The Effect of 12-week Pilates on quality of life and sleep in pregnant women

Pregnancy, as one of the most important periods in a woman's life, has many effects on the physical, psychological and functional condition of women. These changes can affect the quality of life and sleep in pregnant women. Exercising during pregnancy can have positive effects on pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to examine the effect of Pilates exercise on the quality of life and sleep in pregnant women.

This double-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed in 2020 on 60 pregnant women who referred to health centers in Shahrekord. The participants were randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. The pregnant women in the intervention group were required to participate in two Pilates sessions per week for 12 weeks from 20th weeks of pregnancy. At the end of the study (week 38), pregnant women completed the SF-36 quality of life and Petersburg sleep quality questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23) and t-test and Mann-Whitney test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In this study, Pilates had a positive effect on the quality of sleep (P<0.08) and life of pregnant women (P<001).

Considering the positive effects of Pilates exercises on the quality of life and sleep and the lack of negative effects reported in this study, Pilates during pregnancy can be suggested to pregnant women.