The Influence of Pilates Exercises on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, and Gait Speed in Community-Dwelling Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT: Aibar-Almazán, A, Martínez-Amat, A, Cruz-Díaz, D, Jesús de la Torre-Cruz, M, Jiménez-García, JD, Zagalaz-Anula, N, Redecillas-Peiró, MT, Mendoza-Ladrón de Guevara, N, and Hita-Contreras, F. The influence of Pilates exercises on body composition, muscle strength, and gait speed in community-dwelling older women: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2298-2305, 2022-Population aging is a global phenomenon that has wide-ranging consequences for the health of individuals, including age-related obesity, muscle loss, and a decline in muscle strength and gait speed. These alterations are associated with disability, functional decline, and mortality in older adults. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of Pilates exercises on body composition, handgrip strength, and physical performance among community-dwelling Spanish women aged 60 and older. A randomized controlled trial of a 12-week Pilates training program was conducted. A total of 109 women were randomly allocated to either a control ( n = 54) or a Pilates ( n = 55) group. Body composition was evaluated by bioelectrical impedance. Body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat, and height-adjusted skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) were assessed before and immediately after the intervention, as were physical performance, estimated by gait speed (timed up-and-go test), and handgrip strength. Statistically significant improvements ( p < 0.05) were observed both within and between groups for handgrip strength (Cohen's d = 0.40 and 0.52 respectively) and gait speed (Cohen's d = 0.86 and 0.87 respectively). After 12 weeks, BMI significantly decreased (Cohen's d = 0.07) only in the Pilates group. No significant differences were observed regarding SMI. In conclusion, a 12-week Pilates exercise intervention on community dwelling women over 60 years old shows beneficial effects on muscle strength, physical performance, and BMI, but failed to induce any changes on body composition.

Associations of sleep and depression with obesity and sarcopenia in middle-aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the association of depression and the quality and duration of sleep with general and abdominal obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity (SO) in Spanish middle-aged and older adults. STUDY DESIGN AND OUTCOME MEASURES: A total of 304 people (mean age 72.04 ± 7.88 years, 83.88 % women) participated in this study. Body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index (bioelectrical impedance analysis), and hand-grip strength were used to evaluate sarcopenia, obesity, and SO. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate sleep quality. Sleep duration (hours) was categorized as either short (<6), normal (6-8), or long (>8). Depression was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment Survey) and physical activity (PA) level (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) were also assessed. Independent associations were evaluated by multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: Only depression was associated with sarcopenia (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.19). Poorer sleep quality (OR = 1.06, 95 % CI = 1.06-1.11) and short sleep duration (OR = 2.63, 95 % CI = 1.45-4.78) were related to general obesity, as well as fatigue and low PA level. Poor sleep latency (OR = 1.43, 95 % CI = 1.09-1.87) was linked to abdominal obesity, along with fatigue, low PA level, older age, and female sex. Finally, short sleep duration (OR = 5.25, 95 % CI = 1.97-14.00), together with fatigue, low PA level, and male sex were associated with OS. CONCLUSION: Among Spanish middle-aged and older adults, after adjusting for potential confounding variables, depression was uniquely associated with sarcopenia, while short sleep duration was related to general and sarcopenic obesity, and poor sleep quality was linked to general and abdominal obesity.

Effects of Physical Exercise on Sexual Function and Quality of Sexual Life Related to Menopausal Symptoms in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review.

During the menopausal period, sexual dysfunction is associated with the development or worsening of psychological conditions, causing deterioration in women's mental health and quality of life. This systematic review aims to investigate the effects of different exercise programs on sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms. With this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Plus. A total of 1787 articles were identified in the initial search and 11 prospective studies (including 8 randomized controlled trials) were finally included. The most commonly recommended training programs are based on exercising pelvic floor muscles, as they seem to have the largest impact on sexual function. Mind-body disciplines also helped in managing menopausal symptoms. However, as far as the most traditional programs were concerned, aerobic exercises showed inconsistent results and resistance training did not seem to convey any benefits. Although positive effects have been found, evidence supporting physical exercise as a strategy to improve sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms is limited, and further studies on this topic are needed.