Can Pilates genuinely improve cardiorespiratory fitness?
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine set out to answer that question by pooling data across 10 studies evaluating the method’s impact on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2Max). While the authors concluded that Pilates produces significant, moderate improvements in cardiorespiratory capacity across healthy and clinical cohorts alike, looking under the hood of the review reveals important nuances that every movement educator and clinician should understand before interpreting these findings as an aerobic prescription.
From a quality perspective, the underlying evidence base remains modest and diverse. Methodological quality tools, including the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool for randomized controlled trials and the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies for non-randomized trials, identified a mixed risk of bias, with common limitations around participant blinding and allocation concealment. Furthermore, the 10 included studies synthesized data from just 332 total participants across varied demographics, ranging from sedentary older adults and individuals recovering from stroke or heart failure to trained runners.
Crucially, several confounding variables warrant careful interpretation. A notable portion of the positive effect was driven by trials that combined Pilates with concurrent running or explicit aerobic exercise, introducing significant synergistic training effects rather than isolating Pilates mechanics alone. Measurement techniques also varied widely, mixing direct cardiopulmonary gas analysis with indirect submaximal heart rate or walking estimates. Because none of the analyzed studies directly measured metabolic intensity during the sessions themselves, these cardiorespiratory gains likely reflect enhanced ventilatory efficiency, ribcage mobility, and core movement economy rather than pure aerobic conditioning, highlighting Pilates as a potent neuromotor catalyst rather than a direct substitute for high-intensity cardiovascular training.
Simply, the Pilates Method is about optimizing movement efficiency, increasing accessibly mobility and control and adaptability to life’s demands. Is Pilates in and of itself a cardiovascular exercise? No. Does it improve the efficiency of cardiovascular training? Yes.
In Alignment,
Dr. Brent
Research Reviewed: J Clin Med. 2019 Oct 23;8(11):1761. doi: 10.3390/jcm8111761 Pilates Method Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Rubén Fernández-Rodríguez 1,2, Celia Álvarez-Bueno 2,3,*, Asunción Ferri-Morales 4, Ana I Torres-Costoso 4, Iván Cavero-Redondo 2, Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno 2,5 PMCID: PMC6912807 PMID: 31652806
By Nichole Zuckerman — Pilates Educator, Teacher Trainer & Director of Polestar Pilates USA
Opening: Movement Changes
You’re a runner. You run through the spring, set goals, watch your pace change, feel yourself getting stronger.
Then summer arrives, it’s hot… and running doesn’t feel the same – so you swim!
At first, maybe swimming is the alternative, but hen something happens. You start setting swimming goals. You notice your stroke. Your breath. The number of laps you can swim without stopping. You start looking forward to the pool.
And then fall comes. You lace up your running shoes again, and somehow, you’re 5% stronger than you were last fall.
Movement has seasons, and maybe our job isn’t to resist them. Maybe it’s to notice them. Unless you live in a place with completely steady weather, the reality is you will have to adapt your movement throughout the year. And even if your routine is inside a gym, shifting modalities and goals will help you become a more well rounded mover and experience new fun ways of moving.
Sometimes the Season Chooses You
Sometimes the change is environmental: Summer gets too hot to run. Winter moves you indoors.
Sometimes it’s an injury: You assess. You adapt. Maybe the miles disappear for a while and the Reformer becomes your practice.
Sometimes it’s pregnancy: Your speed changes. Your capacity changes. The quantity of movement may change.
But none of that has to diminish the quality of your movement.
You can still bring your breath, your attention, your curiosity, your positive mental outlook.
Your presence.
Quality Is Available in Every Season
We often measure movement by what we can count: Miles, Laps, Repetitions, Weight, Pace, Classes.
But there are qualities of movement that don’t disappear when the numbers change.
How present were you?
How well did you breathe?
Did you listen to your body?
Did you notice the people around you?
Did you enjoy being there?
These are things we can practice whether we’re running ten miles, walking around the neighborhood, swimming laps, taking a Pilates class, recovering from an injury, or moving through pregnancy.
