RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Effect of Eight Weeks of Pilates Exercises on Anthropometric Indices and Subjective Well-being in Obese Middle-aged Women
Kiavash Hushmandi1, Jamshid Jamali2, Sam Saghari3, Rasoul Raesi4, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 16
E-location ID: e187494452306010
Publisher ID: e187494452306010
DOI: 10.2174/18749445-v16-e230627-2023-40
Article History:
Received Date: 11/02/2023Revision Received Date: 25/04/2023
Acceptance Date: 23/05/2023
Electronic publication date: 11/07/2023
Collection year: 2023
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background:
Exercise is one of the most effective means of enhancing subjective well-being, preventing obesity, and maintaining good health.
Aim:
This study aimed to investigate the impact of eight weeks of Pilates training on anthropometric indices and subjective well-being in obese middle-aged women.
Methods:
In this quasi-experimental study, 40 eligible obese middle-aged women of Khaf Fitness Plus Sports Club were voluntarily recruited and randomly assigned to Pilates and control groups. The Pilates group participated in eight weeks of Pilates exercises performed three times weekly. The subjective well-being survey and a checklist of anthropometric indices were completed for all individuals 24 hours before and 72 hours after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS-15 statistical software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, independent t-test, paired t-test, chi-square, and Fisher exact tests. The significance level was set at p <0.05.
Results:
After the intervention, the experimental group had significantly lower mean weight, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio than the control group (p <0.05). The mean scores of emotional, psychological, and social well-being in the experimental group increased significantly after the intervention compared to baseline (p <0.01).
Conclusion:
The results reveal that eight weeks of Pilates exercises significantly reduce anthropometric indices and increase subjective well-being dimensions (emotional, psychological, and social well-being) in obese middle-aged women.
