Effect of 4 weeks of Pilates on the body composition of young girls

Russell Jago, Mariëlle L. Jonker, Mariam Missaghian, Tom Baranowski. Preventative Medicine, 42, 177-180 (2006).

Target Group: Eleven year-old girls

Program Name: Pilates in After School Care

Location: Houston, Texas

Study Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to see if girls liked Pilates as a form of physical activity and to determine its effects on BMI and waist circumference.

Study Design:
Randomized control trial, 30 subjects.

Intervention or Program:

• One hour Pilates classes were provided at the after school care site, free of charge, five days per week for four weeks.
• Staffing requirement – certified Pilates instructor

Impact on Physical Activity:

• The girls enjoyed and regularly attended the Pilates classes. Since poor attendance has contributed to a failure to increase adolescent physical activity, (Pate et al, 2003) this warrants further study.
• There was a 3.1% reduction in BMI percentile of the treatment group while the control group increased by 0.8 percentiles.
• Relatively low cost of delivering Pilates sessions indicates it is an activity that could be implemented within after school programs, suggesting that broad dissemination could be achieved.

Implications for Practitioners:

• Pilates is trendy and popular with girls now. May need to keep following the trends to maintain interest
• A key to their success may have been that it was free of charge.
• Main program expenditure would be the instructor
• No special equipment other than mats.

Author's Email: Russ Jago: russ.jago@gmail.com