Jorge Fernandes

A Systematic Review of the Effects of Pilates Method of Exercise in Healthy People

OBJECTIVE To evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of the Pilates method of exercise (PME) in healthy people. DATA SOURCES Published research was identified by searching Science Direct, MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, and Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION Research studies published from inception to May 7, 2011 were selected for evaluation. Two reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria to selected potential studies. Studies were included if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal, written in the English language, conducted as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-RCT in healthy people, had an inactive and/or exercise control group(s), included key study outcomes, and used the PME as the study intervention in at least 1 study arm. DATA EXTRACTION Two reviewers independently extracted data (study, design, subjects, intervention, key outcomes results), applied the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale to assess the method quality of selected studies, and determined the strength of the evidence using the best evidence synthesis grading system. DATA SYNTHESIS Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. PEDro scale values ranged from 3 to 7 (mean, 4.1), indicating a low level of scientific rigor. The outcomes studied most often were flexibility, muscular endurance, strength, and postural alignment. The PME appears to be effective in improving flexibility (strong evidence), dynamic balance (strong evidence), and muscular endurance (moderate evidence) in healthy people. CONCLUSIONS There was strong evidence to support the use of the PME at least to the end of training to improve flexibility and dynamic balance and moderate evidence to enhance muscular endurance. Future RCTs should focus on the components of blinding, concealed allocation, subject adherence, intention-to-treat analysis, and follow-up designs.

Effects of Pilates-Based Exercise on Life Satisfaction, Physical Self-Concept and Health Status in Adult Women

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Pilates-based mat exercises on life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept, and perception of health status in healthy women. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Évora, Portugal, in 2008, in which 62 healthy adult women were randomized to a Pilates-based mat (experimental group) (n = 38, mean age ± SD, 41.08 ± 6.64 years) or a control group (n = 24, mean age ± SD, 40.25 ± 7.70 years). Experimental group participants performed the Initial Mat of Body Control Pilates twice per week, 60-minutes per session. Repeated measurements were performed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. No significant differences between the two groups were observed in life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept, and perception of health status at three time point measures (baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months). No significant differences were observed in the control group over time. The experimental group showed significant improvements between baseline and six months in life satisfaction (p = .04), perception of appreciation by other people (p = .002), perception of physical appearance (p = .001), perception of functionality (p = .01), total physical self-concept (p = .001), perception of health status (p = .013) and between three and six months in life satisfaction (p = .002), perception of appreciation by other people (p = .05), perception of physical appearance (p = .001), perception of functionality (p = .02), and total physical self-concept (p = .001). Life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept and perception of health status may improve after 6 months of Pilates-based mat exercise.

Does Pilates-Based Exercise Improve Postural Alignment in Adult Women?

A randomized, controlled trial was conducted to determine the effect of Pilates-based exercise on postural alignment. Seventy-four adult women (mean age ± SD, 34.9 ± 16.4 years) were randomized to a Pilates-based mat class (n = 40) or a control group (n = 34). Pilates-based exercise participants were taught the Initial Mat of Body Control Pilates for 6 months, twice a week, for 60 minutes per session; the control group received no exercise intervention. Repeated measurements were performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of the frontal alignment of the thoracolumbar spine, shoulder, and pelvis, and sagittal alignment of the head and pelvis. No differences were found in either group, over time, on frontal alignment of the thoracolumbar spine and pelvis. The experimental group showed significant improvements in frontal alignment of the shoulder and sagittal alignment of the head and pelvis at 6 months. The Pilates-based exercise enhanced some parameters of the postural alignment of women, as measured by frontal alignment of the shoulder and sagittal alignment of the head and pelvis. The significant improvement in sagittal alignment of the head may imply that 6 months of Pilates-based exercise enhances sagittal alignment of the cervical or thoracic spine.

Creative Dance Improves Physical Fitness and Life Satisfaction in Older Women.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of creative dance on physical fitness and life satisfaction in older women. Methods: A total of 57 women (65–80 years old) were randomized to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in a supervised creative dance program for 24 weeks. Physical fitness (strength, aerobic endurance, flexibility, motor ability/dynamic balance, and body composition) and life satisfaction were assessed pre- and posttreatment (at 12 and 24 weeks) by the Senior Fitness Test and the Life Satisfaction scale, respectively. Results: After the intervention, the experimental group had better physical fitness and life satisfaction when compared with the control group. Conclusion: Creative dance has a positive effect in different dimensions of functioning and has the potential to contribute to healthy aging. This could be related to the integrated mobilization of physical, cognitive, and social skills promoted by creative dance.

