y Physical activity of body and mind. Pilates and yoga. Effects on vitality and mental health. Systematic review and meta-analysis

The main objective of this review is to analyze the effects of Pilates and yoga exercises on vitality and mental health, using the SF-36 quality of life scale. An exhaustive search was conducted in the Pubmeb, PEDRo, Scopus, Scielo, Google Scholar, and WorldWideScience databases, identifying a total of 169 articles. After performing the selection, eligibility, and inclusion processes, 20 articles were selected (11 on Pilates, 8 on yoga, and 1 with Pilates and yoga intervention). Statistically significant changes were observed in mental health in both the Pilates subgroup (n=12) and the yoga subgroup (n=9), with moderate effect sizes (Pilates subgroup Cohen's d=0.69 [95% CI: 0.37 to 1.01]; yoga subgroup Cohen's d=0.50 [95% CI: 0.26 to 0.74]). Regarding vitality, statistically significant changes were observed in both the Pilates subgroup (n=12) and the yoga subgroup (n=9), with moderate-low effect sizes (Pilates subgroup Cohen's d=0.38 [95% CI: 0.14 to 0.61]; yoga subgroup Cohen's d=0.34 [95% CI: 0.08 to 0.59]). These results support the effectiveness of Pilates and yoga exercises as physical therapy in moderately improving quality of life in terms of vitality and mental health.