• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.229-233
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aims to verify the effects of Pilates exercise using the three-dimensional (3D) Schroth breathing technique on scoliosis patients in comparison with the existing Pilates exercise technique, which uses lateral breathing. Methods: The subjects were 16 scoliosis patients who went to S fitness center in Daegu, Korea. They were randomly and equally divided into a Schroth Pilates exercise group (SPEG), who performed Pilates exercise using 3D Schroth breathing, and a Pilates exercise group (PEG) who performed Pilates exercise using lateral breathing. The subjects conducted the Pilates exercise three times per week for 12 weeks. Changes in their Cobb's angle, angle of trunk rotation, and chest expansion ability were measured before and after the exercise. Results: Both groups experienced significant improvement in their Cobb's angle, angle of trunk rotation, and chest expansion ability after the exercise (p<0.05). Between-group comparison after the exercise showed that SPEG's improvement in Cobb's angle, angle of trunk rotation, and chest expansion ability were more significant than those of the PEG (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study verified that Pilates exercise using 3D Schroth breathing was more effective in improving scoliosis patients'physical condition than existing Pilates exercise. The researcher anticipates that the 3D Schroth breathing technique will be effectively utilized in other diverse intervention exercises besides Pilates exercise.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1797-1802
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• 2019

Background: Breathing is the essential step of Pilates exercise and can be used to activate core muscles. Although the effects of breathing exercise on pain, breathing muscles, and cervical posture have been extensively studied, little is known about the impact of Pilates breathing on spinal posture and alignment. Purpose: To determine the effect of 3D-Pilates breathing exercise on spinal curvature and alignment of healthy adults during corrected to normal alignment. Design: One group pre-post test design Methods: Eighteen participants were given a 3D-pilates breathing exercise twice a week (20 minutes per session) for three weeks and warmed up for 10 minutes before each exercise session. To examine spinal curvature and alignment of each subject, this study used radiation free rasterstereography (Formetric III, Germany). Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were performed to determine the difference between pre and post exercise. Results: There were statistically significant differences in height (p<.001), kyphosis angle (p<.05), trunk imbalance (p<.05), kyphotic apex (p<.01), cervical fleche (p<.05), pelvic tilt (p<.01), and lateral deviation (p<.05) between before and after 3D Pilates breathing exercise. However, there was no significant difference in lordosis angle. Conclusions: The study results indicated that three week 3D-pilates breathing exercise program could be presented as an effective rehabilitation method for improving spinal curvature and alignment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This Study compared the level of activation of the muscles around the shoulder at the time of abduction through Pilates breathing and regular breathing by using quantified biofeedback. METHODS: Experiment was conducted on 25 healthy males and females in the age bracket of 20's~30's as the subjects. The level of activation of muscles displayed at the time of Pilates breathing were measured at intercostal (InC) muscle, transverse abdominis (TrA) muscle, internal oblique (IO) muscle and external oblique (EO) muscle by using surface electromyogram (EMG) and were provided as biofeedback. Moreover, the changes in the level of muscular activation at sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle, upper trapezius (UT) muscle and Deltoid (Del) muscle, which are the muscles around the shoulder, at the time of abduction of shoulder during Pilates breathing and regular breathing were measured. RESULTS: When abduction of shoulder is executed through Pilates breathing, the level of muscular activation of UT muscle was $11.56{\pm}7.10%$ at the time of exhaling of Pilates breathing and $17.54{\pm}9.57%$ at the time of exhaling of regular breathing. Del muscle also displayed lowered level of muscular activation at the time of Pilates breathing with $12.88{\pm}5.80%$ during inhaling and $15.14{\pm}5.49%$ during exhaling. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results could be interpreted as indicating that the muscle activities of upper trapezius and deltoid muscle were decreased based on Pilates breathing more than those on regular breathing.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.187-197
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the changes in the muscle activity of the trunk stabilizer muscles before and after incorporating Pilates breathing during three types of Pilates chair exercises. Methods: This study included 33 healthy men and women in their 20's; they were recruited according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. sEMG was used to measure the changes in the muscle activity in the internal oblique/transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae during the three types of Pilates chair movements (footwork, twist footwork, and bridging) without and with the Pilates breathing integration. The muscle activities of the trunk stabilizers between without and with Pilates breathing were statistically analyzed and compared. Results: The internal oblique/transverse abdominis showed an increase and a significant difference in the muscle activity in all three movements of footwork, twist footwork, and bridging after the Pilates breathing integration (p<.001). The muscle activity of the rectus abdominis (p<.05) and the erector spinae (p<.05) also increased and showed a significant difference after the Pilates breathing incorporation, except in the bridging movement for the erector spinae. The increase in the rate after integrating Pilates breathing was relatively greater in internal oblique/transverse abdominis than in other muscles. Conclusion: When Pilates breathing was applied, the activities of the trunk stabilizer muscles increased significantly and immediately in all three movements of Pilates chair footwork, twist footwork, and bridging. This means that the use of breathing is expected to have a positive and immediate effect on the activation of trunk stabilizers, thus indicating that it can possibly be an effective re-enforcing tool to promote trunk stability when it is integrated to the Pilates chair exercise. Incorporating Pilates breathing also seemed to have a tendency to activate the deep trunk stabilizer muscles more than the superficial stabilizer muscles.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.59-63
