Effects of Online Pilates and Face-to-Face Pilates Intervention on Body Composition, Muscle Mechanical Properties, Cardiometabolic Parameters, Mental Health, and Physical Fitness in Middle-Aged Women with Obesity

With the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019, individuals have been participating in online exercises to maintain their health while avoiding infection. Among these online exercises, Pilates intervention is a popular modality. This study aimed to examine the differences between online and face-to-face Pilates interventions in terms of various physiological parameters and included 30 middle-aged individuals (age 43.3 ± 5.5 years) with obesity. These individuals were randomly divided into a face-to-face Pilates group (FPG), an online Pilates group (OPG), and a control group (CG). The FPG and OPG performed a 60-min mat Pilates program with a Borg scale of 11–17, three times a week for 12 weeks. The participants in the CG maintained their daily routines. Body composition, mechanical muscle properties, cardiometabolic parameters, mental health, and physical fitness were assessed before and after 12 weeks of intervention. No significant differences in body composition or cardiometabolic parameters were observed between groups. However, the FPG and OPG showed greater improvements than the CG in terms of muscle mechanical properties, cardiometabolic parameters, mental health, and physical fitness. In addition, the FPG showed greater improvement than the OPG. In conclusion, face-to-face Pilates is a more effective modality than online Pilates, although both modalities improve health-related parameters.