Notice Where You Are
There’s another gift in allowing movement to have seasons: you start noticing them. The light reflecting across the ceiling of the indoor pool, the first leaves changing on your neighborhood walk, the feeling of coming into the Pilates studio when the heaters turn on for the first time in winter, the energy of a class at the end of the school year, when everyone is talking about summer and getting ready for vacations.
Movement becomes one of the ways we experience time.
Instead of constantly asking, What did I do? How far did I go? How hard did I work?
We can also ask: Was I there for it?
Bring Your Vibe to Your Tribe
Presence isn’t only something we practice for ourselves. Every pool, studio, trail, gym, class and neighborhood has a community around it. You get to contribute to that community. So, if you can… Be the person who gives the high five! Be the person who says good morning. Learn someone’s name. Encourage the person next to you. Thank your teacher. Thank the person at the front desk. Notice when someone hasn’t been there for a while.
Bring your vibe to your tribe, support the people around you, and hopefully allow yourself to be supported, too.
The Practice That Lasts All Year
Your movement will change. There will be seasons when you feel strong and fast. Seasons when you slow down. Seasons when you explore something completely new. Seasons when your body asks you to reconsider what movement means altogether.
The goal doesn’t have to be holding onto one version of yourself all year. The practice can be learning to show up fully for each version.
Bring the quality, the breath, your presence. Bring the “good morning”, the “thank you” and the high five.
This blog is written by Dr. Brent Anderson as part of an ongoing conversation at the intersection of movement science and clinical reasoning.
With the Summer Pathokinesiology Certification cohort opening for registration on May 1, alongside early bird tuition – this is your invitation to step into the work and join a global community advancing how we understand movement and pathology.
The Rise of The Movement Practitioner: Bridging Fitness & Healthcare
The next evolution of healthcare isn’t happening in hospitals, it’s happening in movement studios. A new kind of professional is emerging: one who understands both the science of pathology and the language of movement. Not just instructors. Not just clinicians –Movement practitioners.
Movement practitioners like Shelly Power, who I write about in my blog When Movement Speaks First, are already leading this shift, bridging the gap between what we see in the body and what’s often missed in traditional care. And they are quietly reshaping how we approach health, recovery, and performance.
Every day, people walk into movement spaces carrying far more than a desire to exercise. They bring pain, diagnoses, compensations, fears, and unanswered questions about their bodies. They are navigating chronic conditions, recovering from injuries, or simply trying to feel at home in their bodies again.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are making decisions that influence their outcomes.
The challenge is not a lack of care or intention – It’s a lack of framework. Most movement professionals are trained in exercises, but not in how pathology shapes movement, or how movement can influence pathology. So we rely on intuition, experience, and pattern recognition… without always having the language to support it.
But intuition is not guesswork, it’s recognition, and recognition can be trained. When we begin to understand how the body adapts to injury, stress, and disease, movement becomes something more than exercise. It becomes a form of assessment, a form of communication and a form of intervention.
This is where the role begins to shift from instructor to practitioner, and from delivering workouts to making decisions. You stop asking “What exercise should I teach?” and ask “What does this body need?” – This is the work. It requires more than repertoire, and it requires a deeper understanding of how pathology influences movement and how movement, in turn, can influence pathology.
This is the foundation of Pathokinesiology.The study of how pathology impacts movement, and how movement influences pathology. A framework designed to give movement professionals the clarity, confidence, and language to step into this role fully.
Across more than 20 countries, movement professionals are already stepping into this work. They are working with older adults, clients in chronic pain, post-rehabilitation populations, and individuals whose needs don’t fit neatly into a single category.
Not as replacements for healthcare, but as informed collaborators within it – because the future of health is not built on isolated disciplines, it’s built on integration, on communication and on a shared understanding of the human body in motion.
If you’ve ever felt the responsibility of guiding someone through pain, If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re doing the right thing, If you’ve ever sensed that there is more to understand beneath what you’re seeing, I’ve been there, and…You’re right.
And you’re already closer than you think! Pathokinesiology is the next step, and I hope to see you inside!
