The importance of flexibility in the functionality of the elderly, an intervention of the pilates method: a literature review

Abstract

The practice of physical exercises that involve combinations of neuromotor stimuli, such as strength and flexibility training, is essential for the elderly; since the number of elderly people has increased in recent years, the Pilates Method has stood out, especially for this audience. As a form of physical exercise, it provides numerous benefits, such as improved motor skills and abilities, being a relevant factor in the aging process, due to less joint mobility and muscle elasticity. The objective of this work was to verify in the literature the importance of flexibility in the functionality of the elderly, with the intervention of the Pilates Method. Three articles were selected, which report research on the subject, showing improvement in musculoskeletal pain, functional autonomy and consequently also in quality of life through the Pilates Method; to perform the research, two groups were divided; experimental / pilates group and control group, where they could verify how effective the method is compared with the elderly who do not practice physical activity, the materials used for the tests were: battery of tests by Rikli and Jones, life satisfaction scale, Wells bench, EVA (visual analog scale) and goniometer. Conclusion: Elderly people who were not submitted to the method had a lower degree of flexibility, in addition to decreasing with age. It is believed then that by stimulating the practice with the elderly, it would probably decrease the number of accidents with falls, since flexibility helps to maintain the maintenance of functional autonomy. As a way to prevent and improve such limitations, the practice of the Pilates Method is suggested.