Page 109 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

Effectiveness of Pilates Exercise on Quality of Life in Older Adult
Women

Iva Weingerl, Žiga Kozinc, Dorjana Zerbo Šporin
University of Primorska Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia

Introduction: The global demographic landscape is undergoing a significant transfor-
mation characterized by a steady increase in the proportion of older adult individu-
als. This demographic evolution has a strong social, political, and economic impact and
is an indicator of the social transformation of the 21st century. This demographic shift
brings to the forefront the imperative of promoting healthy aging and enhancing the
quality of life for older adults. Women often face unique challenges related to physical
fitness and mental well-being during later years. Physical activity may help reduce the
speed of this decline, raising or maintaining the intrinsic and functional capacity by im-
proving physical capacities (e.g., strength, balance, and flexibility) also with advanced
age. In this context, physical activity can represent one of the pivotal factors for main-
taining and improving overall health in the older adults as it may minimize the direct in-
fluence of chronological age on the loss of bio-psychosocial function associated with
ageing. Among the diverse array of exercise modalities available, Pilates has received
increasing attention for its holistic approach to fitness, emphasizing core strength, flex-
ibility, posture, and mind-body connection.
Methods: This article is a literature review where multiple databases of scientific liter-
ature (PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched in November 2023 with-
out regard to the date of publication. We used the following combination of search
key words: (Pilates AND (elderly women OR older women)). Upon eliminating dupli-
cate entries, the authors individually screened titles and abstracts based on pre-estab-
lished eligibility criteria. 24 articles that satisfied these criteria underwent full-text ex-
amination and were included in this paper. preventiva in rehabilitacija ... | prevention and rehabilitation ...
Results: We divided the effects of Pilates into 5 categories: balance and fall risk, emo-
tional and mental health, metabolic parameters, cognitive functions and quality of
life. Studies have mostly shown improvement in balance and reduced fall risk in older
adult women by addressing core strength, stability, and coordination. Pilates also helps
strengthen the muscles that play a key role in balance. This can lead to a greater sense
of body awareness and control, which ultimately improves balance in both daily activi-
ties and athletic performance. Regular practice of Pilates in older adult women can al-
so help to prevent falls by improving stability and reducing the risk of injury.
Discussion and conclusion: As women age, they are confronted with physiological chang-
es such as muscle loss, decreased bone density, reduced flexibility, and compromised
balance, all of which can contribute to an increased risk of falls, fractures, and func-
tional. Pilates, with its focus on controlled movements, breathwork, and alignment,
presents a low-impact exercise option that can help address these age-related chal-
lenges and brings an improved physical and mental well-being in older adult women.
Pilates exercise programs have shown to bring improvements in many areas that af-
fect the quality of life in older adult women, such as sleep quality, anxiety, depres-
sion, and fatigue, in hormone levels, cardiorespiratory fitness and psychological func-
tion, in fall prevention and functional balance. Regular practice of Pilates in older adult
women can also help to prevent falls by improving stability and reducing the risk of in-
jury. In regards to the current and future demographic changes, the benefits of Pilates
for older adult women still remains an area of research interest and clinical relevance.
Keywords: older adult women, pilates, exercise intervention, biopsychosocial functions
in elderly

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