor symptoms.

Effects of clinical Pilates on the fitness in people with children with disabilities: a randomized controlled trial

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of Clinical Pilates Exercises (CPE) on Health-Related Physical Fitness in Primary Caregivers. Patients & methods: Fifty-five participants were randomly divided into the CPE group and the Control group. Individuals in the CPE group performed CPE two-times a week for 8 weeks. Results: The intergroup comparisons showed that there were significant differences in favor of the CPE group in the sit-up test, body extension endurance, body flexion endurance, side bridge (right), squat test and flexibility tests (p < 0.05). The intragroup comparisons revealed significant differences in the CPE group in the sit-up test, body flexion endurance, side bridge (both sides), squat test and flexibility tests (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CPEs are effective on improvement of health-related fitness parameters in the primary caregivers of children with disabilities. Clinical trial registration number: NCT03729466.