The influence of the pilates method on the quality of life of its practitioners: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Created in Germany by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s, the Pilates Method (PM) uses exercises aiming to improve physical health and mental balance. The present work objective was to verify, through a systematic literature review without delineating languages and dates, the influence of PM on the quality of life (QoL) of its practitioners. Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were consulted. The articles were independently selected by two researchers, who also conducted the risk of bias assessment of the included articles. Were identified 2489 articles on the databases, of which 30 were included in the study synthesis. The practice of PM improves the QoL of its practitioners, providing enhanced functional capacity, pain relief, and improvement of emotional aspects in individuals of both sexes, different age groups, and different clinical contexts.