The effect of pilates exercises in addition to exercise training on healthy male individuals on flexibility, self esteem and quality of life.

Exercise is one of the most important factors for the continuity of healthy life. In this study, we aimed to to investigate the effect of pilates exercises in addition to exercise training on flexibility, muscle strength, self-esteem, quality of life and depression in healthy male subjects. Sixty healthy male participants were included in the study between January and April 2019 at the ProMOSS Manual Therapy Center of Ordu, between the ages of 20 and 45 with a mean age of 27.78 ± 5.25. Participants were divided into two groups as group 1 and group 2. The group 1 received only exercise training, while the group 2 received Pilates exercises in addition to exercise training. The registered methods used before and after the programme for both groups. Sit and Reach Test for flexibility, manual muscle test for muscle strength of trunk flexion and extension, SF-36 quality of life Assessment Scale for quality of life, Rosenberg self-esteem scale for self-esteem and Beck Depression Scale for depression level assessment. In the baseline comparisons, the education level of the group 2 was significantly higher than the group 1 (p = 0.033). At the end of the study, there was no statistically significant difference for the comparison of pre-training and post-training values of group 1 (p>0.05). In the group 2, statistically significant difference determined for all parameters, except the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, for the comparison of pre-training and post-training values (P <0.05). As a result, in the present study, the addition of pilates exercises to exercise training in healthy men improved muscle strength, flexibility, quality of life and depression, but did not change self-esteem. Keywords: Pilates, Flexibility, Self-Esteem, Quality Of Life, Depression