In the last couple of years, exercises by Pilates method (further Pilates training) has become widespread among the general population of recreational individuals and rehabilitation after injuries. Pilates is often advised as an alternative form of treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain as it focuses on the stabilization and activation of the core and muscles of the lumbar spine due to their weakness, which is usually the main cause of low back pain. By exercising pilates, we activate smaller, deeper muscles and improve their supportive function and reduce pain. The main aim of the master's thesis is to determine whether the training program, consisting of pilates exercises, influences the strength of the core and how much the strength of these muscles improves after the 8-week training program. The study included 31 people (12 men and 19 women) who did pilates trainings 1-2 times per week at different locations in Slovenia. McGill's Torso Muscular Endurance Test Battery was used to test people involved in the study before and after 8-week training program. For the research work, we used an adapted SF-36, a lifestyle questionnaire, and a modified Roland-Morris questionnaire on low back pain. The data obtained using the questionnaires and McGill's tests were processed in the SPSS program. By using the SPSS program, we checked the difference between groups and compared the results of the tests before and after 8-week training program. We found that the strength of the core after 8-week pilates exercise program statistically significantly increased with simultanious improvement of subjective assessment of the quality of life and reduction of pain. The hypothesis claiming for 8-week training of pilates to reduce the low back pain was rejected due to insufficient number of people with low back pain included in the study.
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