Effect of Six Weeks of Pilates Exercises on the Function of Upper and Lower Extremities of Middle-aged Women With Lower Crossed Syndrome

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of six weeks of Pilates exercises on the function of the upper and lower extremities in middle-aged women with lower crossed syndrome (LCS). Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research with a pre-test-post-test design. The participants included 30 females with LCS from Tiam Sport Club. They were selected using a purposive sampling method and randomly divided into Pilates exercises and control groups. The function of the upper extremity was assessed using Y and Davies tests, and the lower extremity function was assessed using side hop and square hop tests. The Pilates training program was implemented for 6 weeks, 3 days a week and each session lasted 30 minutes. Paired t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze data at a significance level of P≤0.05. Results: The results showed that the Pilates exercise group performed better than the control group in the function tests of the upper and lower extremities (P≤0.05). No significant difference was observed between pre-test and post-test scores in the control group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that Pilates exercises can improve the function of the upper and lower extremities by enhancing the strength and efficiency of core stabilizer muscles. Therefore, it seems rational to suggest physiotherapists and coaches use these exercises in individuals with LCS.

Keywords

• pilates exercises
• lower crossed syndrome (lcs)
• function
• davies test
• y test