Article categories, Injuries and Pregnancy
Breaking Research: Resistance-Based Pilates Could Be a Game Changer for Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia can feel like a never-ending cycle of pain, fatigue, and frustration. While this pain can make the thought of exercise a daunting one, recent research has turned its attention to how different forms of exercise can assist with reducing Fibromyalgia pain and symptoms. Previous studies have shown how physical exercise can be incredibly helpful for helping Fibromyalgia symptoms, but it has been a hotly contested topic on which form of exercise is the most effective. A new study has reviewed the research, shedding light on which types of exercise are most effective in helping women with fibromyalgia reduce pain and reclaim their quality of life.
The review compared 51 clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 women with Fibromyalgia, looking at the effectiveness of 15 different types of therapeutic exercise in reducing pain intensity, both in the short and long term.
Here’s what stood out:
- Aquatic exercise ranked highest for short-term pain relief (up to 3 months).
- Pilates, qigong, resistance training, and virtual reality exercises also offered significant short-term improvements.
- For long-term relief (beyond 3 months), resistance training was the clear winner.
These results are especially exciting for Pilates lovers. Not only was Pilates found to be helpful at reducing pain in the short-term, but resistance training was considered the most effective at reducing pain for women with Fibromyalgia.
Resistance training is fantastic as it builds strength over time, helps to reduce pain, supports everyday movements such as climbing the stairs or reaching that tall kitchen cupboard, and improves mental health. But you don’t need to become a heavy weight lifting champion to participate in resistance training as it can also be included in certain types of Pilates. For example, equipment such as the Reformer, Wunda Chair, and Cadillac all provide resistance through their springs, meaning exercises can be adjusted to add or remove resistance in a controlled and joint-friendly way. Resistance can also be added with Pilates props, such as resistance bands and the Pilates circle, which are great to add targeted resistance and engage smaller stabilising muscles.