Effect of 30 pilates sessions on body posture, perception and dynamic balance in healthy women

BACKGROUND: The development of research has not followed the increase in the number of Pilates practitioners. So, due to the popularity of the Pilates Method, especially among women, studies that verify the effects of exercises are important. AIM: To verify the effect of 30 sessions of the Pilates Method on static body posture, postural habits, body image perception and dynamic balance in healthy adult women. METHOD: This is a quasi-experimental study, characterized by a 15-week Pilates exercise intervention program, twice a week. Outcomes static body posture, postural habits, body image perception, and dynamic balance were evaluated in three moments: 30 days before the intervention started (M1), just before the intervention started (M2) and ended (M3). RESULTS: Nineteen healthy women [26.8 (3.5) years, 57.9 (6.8) kg, 160.6 (6.9) cm] participated in the study. There were differences in M2 compared to M3, and this represented an increase in the balance score (p<0.001), in the proportion of individuals with aligned trunk postural balance (p=0.002), in the proportion of individuals with a neutral pattern to pick up an object from the floor (p<0.025), and a decrease in the perception of distance between trochanters (p=0.037). CONCLUSION: Thirty Pilates sessions practiced twice a week by healthy adult women can improve dynamic balance, the postural habit of pick up an object from the floor, and static body posture.