Acute Effect Of Pilates On Blood Pressure In Women

Overview

The objective of this randomized crossover clinical trial was to evaluate the acute effect of a Pilates exercise session on blood pressure in women aged 50 years or older. The main questions investigated were: * Did a single Pilates exercise session alter blood pressure in the 24 hours following the intervention? * Did the effects of Pilates on blood pressure differ from those observed after a treadmill walking session? All participants initially underwent a control condition, which involved a health history assessment and the fitting of a blood pressure monitor for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Following this condition, participants were randomly assigned to one of two intervention sequences: Pilates followed by walking, or walking followed by Pilates. The two interventions were performed with a six-day interval between sessions. In the Pilates condition, participants performed a session lasting approximately 50 minutes, consisting of 10 exercises. In the walking condition, they performed approximately 50 minutes of treadmill walking at an intensity corresponding to 60-70% of their maximum heart rate. After each experimental condition, blood pressure was monitored for 24 hours using ABPM.

This randomized crossover clinical trial investigated the acute effect of a single Pilates exercise session on ambulatory blood pressure in women aged 50 years or older with elevated blood pressure. The study was conducted through three experimental sessions. In the first session, all participants underwent the control/baseline condition, which included clinical and sociodemographic assessment, familiarization with the assessment procedures, and baseline blood pressure measurements. An ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device was then fitted and maintained for 24 hours without exercise, establishing the control condition. Following the control/baseline session, participants were randomly assigned to one of two intervention sequences: Pilates followed by walking or walking followed by Pilates. A six-day interval was maintained between the experimental sessions. Thus, all participants completed both exercise interventions, but the order of the interventions was randomized. The walking session was performed on a treadmill for 50 minutes at an individually prescribed intensity of 60-70% of heart rate reserve. Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the session, and treadmill speed was adjusted as necessary to maintain the target intensity. The Pilates session was performed on a mat using body weight and a Magic Circle accessory. The session lasted 50 minutes and consisted of 10 exercises involving the trunk, upper limbs, and lower limbs. Each exercise was performed for one set of 10 repetitions, with a one-minute interval between exercises. Participants were previously instructed and familiarized with the correct execution of the exercises. After each exercise session, ambulatory blood pressure was monitored for 24 hours. Monitoring began at 2:00 PM and included measurements during both waking and sleeping periods. Participants maintained their usual medication regimen throughout the study and recorded relevant daily information, including medication use, meals, sleep and wake times, and stressful events, in an activity diary. Heart rate, perceived exertion, satisfaction, and affective responses were also assessed during the exercise sessions to characterize the physiological and subjective responses to the two exercise modalities. The study was conducted in accordance with ethical principles for research involving human participants and received approval from the Research Ethics Committee under opinion number 4.170.827. All participants provided informed consent before participation.