I was once in love with a man who became my husband, the father of my three daughters, and ultimately, my abuser. The abuse started gradually—first verbal and emotional, then escalating to physical violence. Without realizing it, I lost control of my life. I made excuses for him, justifying his actions when he pushed or yelled, blaming his exhaustion or tough days at work. When the hitting began, I found myself trapped in a cycle of pain and fear.
I prayed that he would change, hoping it wouldn’t happen again. But it did—again and again. With a family at stake, I tried to keep us together, but the abuse spiraled beyond my control. I knew I had to leave, for the sake of my three young daughters who were watching. I owed it to them to be strong, turn to God, and leave this man behind.
Breaking Free from Abuse and Finding Strength
His last words to me were, “You won’t dance again.” Those words cut deep, just like the injuries he inflicted. But I refused to let them define my future. I fell into depression and anxiety, but I knew I needed to heal—for myself and for my daughters. I began taking care of myself both physically and spiritually. Physical therapy helped restore my body, but it was turning to God that brought color back into my life. It was the first step toward true healing.
Rediscovering Pilates: My Path to Healing
In my journey to heal, I rediscovered my love for Pilates—a passion I’d had since college. Pilates became my lifeline. Though fear initially held me back, I gave myself a second chance, enrolling in a comprehensive Pilates program with Polestar Pilates. I completed it, and for the first time in a long while, I recognized my own value. I saw the strength in my abilities, not just as a mother, but as a woman and a teacher. Every small achievement helped me rediscover who I truly was.
Pilates, Dance, and Faith: The Pillars to My Recovery
Investing in my Pilates education with Polestar Pilates was the best decision I made for myself. I saw the impact it had on my teaching career and how it helped my students—especially dancers and athletes. Feeling stronger and more grounded, I decided to audition for a local dance company, “Dance Now Ensemble,” and was invited to join. For several years, I danced on stages across the country. Pilates, dance, and faith became the pillars of my recovery, and they continue to shape my new life. Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology,” and I’m living proof of its power to unify body, mind, and spirit.
Helping Others Heal Through Pilates and Dance
Through Pilates and dance, I realized I could help others heal just as they had helped me. The world often prescribes pharmaceuticals, which can lead to a cycle of dependency. I wanted to offer an alternative rooted in hope, faith, and physical strength. I began sharing my story through dance, helping others find their voices and their strength.
Forgiveness and Spiritual Growth
Today, I’m proud of the woman I’ve become. Forgiveness played a key role in my healing. That moment of grace allowed me to forgive myself and release the anger and fear. It freed me to embrace the life God had planned for me. One of my recent projects, Embodied Grace: An Exploration of Theology of the Body Through Photography, is dedicated to those who’ve faced trauma, rejection, and body image struggles. Through my business, The Bolt Movement, and my program Fit Para Dios, I help others heal through faith, Pilates, and dance. As a bilingual instructor, I’m blessed to share this message in both Spanish and English.
Forgiveness is difficult, but it’s essential for healing. Through faith, Pilates, and dance, I found my way out of darkness, and now I encourage others to do the same.
About the Author
Ana Bolt Turrall is a movement educator and artist whose journey spans continents and disciplines. Originally from Nicaragua, Ana’s life has been shaped by experiences in Spain, Honduras, Canada and the U.S., where she now channels her passion for movement, faith, and education into inspiring others. As an adjunct professor at FSCJ, she teaches Humanities for the performing arts, blending dance, fitness, Pilates, and holistic well-being. Through her brand, The Bolt Movement, Ana empowers people of all ages to embrace healthy movement and creativity. With certifications from Polestar® Pilates and as a nationally certified Pilates instructor (NCPT®), her expertise is supported by continuous learning, including a Master’s in Fine Arts and studies in advanced movement methodologies.
