ABSTRACT

The Effect of Pilates Exercise on Menopausal
Syndrome and Lumbar Muscle Function of Postmenopausal Women


Lee, Hae Lim
Department of Sport and Leisure Studies
Graduate School
Korea University


The purpose of this study is to scientifically verify the effectiveness of Pilates exercise program for postmenstrual women by analyzing the effect of 8-week Pilates exercise program on their menopausal syndrome, lumbar muscle strength and flexibility. The subjects of the study were women in the full age of 45 to 60 with menopause period of over one year. A total of 34 subjects were classified into 17 women with Pilates Exercise (Pilates Exercise Group) and 17 other women without exercise (Control Group), and questionnaire survey and tests on lumbar muscle strength and flexibility were conducted before and after 8-week Pilates Exercise Program which was practiced 3 times a week and 50 to 60minutes each time.
Windows SPSS/PC Ver.12 statistical program was used to calculate mean and standard deviation for each variable earned from the experiment and two-way repeated measured ANOVA was performed to investigate the difference between the two groups (Pilates Exercise Group and Control Group). All statistical significance levels were ?=0.05.
The subsequent results were as follows;

1. Changes in postmenopausal symptoms by the application of Pilates exercise

1) Overall change in postmenopausal symptoms by the application of Pilates exercise exhibited significant difference between groups and between pre and post exercise within each group (p<0.001) while there was no significant difference between the time of measurement.

2) Change in vasomotor symptoms by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups and between pre and post exercise within each group (p<0.001) whereas there was no significant difference between the time of measurement.

3) Change in mental and psychological symptoms as a sub-factor of postmenopausal syndrome by the application of Pilates exercise displayed significant difference between groups (p<0.001) and between pre and post exercise within each group (p<0.01) while there was no significant difference between the time of measurement.

4) Change in physical symptoms as a sub-factor of postmenopausal syndrome by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups and between pre and post exercise within each group (p<0.001) while there was no significant difference between the time of measurement.

5) Change in genitourinary symptoms as a sub-factor of postmenopausal syndrome by the application of Pilates exercise displayed significant difference between groups (p<0.001) and between pre and post exercise within each group (p<0.01) while there was no significant difference between the time of measurement.

2. Changes in lumbar muscle strength by the application of Pilates exercise

1) Change in maximum lumbar muscle strength by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups, between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement (p<0.001).

2) Change in mean lumbar muscle strength by the application of Pilates exercise exhibited significant difference between groups, between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement (p<0.001).

3) Change in maximum lumbar muscle strength per unit weight by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups, between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement (p<0.001).

4) Change in mean lumbar muscle strength per unit weight by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups, between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement (p<0.001).

3. Changes in flexibility by the application of Pilates exercise

1) Change in trunk flexion by the application of Pilates exercise showed significant difference between groups, between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement (p<0.001).

2) Change in trunk extension by the application of Pilates exercise exhibited significant difference between groups (p<0.001) while there was significant difference between pre and post exercise within each group and between the time of measurement.

To sum up above results, 8-week Pilates exercise had positive effect on postmenopausal syndrome (vasomotor symptoms, mental and psychological symptoms, physical symptoms, genitourinary symptoms) and lumbar muscle strength (lumbar muscle strength, flexibility). The conclusion of this study is that Pilates exercise relieves and slows down the progress of postmenopausal syndromes and muscular-skeletal diseases and helps various physical functions.