The effect of Pilates exercises on general health in women with type 2 diabetes

There is a lot of evidence that proves exercise therapy as an effective method to improve general health in patients with type 2 diabetes. One of these methods that has recently drawn exercise experts and physiotherapists' attention toward itself and extensively been expanding is Pilates exercise. The present study was aimed at determining the effect of Pilates exercises on general health in woman patients with type 2 diabetes.Materials and Method: In this clinical trial study, 70 women suffering from type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into an experimental group (35 patients) and a control group (35 patients). A demographic information questionnaire and a general health one (GHQ28) were utilized to collect the required data. First, general health in both groups was measured before the intervention. Then, modified Pilates exercises were carried out in the experimental group twice a week over a period of 8 weeks. During the same period, the control group received conventional medications. Afterwards, general health in both groups was measured again. Finally, the collected data were analyzed through SPSS 17.0 software. Data analysis was carried out through Independent and Paired samples t-tests and chi-square test. Results: Mean health score in the experimental and the control groups were respectively 43.07±11.72 and 29.6±12.43. In this regard, Independent samples t-test proved a significant difference (p=0.003). There was also a significant mean difference between both groups' health aspects including physical symptoms (p=0.01), anxiety (p=0.003), social dysfunction (p=0.001), and depression (p=0.04) before and after the intervention. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it is concluded that Pilates exercises can be utilized as an effective and safe method to improve general health in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results introduced Pilates exercises as an effective method for patients with type 2 diabetes