A new study suggests that a four-week Pilates program can improve cardiovascular health and stress markers, with older participants showing the most significant benefits.
Key Findings
A study published in the journal Life examined the effects of a 4-week Pilates program on cardiovascular, metabolic, anthropometric, and neuroendocrine responses in previously sedentary women.
- The study included 30 sedentary women, stratified into two age groups: 30–40 years and 50–60 years.
- Participants completed a supervised Pilates program with three 50–60 minute sessions per week for 4 weeks.
- Assessments of resting heart rate, blood pressure, BMI, abdominal circumference, fasting blood glucose, and serum cortisol were taken at baseline and after the intervention.
Results
- In the younger group, significant reductions were observed in heart rate, blood pressure, BMI, and fasting blood glucose.
- The older group showed a significantly greater reduction in blood pressure compared to the younger group. Older participants also experienced larger decreases in glucose and cortisol levels.
- Correlation analyses indicated associations between heart rate and blood pressure in the younger group, and between BMI and fasting glucose changes in the older group.
Interpretation by Authors
According to the researchers, Pilates may offer benefits for cardiometabolic health and stress regulation. They noted that older participants may have shown greater improvements due to higher baseline cardiometabolic burden.
The authors suggested that the BMI reduction observed could be partly due to dietary modifications, as participants were instructed to avoid alcohol and sugary products during the study.
Limitations
The study lacked a control group, had a small sample size, and measured cortisol only once in the morning, limiting conclusions about HPA axis regulation.
The authors called for larger-scale studies with longer follow-up to confirm causal associations.