Effects of the pilates method on functional capacity, anthropometric factors, inflammatory markers and quality of life in sedentary elderly women

The aim of the present study was investigate the effects of exercises based on the Pilates method on functional capacity, anthropometric factors, levels of circulating inflammatory markers and quality of life in sedentary elderly women. It is an almost experimental design with pre and post-test. The sample considered of 33 elderly individuals, aged 60 years and female. In order to evaluate the functional capacity (FC), the tests of walking speed (WS) and manual grip strength (MGS) were used; to evaluate the presence of inflammatory markers, laboratory tests were performed to quantify the serum levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, and the SF-36 questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality of life. For statistical analysis, Shapiro Wilk normality test was used. For parametric data, paired t- test and one-way ANOVA were used, and for nonparametric data, the Wilcoxon and Kruskal -Wallis test. Chi-square test was used for association analysis. All data were analyzed by SPSS-IBM, version 22.0 duly registered and the significance level of p ≤0.05 was stipulated. The Pilates group did not present significant alterations in relation to CF (p> 0.05), but the other variables presented. Anthropometric variables (total body mass, BMI, waist and hip circumference), C-reactive protein and fibrinogen (p< 0,05); and in relation to QV, two domains presented significant changes: limitations by physical aspects (p = 0.045) and pain (p = 0.011). It was concluded that the Pilates solo practice promoted a significant reduction in body composition, serum levels of inflammatory markers, quality of life and maintenance of functional capacity