Evaluation of the Flexibility and Muscular Strength in Adult Women that Practice the Pilates Method

The regular practice of physical exercises aiming the development or maintenance of flexibility and muscular strength can have a relevant role throughout life. The Pilates method is a way of physical conditioning that strengthens and stretches the muscles without leading to exhaustion, which became popular in rehabilitation and in fitness. The present study aims to assess the benefits proposed by the Pilates Method, among adult women that previously practiced this method as exclusive way of physical conditioning, aiming to observe if there is continuous gain of flexibility and muscular strength, and to compare these benefits within different age groups. To that matter, 20 women that practiced solely Pilates volunteered and were divided into three groups (group I: 30 to 40 years old, group II: 41 to 50 years old, group III: 51 a 60 years old). The subjects were submitted to flexibility evaluation using the Wells database strength evaluation using the 1-RM test, after 16 training sessions. The results were submitted to the One-way test ANOVA, and showed no significant differences in the gain of flexibility or strength in the three tested groups (p < 0.05).