Pilates Mat Training Improves Physical Fitness in Mid-Life Women
Study shows that 8-weeks of training can provide measurable results.
Eight-weeks of Pilates mat training improved both fitness levels and body composition among mid-life woman, as reported in a study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2023; doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.05.002). The study included 20 women between the ages of 37 to 53 years. Participants experienced improvements in body composition, abdominal endurance, lower body flexibility and aerobic capacity. After three weeks of no training, however, body fat and visceral fat levels returned. Study authors recommend that Pilates practitioners avoid detraining for long periods to maintain results achieved.
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