Beyond the studio, Ana’s influence extends to artistic collaborations, performances at events like the Theology of the Body Congress, and the creation of works such as “The Vessels of Grace & The Graces of Aging.” She is committed to serving others through children’s dance programs and movement programs for survivors of domestic abuse. Recognized with numerous awards, including Teacher of the Year and Hispanic Artist of the Year, Ana’s legacy is defined by her compassion, creativity, and dedication to using movement as a means of transformation and healing.
Follow Ana on Instagram here and read more about The Bolt Movement here.
Pilates has long been a transformative practice for dancers, and I can personally attest to its impact! This method offers a unique blend of strength, flexibility, body awareness, and an understanding of body mechanics that traditional dance training often lacks. Cross-training with Pilates not only enhances performance but also protects dancers from common injuries. Below, I will share a few examples of the benefits Pilates offers dancers.
Enhanced Core Strength and Stability
One of the fundamental principles of Pilates is ‘Movement Integration,’ which is essential for building overall strength. This principle emphasizes the cohesive movement of the body throughout space with precision. Equipment like the reformer and other versatile apparatuses offer a wide range of exercises that involve pushing and pulling through resistance and assistance, guiding the body through different planes of motion. For dancers, strengthening this principle is essential for maintaining dynamic balance, executing precise movements, and performing complex choreography with ease.
Note: one important area where dancers can see improvement through Pilates, as I did when I first discovered it, is in proper breathing techniques and understanding the role of a neutral spine in effective external and internal rotation. Pilates exercises target these areas to balance the deep foundational muscles essential for strong technique, particularly the core muscles of the trunk. Mastering this will help dancers develop the stability needed for improved control and fluidity, enhancing their technical abilities. This core-centric approach ensures that dancers can sustain their performances with grace and power, reducing the strain on other parts of the body.
Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
The repetitive nature of dance movements often leads to overuse injuries, particularly in the hips, knees, and ankles. Pilates addresses these vulnerabilities by promoting balanced muscle development and joint stability through resistance and load. Equipment like the Cadillac helps in aligning the body correctly, strengthening the muscles around vulnerable joints, and enhancing overall flexibility. Pilates mat work can also help improve overall body strength and address weaknesses without equipment. This not only helps in preventing injuries but also provides a structured method for rehabilitation, allowing dancers to recover more quickly and return to their practice with renewed strength.
Improved Flexibility and Range of Motion
Flexibility is a cornerstone of dance, and Pilates excels in enhancing it through controlled, precise movements that stretch and lengthen muscles. Sometimes, working with dancers, I have had to work in smaller ranges of motion to maintain the strength required for on-demand muscle reaction, instead of working with their available ambit. Unlike static stretching, Pilates promotes dynamic flexibility, which is more applicable to dance. Dancers often find that Pilates helps them achieve greater extension, higher jumps, and more fluid movements. This improved range of motion allows dancers to explore new dimensions in their performances, making their routines more captivating and expressive.
Increased Body Awareness and Alignment
Pilates fosters a heightened sense of body awareness, which is crucial for alignment in motion for dancers to maintain performance and prevent injury. Dancers who practice Pilates often report a stronger connection between their mind and body, enabling them to execute movements with greater precision and confidence.
As an older dancer myself, I have benefited from the Pilates method well into my adult life. At 55 years old, I still have music left to play! Pilates has allowed me to evolve as a dancer, maintaining my passion and physical practice. My goal is to inspire others like me to not forget the beauty of movement and to express it, proving that age is no barrier to the joy and language that dance brings. Incorporating Pilates into dance training enhances a dancer’s physical capabilities and enriches their overall artistry. By building strength, preventing injuries, and preserving the body, Pilates empowers dancers to reach their full potential and sustain long, healthy careers in the demanding world of dance.
About the Author
Ana Bolt Turrall is a movement educator and artist whose journey spans continents and disciplines. Originally from Nicaragua, Ana’s life has been shaped by experiences in Spain, Honduras, Canada and the U.S., where she now channels her passion for movement, faith, and education into inspiring others. As an adjunct professor at FSCJ, she teaches Humanities for the performing arts, blending dance, fitness, Pilates, and holistic well-being. Through her brand, The Bolt Movement, Ana empowers people of all ages to embrace healthy movement and creativity. With certifications from Polestar® Pilates and as a nationally certified Pilates instructor (NCPT®), her expertise is supported by continuous learning, including a Master’s in Fine Arts and studies in advanced movement methodologies.
