Kinesiology Applied: Teaching Pilates Aids In Managing Musculoskeletal Conditions
Why learn anatomy and kinesiology? How does that knowledge come into play in real-world applications? Learning how our body moves through the lens of kinesiology can help us understand what’s happening with our clients and students whether we’re teaching Pilates, yoga, working with personal training clients, or massage therapy clients. In this series of articles, we’ll take a look at some of the many ways we apply kinesiology knowledge in sports, training, and physical activities. We’ll share interesting research that shows how important an understanding of kinesiology is to a particular movement discipline, body therapy, or sport. In this article, we look at research showing how teaching Pilates exercises supports managing chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Background
Older adults can be challenged to stay physically fit. Chronic musculoskeletal conditions like low back pain, knee pain, and osteoarthritis can make it uncomfortable or painful to be active. Those kinds of chronic conditions can negatively impact physical function in day-to-day life as well as have negative psychological effects. Reducing physical activity makes it more likely that chronic musculoskeletal conditions will arise. Starting and maintaining physical activity when we’re younger can help slow that circle of decline. However, once we reach middle age and older, the chance of experiencing some kind of chronic musculoskeletal condition increases. So, what kind of movement activities are appropriate for older adults with these conditions?
The research team on the study we summarized here was interested in how Pilates affects people in that group. Pilates is a low-intensity movement practice that improves endurance, balance, and strength by training the body to initiate movement from the core musculature. Pilates is popular among a variety of populations from dancers looking to build core stability to older folks wanting to maintain strength, flexibility, and balance as they age.
The researchers who conducted the study we have summarized chose to do a review study to investigate how teaching Pilates exercises to older adults with chronic musculoskeletal issues affects those conditions. A review study is a type of scientific study that collectively examines the results of many smaller studies on the same topic. By combining the results of many smaller studies, scientists can potentially see larger patterns that weren’t clear from the smaller individual studies.
Research question in the study
Is Pilates helpful in managing chronic musculoskeletal conditions in older adults?
Summary of methods
The researchers who conducted this review study found the individual smaller studies that they included by doing a thorough database search of research published in peer-reviewed journals and research available from other types of publications. They used these database search tools: Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, PsycInfo, Pubmed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Opengrey, and Worldcat. After they found all the studies that examined Pilates’ effects on musculoskeletal conditions, they conducted screenings to determine the scientific quality of each study. Then, they performed data extraction to calculate the effects of each Pilates intervention in the studies included in the review.
The individual studies that the researchers included in their review study looked at the effects of Pilates on populations with back pain, osteoporosis, chronic neck pain, and knee osteoarthritis. The participants across all of those individual studies combined had a mean age of 56.68 years old and 73% of them were female. The Pilates interventions in each of the individual studies the researchers included in their larger review were 60 minutes long. The frequency of how often participants were asked to complete Pilates exercises ranged from one to five times per week across each of the individual studies. The duration of each of those studies ranged from 10 days to one year.
Summary of key findings
Pilates reduced pain and disability in participants experiencing all chronic conditions evaluated (low back pain, osteoporosis, neck pain, and knee osteoarthritis) compared to control groups. Additionally, teaching Pilates exercises improved physical functioning in participants with low back pain, osteoporosis, neck pain, and knee osteoarthritis compared to control groups. Quality of life also improved in those with low back pain and osteoporosis when they did Pilates exercises compared to control groups. (Quality of life wasn’t measured in the studies evaluating the other conditions.)
Kinesiology application
This review study shares some exciting findings that teaching Pilates exercises can positively influence several types of chronic issues for older adults. One of the important things about Pilates that makes it impactful, is how precise and specific each exercise is. You can imagine then, that teaching Pilates well, requires sufficient knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology. When it comes to working with special populations, like older adults experiencing chronic conditions and pain, understanding kinesiology and how to apply it in movement is even more important for Pilates teachers.
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Science of Pilates: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice (The Science of Fitness) |
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Conclusion
Pilates exercises positively affected older adults with musculoskeletal conditions including back pain, osteoporosis, chronic neck pain, and knee osteoarthritis. The Pilates interventions reduced pain, and improved functional movement and overall quality of life. Kinesiology knowledge was essential for finding the right Pilates approach for each of the populations evaluated in the studies included in the larger review. If you teach Pilates, teach yoga, offer personal training, or provide massage therapy, kinesiology knowledge can help take your skills to the next level.