EFFECTS OF REFORMER PILATES ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN WOMEN

April 30, 2026 updated by: Ayca Sena Sensoy

THE EFFECTS OF REFORMER PILATES EXERCISES APPLIED IN WOMEN ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, HEART RATE, BODY COMPOSITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE

This study aims to investigate the effects of reformer pilates exercises on functional capacity, heart rate, body composition, and quality of life in women. A total of 50 participants were initially enrolled; however, 44 participants completed the study. Participants were divided into intervention and control groups, and the intervention group performed reformer pilates exercises for 8 weeks.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of reformer pilates exercises applied in women on functional capacity, heart rate, body composition, and quality of life. A total of 50 healthy adult women were initially included in the study. Due to dropouts related to non-attendance, 44 participants completed the study and were analyzed, with 22 participants in the intervention group and 22 in the control group. The intervention group participated in a reformer pilates exercise program twice a week for 8 weeks, while the control group followed a home-based exercise program. Functional capacity was assessed using the 6-minute walk test. Heart rate was measured only in the intervention group at the 20th minute of the exercise session using a fingertip pulse oximeter. Body composition was evaluated using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Quality of life was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire. All measurements were performed at baseline and after 8 weeks.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34000
        • Istanbul Aydin University- FLC Concept Healthy Living Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female participants aged between 20 and 40 years
  • Healthy individuals capable of performing exercise
  • Voluntary participation in the study
  • Ability to attend Pilates sessions regularly

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Male participants
  • Receiving any form of physical therapy intervention
  • History of surgery
  • Severe spinal pathologies
  • Neurological disorders
  • Cardiopulmonary diseases

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Reformer Pilates Group
Participants received supervised reformer pilates exercises twice a week for 8 weeks.
Behavioral: Reformer Pilates Exercise
Participants performed supervised reformer pilates exercises twice a week for 8 weeks.
Other: Control Group
Participants followed a home-based exercise program twice a week for 8 weeks without supervised reformer pilates.
Behavioral: Home-Based Exercise
Participants performed a home-based exercise program on their own for 8 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional Capacity (6-Minute Walk Test)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Functional capacity will be assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). The distance walked in meters (m) will be recorded.
At baseline and after 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Quality of Life (Short Form-12, SF-12)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire. Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores will be calculated. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body Fat Percentage (%)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body fat percentage (%) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA, InBody device).
At baseline and after 8 weeks
Heart Rate (beats per minute, bpm)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Heart rate was measured using a pulse oximeter at the 20th minute of the exercise session only in the intervention group, both at the first session and at the end of 8 weeks.
At baseline and after 8 weeks
Skeletal Muscle Mass (kg)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Skeletal muscle mass (kg) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with an InBody device under standardized conditions.
At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body Weight (kg)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body weight (kg) will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with an InBody device under standardized conditions.
At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body Mass Index (kg/m²)
Time Frame: At baseline and after 8 weeks
Body mass index (kg/m²) will be calculated as body weight (kg) divided by height squared (m²). Body weight will be obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with an InBody device.
At baseline and after 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Ayca Sena Sensoy

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ayca S Sensoy, PT, MSc Student, Istanbul Aydın University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 19, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

February 19, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 30, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 268/2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and ethical considerations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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