Pilates for Sedentary Individuals

June 18, 2026 updated by: Rommanee Rojasavastera, Mahidol University

Efficacy of Pilates on Core Stability and Physical Fitness Among Sedentary Individuals

The global rise in physical inactivity represents an escalating public health crisis, with the proportion of insufficiently active adults projected to reach 35% by 2030. Office workers are at the highest risk due to prolonged occupational sitting; a lifestyle factor heavily linked to various musculoskeletal disorders. While maintaining an upright posture relies on the synergistic coordination of deep core muscles, extended sitting disrupts this muscular balance, leading to chronic postural decay. Although Pilates is proven to improve core muscle thickness, enhance physical fitness, and alleviate low back pain, existing literature shows high variability in training durations (ranging from 6 to 16 weeks) and lacks definitive conclusions regarding its long-term, residual effects post-intervention. Consequently, it remains unclear whether the benefits of Pilates can be sustained once the structured training stops. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Pilates on core stability and physical fitness among sedentary individuals, providing insights into sustainable exercise interventions.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

34

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 Contact

Study Locations

  • Thailand
    • Changwat Nakhon Pathom
      • Salaya, Changwat Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, 73170
        • Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University
        • Contact:

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged between 18 and 59 years.
  • Had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥ 23 kg/m2.
  • Engaged in sedentary activities (sitting) for more than 7 hours per day.
  • Passed the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) assessment.
  • Did not currently participate in any other exercise programs or physical activities during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Had visual impairments that could not be corrected with corrective lenses or glasses.
  • Had a medical history of spinal or lower extremity surgery.
  • Had medical conditions or received medications that affected balance and gait, such as neurological diseases or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
  • Pregnant during the study period.
  • Had severe pain in any part of the body (pain score ≥ 7/10).
  • Inability to follow the research procedures.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental group
Participants in the experimental group participated in a Pilates exercise program.
Other: Pilates exercise
The 1-hour Pilates exercise program was supervised by an instructor.
Active Comparator: Control group
Participants in the control group participated in a walking exercise program.
Other: Walking exercise
The 1-hour walking exercise program was supervised by a physical therapist. Participants walked on a treadmill, where the speed was gradually increased to achieve a moderate intensity level, maintaining their heart rates within 64% to 70% of their maximum heart rate.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Muscle thickness
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
A handheld ultrasound device was used to measure trunk muscle thickness at rest and during contraction.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Muscle strength
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
A handheld dynamometer was used to measure trunk muscle strength. Participants were instructed to maintain a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 5 seconds per trial, with a 30-second rest period between trials to minimize fatigue.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Muscle flexibility
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
The sit-and-reach test was used to measure lower back and hamstring flexibility. Participants completed static stretching for 5 minutes before assessment. During the assessment, participants sat with knees fully extended and feet hip-width apart against the sit-and-reach box. They then reached forward, using their fingertips to displace the sliding scale as far as possible in a single trial.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Muscle endurance
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
The McGill Core Endurance Test was used to measure trunk muscle endurance. Each test was conducted once, with the duration recorded using a digital stopwatch. Timing commenced once the participant achieved the standardized starting position and ceased when they could no longer maintain the required posture.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Proprioception
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Joint Repositioning Error (JRE) was measured under both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions to assess proprioception. Participants began the assessment seated with their hips and knees flexed at 90°, feet positioned shoulder-width apart, and arms resting naturally at their sides. From this baseline, they were guided into a neutral reference position-defined by full trunk extension and a flat spinal alignment-which they were instructed to memorize. To facilitate measurement, a marker was placed at the first sacral vertebra (S1), and a laser pointer was fixed 50 cm away from this landmark. The testing procedure required participants to perform three cycles of trunk flexion and extension before attempting to return to the neutral reference position as accurately as possible. The JRE represented the distance between the laser beam's initial and final positions.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Balance
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
The Y-Balance Test (YBT) was used to measure dynamic balance. Participants were instructed to reach out and push the indicator as far as possible.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Posture
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Posture was measured using the Posture-analyzing and Virtual Reconstructing (PAViR) system, which utilized an RGB-D camera for skeletal reconstruction.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Pain level
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Pain location was identified through participant interviews, while pain intensity was quantified using a 0-10 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Health-Related Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.
Health-Related Quality of Life was measured using the Thai version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF-THAI). This 26-item instrument assessed four core domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Responses were scored on a Likert scale, with higher scores indicating better health status and overall QoL.
Baseline, at 4 weeks post-training, at 8 weeks post-training, at 2 weeks post-training cessation, and at 4 weeks post-training cessation.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Mahidol 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 (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 18, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • MU-CIRB 2026/290.0705

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Research data will be shared in a de-identified format only; for instance, participant names will be replaced with codes, and faces will be blurred in all images.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • CSR

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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