Introduction: Aging brings decline all for balance important body systems. It comes to changes in muscle capacity, somatosensory, vestibular and visual system. Falls are the main reasons for injuries by older individuals. Pilates is form of exercise which is the most appropriate for older people. Pilates exercises are primarily aimed at improving muscle balance in the body, increasing coordination of movement and control of the hull and breathing. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma work was to determine the impact of Pilates exercise on balance of the elderly. Methods: In the diploma work we used review of scientific literature for the methods of work. We searched literature in English language in databases Pub Med, CINAHL and Science Direct. The following keywords were used alone or in combination: Pilates, balance, randomized trial, older adult, clinical trial. Results: We analyzed in detail 7 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were published between 2011 and 2017. The number of participants was between 32 and 78. The tests used to evaluate the balance in the studies were: Timed up and go test, Six- minute walk test, Five -times sit-to-stand test, One-leg stance test, Berg Balance scale and MED-SP 300 dynamic platform. In four studies the Pilates exercise lasted 12 weeks, while in the other three were 6, 8 in 10 weeks. The subjects performed Pilates exercise in the intervention group, while subjects in five control groups did not have any exercise, only normal daily activities. Pilates exercise was carried out with accessories and no accessories. Three studies in Pilates did not use any accessories. Five studies found positive effects of Pilates exercise on balance in the elderly. Discussion and conclusion: According to the results of the research, we have found that Pilates exercise that would include elements in balance-specific training and exercises to improve the muscle strength of the lower limbs would improve the balance of older adults. Due to the different methodology in the reviewed researches, additional researches would be needed to determine the effective Pilates exercise for older adults. The various effects of Pilates exercise on balance can be attributed to different programs, different time periods of exercise, and small samples of subjects.
|