Beyond the studio, Ana’s influence extends to artistic collaborations, performances at events like the Theology of the Body Congress, and the creation of works such as “The Vessels of Grace & The Graces of Aging.” She is committed to serving others through children’s dance programs and movement programs for survivors of domestic abuse. Recognized with numerous awards, including Teacher of the Year and Hispanic Artist of the Year, Ana’s legacy is defined by her compassion, creativity, and dedication to using movement as a means of transformation and healing.
Follow Ana on Instagram here and read more about The Bolt Movement here.
The research community coined the term “Adult Spinal Deformity” (ASD) to represent specific abnormalities of the lumbar or thoracolumbar spine in adults. ASD includes scoliosis, a 3-dimensional spinal condition, and hyper-kyphosis, a sagittal plane spinal condition. In this discussion we will refer to ASD as Adult Spinal Disorder – a more sensitive characterization of the term. ASD is of growing interest in healthcare because of its prevalence in a population that has expanded due to increased longevity.
Adult Scoliosis Types
ASD includes 3 types of adult scoliosis1:
Type 1: Primary degenerative scoliosis is attributed to asymmetric disc disorder and/or facet joint arthritis, with predominantly back pain symptoms, often accompanied by signs of spinal stenosis. It is often classified as ‘‘de novo’’ scoliosis and occurs mostly as a lumbar or thoracolumbar curve with a sagittal deviation in the form of flat back or lumbar kyphosis.
Type 2: Idiopathic adolescent scoliosis is thoracic and/or lumbar spine scoliosis which progresses in adult life and is usually combined with secondary degeneration.
Type 3: Secondary adult curves:
Due, for example, to a leg length discrepancy or hip pathology.
Due to a metabolic bone disease (mostly osteoporosis) combined with asymmetric arthritic disease and/or vertebral fractures.
All three types of scoliosis may appear as degenerative scoliosis, and the primary cause is often difficult to determine once the degeneration has significantly progressed.
Progression
People with ASD are at risk for progression resulting in spine instability, pain and disability. Research by Weinstein et al14 examined progression of scoliosis based on the cobb angle:
> 30 deg Cobb: probable progression .5-.75°/year.
> 50 deg Cobb: certain progression of 1°/year.
Spine instability refers to excessive movement at vulnerable spinal segments. In scoliosis and hyper-kyphosis these segments tend to be transitional areas of the spine that occur above and below the curve apex – which is more rigid. Progression of spinal disorder occurs with lack of stabilization at these vulnerable transitional segments and results in degeneration and further compression of the concavities.
Exercise
Exercise has been shown to improve muscle mass and strength, both of which tend to decrease in older adults. There are 3 main exercise categories:
PSSE: Physiotherapy Scoliosis Specific Exercise is provided by physical therapists certified in this evidence-based intervention. PSSE such as the Schroth Method is considered a “corrective” form of exercise intervention. General principles of PSSE are “elongation and expansion” – principles that can also be applied to fitness activities.
Fitness: strength and flexibility exercises to maintain overall health and independence, or to prepare for sports and/or recreation. While fitness exercise is not corrective in nature, the health benefits are numerous. Adults with spinal disorder are vulnerable to progression, and care must be taken to reduce risk when selecting exercises.
Sports and recreation: “competitive games or active leisure” that enhances quality of life.
What Type of Exercise is Recommended?
Current exercise recommendation for ASD is vague. So my collaborators (Hagit Berdishevsky, Sanja Schreiber and Jean Claude de Mauroy) and I conducted a Scoping Review in search of any research articles that refer to exercise recommendations for adults with scoliosis. After finding no studies that fit our criteria, we developed an algorithm based on risk to help adults with spinal disorders make safe exercise choices.
