ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2019 January;59(1):57-64

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07908-7

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Effects of mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet and vital capacity breathing in healthy women

Jeniffer L. CAMPOS ¹, Rodrigo L. VANCINI ¹, Graziely RODRIGUES ZANONI ¹, Claudio A. BARBOSA de LIRA ², Marilia SANTOS ANDRADE ³, Karine JACON SARRO ⁴ ✉

¹ Center of Physical Education and Sports, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil; ² Faculty of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil; ³ Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; ⁴ Faculty of Physical Education, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Pilates is a body/mind method that requires different types of exercise (balance, endurance, strength, and flexibility) and attention to muscle control, posture, and breathing. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal motion of healthy and physically active women.
METHODS: Thirty-five women without experience in Pilates exercise, aged between 18 and 35 years, participated in the study (habitual physical activity group: N.=14; and mat Pilates group: N.=21). Three-dimensional kinematic analysis was used to evaluate total and separate thoracoabdominal compartments’ expansion (superior and inferior thorax and abdomen), contribution of each compartment to total thoracoabdominal expansion, and coordination between thoracoabdominal compartments.
RESULTS: After 12 weeks of mat Pilates training, thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet breathing was improved by increasing the expansion of abdomen by about 33% (P=0.01). Moreover, expansion of superior (P=0.04) and inferior thorax (P=0.02) and abdomen (P=0.01) was also improved in Pilates (35%, 33%, and 37%, respectively) compared to the habitual physical activity group, after the experimental protocol. Finally, the habitual physical activity group presented a decrease of 13% in the expansion of abdomen (P=0.002).
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the capability of Mat Pilates in improving the action of respiratory and abdominal muscles during breathing and, thus, its benefits to breathing mechanics.

KEY WORDS: Thoracic wall - Thorax - Abdomen - Exercise - Biomechanical phenomena - Women