Validation of the Portuguese emotion awareness questionnaire for children and adolescents

Abstract This study examined the construct and concurrent validity of the Portuguese version of the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire (EAQ) in 302 children and adolescents (mean age 13 years old). The EAQ is a self-report questionnaire that allows for analysis of how youth experience and understand their own and others’ emotions. Participants completed the EAQ along with questionnaires for Worry and Somatic Complaints. Results confirmed the expected six-factor structure, good psychometric properties, and good concurrent validity. The EAQ is a reliable questionnaire, suitable for examining emotion awareness in Portugal.

Programas de exercício na prevenção de lesões em jogadores de futebol: uma revisão sistemática

Hamstrings injuries are one of the most frequent injuries in football players. Exercise programs leading to lower levels of injury, diminishing their recurrence and severity are extremely important for coaches, physical therapist and players. To recognize the scientific evidence of the effectiveness of exercise intervention programs in the prevention of hamstring injuries, in male football players. Different studies were selected for revision from several databases. To evaluate the methodological quality of these studies we used the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and determined the strength of the evidence using the best evidence synthesis grading system. The used exercise programs where based in concentric and eccentric strength, the eccentric strength exercise Nordic Hamstrings, The FIFA 11+, and flexibility exercises. The variables studied were: the incidence, the incidence of new injuries, recurrence of injuries, the severity, and the risk of injuries. The concentric and eccentric strength program and the Nordic Hamstrings program seem to be the most effective in reducing the incidence of injuries and the incidence of new injuries, respectively (limited evidence). The Nordic Hamstrings program does not reduce the risk of injuries (limited evidence) and does not improve the level of severity of the injuries (moderate evidence). The FIFA 11+program does not reduce the incidence of injuries (limited evidence). There are contradictory evidences on the other variables.Dentre as lesoes ocorridas em jogadores de futebol, as lesoes dos isquiotibiais sao as mais frequentes. Programas de exercicio que previnam o seu aparecimento e diminuam a sua recorrencia e severidade sao de extrema importância para os fisioterapeutas, treinadores e jogadores. Conhecer as evidencias cientificas sobre a eficacia de programas de exercicio na prevencao de lesoes dos isquiotibiais, em jogadores de futebol masculino. Os estudos foram selecionados para revisao em diferentes bases de dados. Para avaliar a qualidade metodologica dos estudos e a forca de evidencia dos resultados utilizou-se a escala da Base de dados de Evidencia em Fisioterapia (PEDro) e o sistema de classificacao Melhor Sintese de Evidencia, respectivamente. Os programas de exercicio utilizados foram: forca concentrica e excentrica; forca excentrica Nordic Hamstrings; The FIFA 11+; e elasticidade. As variaveis estudadas foram a incidencia de lesoes, a incidencia de novas lesoes, a recorrencia de lesoes, a severidade das lesoes e o risco de lesao. O programa de forca concentrica e excentrica e o programa de forca excentrica Nordic Hamstrings parecem ser os mais eficazes na reducao da incidencia das lesoes e da incidencia de novas lesoes dos isquiotibiais, respetivamente (evidencias limitadas). O programa de exercicio de forca excentrica Nordic Hamstring nao e eficaz na diminuicao do risco de lesao (evidencias limitada) e na melhoria da severidade das lesoes (evidencia moderada). O programa The FIFA 11+ nao e eficaz na reducao da incidencia das lesoes (evidencia limitada). Ha evidencias contraditorias nas variaveis restantes.

Movement patterns during the process of standing up in children with spastic diplegia

The analysis of the movement patterns of children with spastic diplegia (SD) during the process of standing up can contribute to a better understanding of postural control. The purpose of this study was to describe the movement patterns during this task in children with SD and typical development and to analyze the differences according to their age group. Participated 40 children (38-154 months), 20 children with SD and 20 children with typical development. The participants were instructed to lie down in a supine position and quickly stand up (10 trials). Motor task sessions were videotaped and subsequently analyzed. Children with SD had more asymmetrical and less efficient movement patterns in the Upper Limbs (UL), Axial Region (AR) and Lower Limbs (LL). The oldest group of children with SD did not have more mature and efficient movement patterns, and the oldest children with typical development have more mature and efficient movement patterns in the UL and AR.