The Effect of Pilates Exercises on Health Beliefs Attitudes, Body Image and Body Composition in Sedentary Women

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the effects of pilates exercises on health beliefs, attitudes towards exercise, body image perception and body composition in sedentary individuals. The sample of the study consisted of 30 female participants (n=30) between the ages of 24-55 (24/55=34.83±8.91). Sample size was determined by G-power analysis. Participants were given 1-hour reformer pilates group exercises 3 times a week for a total of 12 weeks. Health Beliefs Models Scale Towards Exercise (HBM) and Body Image Scale (BIS) were used. Tanita and tape measure were used for body and girth measurements. Nonparametric Wilcoxon rank signs and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine significant differences. To test correlational hypotheses, Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine strong or weak relationships between variables. In the study, .05 was determined as the limit value for significance.In the research findings, it is seen that there is a significant difference in the fat percentage of the participants before and after pilates training (z=-4.623, p<.001). HBM scale health development sub-dimension scores before pilates training [x² (sd= 4, n=30) = 6.770, p>05] and after [x² (sd= 4, n=30) = 3.190, p>05] did not show any significant difference. Between BIS and educational status, the participants' BIS scores before the training [x² (sd= 4, n=30) = 4.133, p>05] and after [x² (sd= 4, n=30) = 4.607, p>05] depended on their educational status. did not show any significant difference. When the correlation results were examined, it was seen that there was no significant relationship between the last measurements of the participants' fat percentage and the scale scores (p>.05). As a result, it was determined that the participants in the study had improvements in their variables as a result of 12 weeks of pilates exercises.