Exercise Recommendation Based on Risk Assessment
Ideally, the client with scoliosis would receive scoliosis specific exercises (PSSE) with a PSSE trained physical therapist, then progress to a home program including fitness exercises that support their PSSE training. They could then theoretically continue their sport activity.
A conflict occurs when a fitness program focuses on sport mastery, such as improving golf swing, and then the selected exercises contribute to spinal compression, sheer forces and scoliosis progression. The fitness program design should be based on risk assessment, where exercises are selected according to the adult’s stabilization requirement. A fitness program serves as “stability cross training” to allow the adult to continue the sport/activity they love, for as long as possible.
Medical Research: Classification System
Research on ASD and progression has been done primarily in the surgical management of ASD. Classification systems have been designed to help guide management choices for spinal disorders. In 2006 Schwab and others8 developed a classification system for ASD that was validated in 2012.9 This large retrospective cohort study examined people with ASD who consulted a surgeon about their pain and disability. Some eventually received a surgical fusion (the ultimate stabilization). Those who were not fused received a conservative plan of care that often included PT and exercise.
Characteristics shared by those who had fusion surgery were analyzed. A classification was established based on their shared characteristics. These shared characteristics were then used to help predict which patients would be more likely to benefit from fusion surgery. High-risk patients shared the following radiological criteria.9
Summary of Radiological Risk Factors
Sagittal Plane Imbalance:
a more forward flexed posture (offset of trunk in relation to pelvis)
increased posterior pelvic tilt
reduced lumbar lordosis
Coronal Plane Imbalance:
the presence of a lumbar curve
increased coronal offset of the pelvis in relation to the trunk
Radiological risk factors are called “adult spine modifiers” in surgical terminology and may be used by therapists and fitness instructors to determine the risk of spinal instability for a patient/client. Modifiers may be used with a physical examination focusing on gait, posture and movement competence to obtain a risk stratification to determine optimal treatment planning that includes fitness exercises:
When the level of risk is high due to the presence of modifiers, a stability program is recommended.
When there are no spine modifiers, there is less risk and no need to restrict spinal motion in a fitness program.
What if there is no X-Ray?
Sometimes there is no x-ray available. This is mostly true in a fitness setting. The fitness instructor must determine if their adult client is at high-risk for pain and disability in the future. When no x-ray is available, the following clinical tests may be used. These tests correlate with three of the radiological criteria:
Scoliometer assessment4 to find the presence of primary lumbar curve
C7 to Wall Distance2 to determine the presence of Sagittal Imbalance
Plumb Line5 to determine the presence of Coronal Imbalance
Movement Competence Risk Factors
Movement Competence describes the effectiveness of a person’s underlying processes of movement including coordination, control and movement quality. Movement competence improves reaction to any destabilizing forces on the spine.
Movement Competence Assessment can be:
A formal standardized test such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)12 or a formal non-standardized test like the Polestar Assessment Tool:
Courtesy of Polestar Pilates
An informal test such as:
any movement examination that would inform the exercise plan
a person’s change of position or location
a judgement or evaluation
an estimation of ability
What are the outcomes of a Movement Competence Test and what do they tell us about risk assessment?
Challenged Mover: A person who requires on-going coaching to maintain optimal alignment during fitness exercises: mod-high risk
Competent Mover: A person who is appropriate for a self-guided exercise program based on their Movement Competence Assessment: low risk
Exercise Selection
Now we can use risk factors (both structural and movement) to develop an exercise plan that includes the following exercise categories:
Basic Spine Stability category.
Advanced Spine Stability category.
Controlled Spine Movement category.
This flow chart depicts exercise selection and advancement based on risk:
Additionally, fitness exercises can be modified to reduce compressive forces on concavities (collapsed areas in ASD) in the frontal and sagittal planes:
Pain
Pain is a complex experience and differs from person to person. It is a warning that something is not quite right. It can cause a person to avoid certain actions (fear avoidance). Pain is part of the vicious cycle of ASD as described by Weinstein in 1986.14 ASD vicious cycle starts with:
Symmetric and/or asymmetric degeneration (that can be new from degenerative changes in adulthood or an add-on to existing scoliosis from adolescence).
