Pilates vs. aerobic training for individuals who are overweight/obese v2

Objective: To compare the effects of Pilates and aerobic training on cardiorespiratory fitness, isokinetic muscular strength, body composition, and functional tasks outcomes for individuals who are overweight/obese. Design: A prospective study. Settings: University laboratory and Pilates Studio. Participants: Sixty participants were divided into three groups: Pilates (n=22), Aerobic (n=21) and Control (n=17) groups. Interventions: The Pilates and Aerobic groups attended 60-min exercise sessions, three times per week for 8 weeks. The Aerobic group performed walking training at heart rate corresponding to the ventilatory threshold. Pilates groups performed exercises on the floor, on the resistance apparatus, and 1-kg Dumbbells. The control group received no intervention. All three groups were evaluated before and after 8 weeks of training. Results: There was no significant difference pre and post intervention in calorie intake [F(2, 57)=0.02744, p=0.97)]. A significant improvement of oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold (p=0.001; d=0.60), respiratory compensation point (p=0.01; d=0.48), and maximum effort (p=0.01; d=0.33) was observed only in the Pilates group. Isokinetic peak torque for knees flexor and extensor muscles did not change for any groups. Lean mass (p=0.0005; d=0.19) and fat mass (p=0.0001; d=0.19) improved only in the Pilates group. Circumference measurements (waist and hip) decreased similarly in both experimental groups. Abdominal test performance improved more in the Pilates group (p=0.0001; d=1.69) than in the Aerobic group (p=0.03; d=0.95). Trunk extensor endurance and flexibility improved only in the Pilates group (p=0.0003; d=0.80 and p=0.0001; d=0.41, respectively). The Pilates group showed greater improvement on the chair and stair tests (p=0.0001; d=1.48 and p=0.002; d=0.78, respectively) than the Aerobic group (p=0.005; d=0.75 and p=0.04; d=0.41, respectively). Conclusion: Pilates training can be used as an alternative physical training method for individuals who are overweight/obese since it promotes significant effects in cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and functional tests performance.