Effect of a physical training program using the Pilates method on flexibility in elderly subjects

Abstract

The adaptations of the human body resulting from the aging process especially loss of flexibility can increase the risk of falls and the risk of developing other health conditions. Exercise training, in particular the Pilates exercise method, has become an important form of physical activity that minimizes the deleterious effects of aging on flexibility. Few studies have evaluated the effect of this training method on body flexibility among elderly. We aimed to evaluate the effects of physical training using the Pilates method on body flexibility of elderly individuals. Eighteen elderly women and two elderly men (aged 70 ± 4 years) followed a 10-week Pilates training program. Individuals were recruited from the local community via open invitations. At study entry, none of them had limited mobility (walking requiring the use of walkers or canes). Furthermore, those with neurologic, muscular, or psychiatric disorders as well as those using an assistive device for ambulation were excluded secondary to limited participation. Flexibility assessment tests (flexion, extension, right and left tilt, and right and left rotation of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine; flexion, extension, abduction, and lateral and medial right and left rotation of the glenohumeral joint; flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and lateral and medial rotation of the right and left hip; and flexion of the right and left knee) were performed by a blinded evaluator using a flexometer before and after the training period. All assessments were carried out at the same time of day. There was an observed increase in flexion (22.86 %; p < 0.001), extension (10.49 %; p < 0.036), and rotation to the left side (20.45 %; p < 0.019) of the cervical spine; flexion (16.45 %; p < 0.001), extension (23.74 %; p = 0.006), lateral bending right (39.52 %; p < 0.001) and left (38.02 %; p < 0.001), and right rotation (24.85 %; p < 0.001) and left (24.24 %; p < 0.001) of the thoracolumbar spine; flexion (right-8.80 %, p = 0.034; left-7.03 %, p = 0.050), abduction (right-20.69 %, p < 0.001; left-16.26 %, p = 0.005), and external rotation (right-116.07 % and left-143 %; p < 0.001 for both directions) of the glenohumeral joint; flexion (right-15.83 %, p = 0.050; left-9.55 %, p = 0.047) of the hips; and bending (right-14.20 %, p = 0.006; left-15.20 %, p = 0.017) the knees. The joint with the greatest magnitude of improvement was the thoracolumbar spine. Thus, this type of training may minimize the deleterious effects of aging and may improve the functionality of elderly individuals, which would reduce the likelihood of accidents (especially falls).

Effect of Pilates Method on Physical Fitness Related to Health in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

“…The results of the studies by Bird 25 , with 15 sessions, and of Donath 33 and Kaesler 34 , with 16 sessions, did not present improvement of muscular strength, whose possible reason is that the little time practiced was not sufficient to promote gains in this variable. On the other hand, Pinheiro et al 35 , with only 12 sessions, observed a significant improvement in paravertebral muscle strength. In spite of the relatively low number of sessions, in this specific case, the positive results are consistent due to the small sample studied.…”

Programas de intervención física en mujeres mayores a través del método Pilates: Una revisión sistemática (Physical intervention programs in older women trough the Pilates method: A systematic review)

“…En cuanto al diseño, diez fueron estudios pre-post con un grupo de intervención (Bergamin et al, 2015;Bertoli et al, 2017Bertoli et al, , 2018Bird & Fell, 2014;Choi et al, 2019;Geremia, Iskiewicz, Marschner, Lehnen & Lehnen, 2015;Pata et al, 2014;Pérez et al, 2014;Pinheiro et al, 2014;Ruiz-Montero et al, 2014;Scherf et al, 2019) y seis pre-post con un grupo control y uno experimental de Carvalho et al, 2017;Irez, 2014;Ruiz-Montero & Castillo-Rodriguez, 2018;Sofianidis et al, 2017;Vasconcelos et al, 2016); cuatro ensayos clínicos aleatorizados (de Oliveira, Liposcki et al, 2019;Vieira et al, 2017); quince ensayos controlados aleatorizados (Aibar-Almazán et al, 2019;Aibar-Almazan et al, 2019;Barker et al, 2016;Cruz-Diaz et al, 2015;de Oliveira, de Oliveira & Pires-Oliveira, 2016;de Oliveira et al, 2018;Gabizon et al, 2016;Josephs et al, 2016;Markovic et al, 2015;Mesquita et al, 2015;Roller et al, 2018); dos estudios transversales (Ruiz-Montero et al, 2015) y un estudio piloto (Jurakic et al, 2017) (tabla 1).…”

O Tempo De Prática E a Prática De Outro Exercício Físico Influenciam Na Aptidão Física De Idosos Praticantes Do Método Pilates?

“…Não há um marcador único geral de flexibilidade corpórea, mais sim são analisados tais fatores por segmentos, nessa lógica, outro estudo, conduzido em poucas sessões de treinamentos 18 , relatou esses acréscimos quanto aos níveis de flexibilidade em determinadas partes do corpo, porém em outras não. Quanto a isso é necessário considerar se os exercícios incluídos no programa, estão apresentados a mesma ênfase muscular a todas as partes analisadas, ademais, se esse curto período da intervenção foi suficiente para causar mudanças na flexibilidade nos diferentes segmentos corporais.…”