[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Pilates exercise on a
mat and balance exercise on an unstable base of support for trunk stability on the balance
ability of elderly females. [Subjects and Methods] Forty elderly women aged 65 or older
were equally assigned to a Pilates mat exercise (PME) group and an unstable support
surface exercise (USSE) group. They conducted exercise three times per week for 12 weeks
for 40 minutes each time. In order to examine balance, sway length and the speed of the
center of foot pressure were measured for one minute, and in order to examine dynamic
balance, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test was conducted. [Results] After the intervention,
sway length, sway speed, and TUG significantly decreased in both groups. A comparison of
sway speed after the intervention between the two groups revealed that the PME group
showed larger decreases than the USSE group. [Conclusion] PME and USSE elicited
significant effects on the static and dynamic balance of elderly female subjects,
suggesting that those exercises are effective at enhancing the balance ability of this
group of subjects. However, the Pilates mat exercise is regarded as being safer than
exercise on an unstable base of support.
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of mat Pilates and
apparatus Pilates on pain and static balance of businesswomen with chronic back pain.
[Subjects and Methods] Participants were randomly allocated to Pilates mat exercises (PME)
or Pilates apparatus exercise (PAE), and performed the appropriate Pilates exercises 3
days per week for 8 weeks. In order to measure the improvement in the participants’ static
balance ability as a result of the exercise, the sway length and sway velocity of the
subjects were measured before and after the experiment while the subjects stood on a
Balance Performance Monitor (BPM) facing the front wall for 30 seconds with their eyes
open. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the degree of pain. [Results]
The VAS score, sway length, and sway velocity of both groups decreased significantly after
the experiment, but the PME group showed a greater decrease than the PAE group.
[Conclusion] PME showed greater improvement in pain level and balance compared with PAE in
this research. Since the subjects of this study were patients with low back pain, PME is
assumed to have been more suitable and effective because it uses body weight to strengthen
core muscles rather than heavier apparatuses as in PAE.
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise on muscle
damage indices in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two groups of rats were trained in either
moderate- or high-intensity treadmill running for 4 weeks. Subsequently, the
concentrations of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and high-sensitivity C-reactive
protein were examined following a single bout of prolonged (3-h) intensive exercise.
[Subjects and Methods] The study included forty 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats
weighing 150–180 g each. The aerobic exercise group was divided into high-intensity (28
m/min) and moderate-intensity (15 m/min) subgroups. Both subgroups were trained for 35 min
daily for 6 days per week (excluding Sunday) over a 4-week period. Following training, the
high- and moderate-intensity exercise groups and a non-exercise group performed one bout
of prolonged (3-h) treadmill exercise for 3 hours at a speed of 15 m/min. [Results]
Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels differed significantly among the groups.
[Conclusion] The preliminary exercise groups showed lower muscle damage and inflammatory
response levels than the non-exercise group after the bout of prolonged intensive
exercise.
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