RESUMO
Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of mat Pilates on resting heart rate, resting blood pressure and fasting blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in elderly women
Methodology: Fifty sedentary, apparently healthy females aged 60 and older were randomly assigned into a control [CG, n = 25] or an intervention [IG, n = 25] group. The IG took part in an eight-week progressive mat Pilates exercise program, three times weekly while the CG did not take part in any structured exercises throughout the eight-week period. All subjects underwent pre- and post-tests in which cardiometabolic parameters were assessed
Results: In the eight-week mat Pilates program, the IG only demonstrated a significant [p = 0.05] decrease in systolic BP [p = 0.040] from 135.84 +/- 14.66mmHg to 128.80 +/- 16.36mmHg and a significant increase in blood glucose [p = 0.000] from 5.07 +/- 0.46mmol.L[-1] to 5.83 +/- 0.57mmol.L[-1], whereas resting HR [p = 0.148] [from 68.80 +/- 12.58beats.min[-1] to 73.20 +/- 11.46beats.min[-1]], resting diastolic BP [p = 0.342] [from 75.64 +/- 10.10mmHg to 77.44 +/- 9.32mmHg], blood TC [p = 0.073] [from 5.37 +/- 0.99mmol.L[-1] to 5.67 +/- 1.04mmol.L[-1]] and blood TG [p = 0.384] [from 1.77 +/- 0.88mmol.L[-1] to 1.92 +/- 0.87mmol.L[-1]] did not produce any significant changes
Conclusion: Due to the contradictory nature of the cardiometabolic variables [except systolic BP] with the findings of previous studies, it is difficult to establish a case for using Pilates as a substitute for more conventional forms of exercising when exclusively attempting to favourably alter cardiometabolic parameters at least among the elderly women in our sample