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is to examine the effects of sole Pilates based breathing on the thicknesses of the abdominal muscles. METHODS: Twenty adults aged in their 20-30s were randomly selected. The selection criteria were those who had no medical history of pain due to musculoskeletal system, neurologic, or orthopedic diseases within six months before the selection. The thicknesses of the abdominal muscles (the transversus abdominis muscle, internal oblique abdominal muscle, and external oblique abdominal muscle) of the subjects were measured using ultrasonography before and after Pilates breathing. The study was approved by the research ethics committee of the Catholic University of Pusan. RESULTS: After Pilates based breathing, the thicknesses of the transversus abdominis muscle, the internal oblique abdominal muscle, and the external oblique abdominal muscle increased significantly. In particular, the thickness increase rate of the transversus abdominis muscle was shown to be the highest. CONCLUSION: Sole Pilates based breathing is expected to be effective for the improvement of trunk stability through strengthening of abdominal muscles, because it induces the coordinated contraction of the transversus abdominis muscle and other abdominal muscle. It will be need the Longitudinal study for identify to long term effects of Pilates based breathing.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.275-288
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of breathing techniques on trunk muscle activity and balance during Pilates reformer footwork exercises, comparing results both within and between groups before and after the intervention. Methods: Thirty-one adult women over the age of 20 were selected as subjects for this study. They were divided into a Pilates breathing group (n = 15) and a general breathing group (n = 16) using a randomized control group study design. A surface electromyogram was used to measure muscle activity within and between the groups before and after the reformer footwork exercise. Static balance measurements were taken while standing on two legs, and dynamic balance measurements were taken while standing on one leg. All measurements were taken three times, and the average values were used for analysis. Results: The results of the study showed that muscle activity increased with significant differences in the external oblique and transverse abdominal muscles after exercise in the pre-post comparison within the Pilates breathing group (p < 0.05). In the between-group comparison, there was a significant difference in the increase in muscle activity of the external oblique and transverse abdominal muscles in the Pilates breathing group (p < 0.05). In the pre-post comparison of static and dynamic balance within the Pilates breathing group, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) after exercise. The Pilates breathing group also showed a significant increase even in the between-group comparison (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study confirmed that reformer footwork exercise accompanied by Pilates breathing has positive effects on muscle activity and static balance ability of trunk muscles in adult women. Therefore, reformer footwork exercise accompanied by Pilates breathing can be presented as an effective exercise method to increase trunk stability and balance ability through the simultaneous activity of the trunk muscles.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates breathing exercises on functional disability and lumbar flexibility in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: 30 patients with non-specific low back pain were selected and classified into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). Both groups were assessed for functional disability using the Oswestry Disability Index and flexibility of the lumbar spine using the modified-modified Schober test before and after the intervention. The intervention was applied twice a week for four weeks. The experimental group performed Pilates breathing exercises followed by spinal stabilization exercises, while the control group only performed spinal stabilization exercises. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in functional disability and lumbar flexibility after the intervention. However, when comparing between the two groups, the experimental group showed a more significant effect than the control group. Conclusions: The combination of Pilates breathing exercises and spinal stabilization exercises can be considered an effective approach to improve low back pain and prevent chronic pain in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2022

PURPOSE: A Mat Pilates exercise program and a stretching program were conducted for elderly women to determine how the two interventions affect their autonomic nervous system. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 20 elderly women over 65 who regularly used a welfare center located in C city of Chungnam. The subjects were assigned randomly to the following two groups: 10 people in the breathing and mat Pilates exercise program group (PG) and 10 people in the breathing and stretching program group (SG). RESULTS: The present study design is randomized controlled trial. Vascular age was decreased significantly in the PG (p < .05). The mean stress index was reduced significantly in the PG (p < .05), and the amount of change was significantly larger in the PG than in the SG (p < .05). The health index was significantly lower in the PG than the SG (p < .05), and the amount of change in the PG was significantly more prominent than in the SG (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The Mat Pilates program was effective in improving the vascular age, average stress index, and health index of elderly women. In particular, it was significantly more effective than the stretching exercise program in improving the average stress and health indices.