Abstract
The aim of this systematic review is to collect and summarize the benefits of Pilates in the elderly population (>60 years old), within the current scientific production, assessing its contribution to Healthy Ageing (HA). We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) to select, collect, and analyse this thematic. The methodological procedures were registered in the PROSPERO database. The main results of the studies analysed (n = 30) point to significant differences between the intervention and the control groups in dynamic balance, strength, mobility, functional capacity, risk of falling reduction, and mental and psychological health. Thus, the results showed that Pilates may be beneficial for the health of the elderly. The meta-analysis found statistical differences between means on the dynamic balance (mean difference (MD) = −0.0, 95% CI [−0.71, −0.50]; I2: 0%) and the aerobic capacity and aerobic resistance [(MD) = 38.29, 95% CI [6.82, 69.77]; I2: 0%). Thus, it is concluded that the efficacy of Pilates has been shown in various areas of HA and has proven to be affordable and safe for the majority of people, using just a mat on the floor. Future studies should focus on the analysis of the relationship between the cost and the benefit of a Pilates intervention in the elderly population, to better understand how health costs can be minimized and to contribute to a multidisciplinary and generalized HA. Pilates has practical application for the clinicians, therapists, and health professionals that work with the elderly population.
Highlights
The number of people aged 80 years or more will triple and reach 434 million by 2050.On a world scale, the number of people aged over 60 is increasing at a yearly rate of 3%, far higher than the younger age groups
This review of studies shows a robust tendency towards the benefits of Pilates in physical capacity and in dynamic balance
The results show that Pilates may be beneficial for the health of the elderly, contributing to Healthy Ageing (HA) that may slow down and fight the degenerative processes associated with senescence
Summary
The number of people aged 80 years or more will triple and reach 434 million by 2050.On a world scale, the number of people aged over 60 is increasing at a yearly rate of 3%, far higher than the younger age groups. The number of people aged 80 years or more will triple and reach 434 million by 2050. 22% of the population [1]. This demographic evolution has a strong social, political, and economic impact and is an indicator of the social transformation of the 21st century. Ageing results in molecular and cellular decline, with a progressive influence on all body systems and, inherently, on the person’s psychosocial condition [2,3]. Physical activity may help reduce the speed of this decline, raising or maintaining the elder person’s intrinsic and functional capacity by improving physical capacities (e.g., strength, balance, and flexibility) [4]. Physical activity represents one of the factors that may
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