Movement variability in Pilates: a scoping review

Mário José Pereira; Gonçalo Dias; Rui Mendes; Fernando Martins; Ricardo Gomes; Maria António Castro; Vasco Vaz

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195055

Movement variability in Pilates: a scoping review

Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 15:14:1195055. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195055. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Mário José Pereira¹, Gonçalo Dias^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Rui Mendes^{2

3

4

5}, Fernando Martins^{2

3

5

6}, Ricardo Gomes^{2

3

4

5

6}, Maria António Castro^{3

7}, Vasco Vaz^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
² Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
³ Laboratório RoboCorp, IIA, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁴ CIDAF (UID/DTP/04213/2020), Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁵ ESEC-UNICID-ASSERT, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁶ Instituto de Telecomunicações, Delegação da Covilhã, Covilhã, Portugal.
⁷ Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Leiria, Portugal.

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review aimed to identify studies that analyzed movement variability in Pilates. Following a systematic approach to mapping evidence on this topic would highlight concepts, theories, sources, and knowledge gaps in this area.

Methods: This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria for the selection, reading, and analysis of studies in this area. We searched five literature databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra-EBSCO Discovery Services, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar). Eligible articles contained the word "Pilates," and the human movement variability was analyzed. Any type of study (except reviews) could be eligible and must have been published between 1 January 2002 and 30 November 2022, in Portuguese, Spanish, French, or English.

Results: Our search identified five eligible entries. Only one study used the Pilates method in its intervention, pointing to a more significant variability of hip-knee coordination, suggesting more diversified coordination patterns, and maintaining the variability of the angular position of the joint.

Conclusion: Very few studies have examined movement variability in Pilates, and only one applied an ecological framework.

Keywords: Pilates; Sport Sciences; motor learning and control; movement science; non-linear analysis.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study was funded by FCT/MCTES through national funds and, when applicable, cofounded EU funds under the project UIDB/50008/2020 and from the Applied Research Institute (i2A) of the Polytechnic of Coimbra within the scope of the Exemption for Applied Research (Order no. 7333/2020).