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PEDro systematic review update
Effect of pilates exercise for improving balance in older adults (PEDro synthesis)
  1. Marcia R Franco,
  2. Guilherme H D Grande,
  3. Susimary A T Padulla
  1. Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil
  1. Correspondence to Marcia R Franco, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, Presidente Prudente, Rua Roberto Simonsen, 305, FCT/UNESP, Campus de Presidente Prudente, Bairro Jardim das Rosas, Presidente Prudente, CEP: São Paulo 19060-900, Brazil; marciarfranco{at}gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097073

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    This section features a recent systematic review that is indexed on PEDro, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (http://www.pedro.org.au). PEDro is a free, web-based database of evidence relevant to physiotherapy.

    ▸ Barker AL, Bird ML, Talevski J. Effect of Pilates exercise for improving balance in older adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2015;96:715–23.

    Background

    Falls among older adults are considered an important source of disability, mortality and healthcare use.1 One crucial modifiable risk factor for falls is balance impairment.2 ,3 Hence, exercises that target balance improvement have been considered an essential component of fall prevention programmes.4 Pilates is a type of mind–body exercise that focuses on improving strength, core stability, flexibility, muscle control, posture and breathing.5 Various pilates exercises challenge balance.

    Aim

    The primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of pilates on balance and falls in older adults. A secondary aim was to identify whether pilates programmes investigated in previous studies met the best practice recommendations for exercise to prevent falls, that is: (1) exercises provided a moderate or high challenge to balance (ie, performed …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Funding MRF is supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), project number 2015/07704-9.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.