The Effect of Pilates Exercise on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnancy

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 a) Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran b) Community-Oriented Nursing Midwifery Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

2 a) Associate Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shk.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran b) Department of Health, Shk.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

3 a) Community-Oriented Nursing Midwifery Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran b) Lecturer, Department of Midwifery, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

4 a) Assistant Professor, Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran b) Department of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

10.22038/jmrh.2025.76714.2269

Abstract

Background & aim: Some pregnant women experience pregnancy complications that can lead to maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Pilates Exercise on maternal and newborn outcomes.
Methods: In the present double-blind randomized clinical trial, participants and outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. Participants included 60 pregnant women who were at 20 weeks of gestation referred to the health care centers in Shahrekord, Iran. They were initially entered the study by a stratified random sampling method and then randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group were required to attend two moderate-intensity Pilates exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Each session lasted 30 minutes. Maternal outcomes were assessed using a self-report checklist combined with medical record review. Neonatal outcomes (including jaundice, transient tachypnea, stillbirth, and birth weight) were obtained exclusively from medical records. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 23 using independent t-test, Chi square and ANOVA.
Results: After the intervention, maternal outcomes including low back pain (P=0.001), pelvic pain (P<0.001), gestational diabetes (P<0.001), transient hypertension of pregnancy (P=0.002) and urinary incontinence (P=0.013) were significantly lower in the intervention than the control group. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for any neonatal outcomes including jaundice, transient tachypnea of the newborn, stillbirth, and birth weight.
Conclusion: Pilates exercise significantly improved maternal outcomes without affecting neonatal health, supporting its inclusion in prenatal education programs.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Midwifery and Reproductive Health
Volume 14, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 5244-5254

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