The aim of this systematic review is to collect and summarize the benefits of Pilates in the elderly population (>60 years old), within the current scientific production, assessing its contribution to Healthy Ageing (HA). We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) to select, collect, and analyse this thematic. The methodological procedures were registered in the PROSPERO database. The main results of the studies analysed (n = 30) point to significant differences between the intervention and the control groups in dynamic balance, strength, mobility, functional capacity, risk of falling reduction, and mental and psychological health. Thus, the results showed that Pilates may be beneficial for the health of the elderly. The meta-analysis found statistical differences between means on the dynamic balance (mean difference (MD) = −0.0, 95% CI [−0.71, −0.50]; I²: 0%) and the aerobic capacity and aerobic resistance [(MD) = 38.29, 95% CI [6.82, 69.77]; I²: 0%). Thus, it is concluded that the efficacy of Pilates has been shown in various areas of HA and has proven to be affordable and safe for the majority of people, using just a mat on the floor. Future studies should focus on the analysis of the relationship between the cost and the benefit of a Pilates intervention in the elderly population, to better understand how health costs can be minimized and to contribute to a multidisciplinary and generalized HA. Pilates has practical application for the clinicians, therapists, and health professionals that work with the elderly population.

Background: The aim of this review was to collect and systematize results of studies from the last 5 years concerning the influence of the Pilates method (PM) on functional body composition (FBC). Methods: The criteria of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used in this review. We conducted research in three scientific databases: (i) Web of Science Core Collection, (ii) SCOPUS, and (iii) search directory of the library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services. We found 334 articles, covering the period between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. After the selection process, we found 33 eligible articles. Results: The main results seem to point to a tendency to get a better body weight and body fat percentage (BFP), hip circumference (HC), waist, and skinfolds from the chest, abdomen, triceps, and supra-iliac in mostly female samples. Available evidence indicates that, in body composition (BC) and FBC, Pilates practice tends to be effective in reducing obesity as a multifactorial condition. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a marked trend in the benefits of Pilates in FBC, which is in line with other systematic reviews at the BC level (which includes body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI)) and in the reduction of the percentage of fat mass (FM). It is also concluded that there is a vast lack of studies on the male population, preventing further scientific development in this area. The limitations of this systematic review can be overcome with studies that bring together multidisciplinary aspects of FBC, better designed and methodologically more robust, which will allow more reliable analyses for the implementation of the Pilates method in terms of FBC. In addition, further studies with a male sample or mixed samples (men vs. women) could confirm the trend of no gender differences in the benefits of Pilates practice.

(1) Background: Teachers’ visual behaviour in classes has an important role in learning and instruction. Hence, understanding the dynamics of classroom interactions is fundamental in educational research. As mapping evidence on this topic would highlight concepts and knowledge gaps in this area, this systematic review aimed to collect and systematise the analysis of teachers’ visual behaviour in classroom settings through the use of eye-tracking apparatus; (2) Methods: The methodological procedures were registered in the INPLASY database and this systematic review used the PRISMA criteria for the selection and analysis of studies in this area. We searched on six literature databases (B-on, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Scopus, TRC and WoS) between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2024. Eligible articles used eye tracking apparatus and analysed teachers’ visual behaviour as a dependent variable in the experiment; (3) Results: The main results of the articles selected (n = 41) points to the differences in teachers’ visual behaviour in terms of professional experience and the relationship between gaze patterns and several classroom variables; (4) Conclusions: A deeper understanding of teachers’ visual behaviour can lead to more effective teacher training and better classroom environments. The scientific research in this area would benefit from more standardized and robust methodologies that allow more reliable analyses of the added value of eye tracking technology.

The benefits of Pilates have been extensively researched for their impact on muscular, psychological, and cardiac health, as well as body composition, among other aspects. This study aims to investigate the influence of the Pilates method on the learning process, motor control, and neuromuscular trunk stabilization, specifically in both experienced and inexperienced practitioners. This semi-randomized controlled trial compares the level of experience among 36 Pilates practitioners in terms of motor control and learning of two Pilates-based skills: standing plank and side crisscross. Data will be collected using various assessment methods, including abdominal wall muscle ultrasound (AWMUS), shear wave elastography (SWE), gaze behavior (GA) assessment, electroencephalography (EEG), and video motion. Significant intra- and inter-individual variations are expected, due to the diverse morphological and psychomotor profiles in the sample. The adoption of both linear and non-linear analyses will provide a comprehensive evaluation of how neuromuscular structures evolve over time and space, offering both quantitative and qualitative insights. Non-linear analysis is expected to reveal higher entropy in the expert group compared to non-experts, signifying greater complexity in their motor control. In terms of stability, experts are likely to exhibit higher Lyapunov exponent values, indicating enhanced stability and coordination, along with lower Hurst exponent values. In elastography, experienced practitioners are expected to display higher transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle elasticity, due to their proficiency. Concerning GA, non-experts are expected to demonstrate more saccades, focus on more Areas of Interest (AOIs), and shorter fixation times, as experts are presumed to have more efficient gaze control. In EEG, we anticipate higher theta wave values in the non-expert group compared to the expert group. These expectations draw from similar studies in elastography and correlated research in eye tracking and EEG. They are consistent with the principles of the Pilates Method and other scientific knowledge in related techniques.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to identify studies that analyzed movement variability in Pilates. Following a systematic approach to mapping evidence on this topic would highlight concepts, theories, sources, and knowledge gaps in this area.Methods: This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria for the selection, reading, and analysis of studies in this area. We searched five literature databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, library catalog of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra—EBSCO Discovery Services, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar). Eligible articles contained the word “Pilates,” and the human movement variability was analyzed. Any type of study (except reviews) could be eligible and must have been published between 1 January 2002 and 30 November 2022, in Portuguese, Spanish, French, or English.Results: Our search identified five eligible entries. Only one study used the Pilates method in its intervention, pointing to a more significant variability of hip–knee coordination, suggesting more diversified coordination patterns, and maintaining the variability of the angular position of the joint.Conclusion: Very few studies have examined movement variability in Pilates, and only one applied an ecological framework.