Asymmetric load will continue and most likely create instability of the spine: listhesis in 3D which can give rise to progression, pain and disability.
Does Exercise Help?
Exercise reduces pain perception and can affect mental health, mood elevation and reduction of stress and depression. It can produce an analgesic effect through activation of the central nervous system inhibitory pathways. Pain has both physical and psychological components.6 Adults tend to have mild to moderate pain as part of their daily life. If pain continues despite an appropriate fitness program based on an assessment, then we call this “persistent” pain. Ultimately, if the adult has failed to improve and pain is no longer tolerated, then referral to a specialist in ASD is recommended.
Delphi Study
My colleagues and I tested our theory of exercise selection based on structural and movement competence risk factors to see if experts in our field agreed with us. We sent an anonymous survey to 50 physical therapists around the world who specialize in PSSE for adults with spinal disorder. Two rounds of questions were sent, and respondents were provided results and feedback from the first round to help them achieve consensus in the second. 21/50 experts in ASD responded and a consensus of 75% agreement on all questions was achieved, resulting in the following exercise recommendations:
Exercise Recommendations for People with Adult Spinal Disorder
Adults with persistent pain should consult a specialist in ASD, preferably prior to beginning a general fitness exercise program
Adults with modifiers verified radiographically or clinically should perform spine stability exercises
Adults without modifiers who lack movement competence should begin primarily with spine stability exercises and may advance to unrestricted exercises if movement competence improves
We are currently preparing a larger Delphi study to increase the strength of these findings.
What About Sports?
Recreational sports have a positive impact on quality of life, perhaps even justifying any potential risks they may impose on those with scoliosis and adult modifiers. It would be prudent for adults with ASD and risk factors who want to continue their sport, to work with a qualified fitness instructor who can provide an exercise program emphasizing stability as cross training. The adult with higher risk for instability should understand its ramifications and make an informed decision about continuing their sport. If they decide to continue their sport, they should be supported. We can help them be happy and safe!
About the Author
Lise Stolze, MPT, DSc, is a scoliosis and spinal conditions specialist for adolescents and adults and an SSOL-Schroth educator. She is certified through the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS C2) and Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS 2). Dr. Stolze owns Stolze Therapies: Scoliosis, Spine and Movement Arts in Denver Colorado, an orthopedic physical therapy clinic and studio for Pilates, fitness and movement. She is an active member of the International Society on Scoliosis Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT). Dr. Stolze co-created the course: Scoliosis and Spinal Conditions Pilates Master Course: Supporting the Principles of the Schroth Method. She has recently completed the collaborative research study: Best Practice Fitness Exercise Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Disorders: A Delphi Survey, which helps to establish fitness exercise recommendations for physical therapists and fitness professionals working with adults who have scoliosis and other spinal disorders.
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Amatachaya P, Wongsa S, Sooknuan T, Thaweewannakij T, Laophosri M, Manimanakorn N, Amatachaya S. Validity and reliability of a thoracic kyphotic assessment tool measuring distance of the seventh cervical vertebra from the wall. Hong Kong Physiother J. 2016,13;35:30-36.
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Lima LV, Abner TSS, Sluka KA. Does exercise increase or decrease pain? Central mechanisms underlying these two phenomena. J Physiol. 2017 Jul 1;595(13):4141-4150. doi: 10.1113/JP273355. Epub 2017 May 26. PMID: 28369946; PMCID: PMC5491894.
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Silva B, Rodrigues LP, Clemente FM, Cancela JM, Bezerra P. Association between motor competence and Functional Movement Screen scores. PeerJ. 2019,7:e7270.
Suwannarat P, Amatachaya P, Sooknuan T, Tochaeng P, Kramkrathok K, Thaweewannakij T, Manimmanakorn N, Amatachaya S. Hyperkyphotic measures using distance from the wall: validity, reliability, and distance from the wall to indicate the risk for thoracic hyperkyphosis and vertebral fracture. Archives of Osteoporosis. 2018, 13 (1): 25.
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The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
