The effect of 10 week pilates mat exercise program on weight loss and body composition for overweight Turkish women

The aim of this study was to research the effects of 10-weeks pilates mat exercise program on weight loss and body composition parameters for sedentary overweight women. A total of 36 health sedentary overweight women volunteered to participate in this study. They were divided into two groups at random: pilates mat exercise program group (PMG; N=20) and control group (CG; N=16). A pilates mat exercise program was applied to the subjects one hour per day and three days per week for 10 weeks. The subjects in the control group did not participate in training. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), 4-site skin fold thickness (Biceps, Triceps, Supscapula and Iliac), fat percentage (FP), basal metabolic rate (BMR) and lean body mass (LBM) were evaluated before and after the pilates training program. After 10-week of pilates mat exercise program, significant differences were found on weight, BMI, body composition parameters, WHR, WC, FP, LBM and BMR in (PMG) (P<0, 05). There were not significant differences in the same measurements in the control group. Pilates mat exercises program contributed to decreasing of weight, FP, BMI and body composition parameters. Besides, there was thought that the quality of life increased for sedentary overweight women. © IDOSI Publications, 2012.