Diet and exercise intervention are the first strategies to counteract obesity. An online home-based exercise program may be a feasible approach in an obese population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of twelve weeks of online Pilates plus diet on body composition in individuals affected by obesity. Thirty-five females were randomly assigned to a home-based Pilates group (PG, n = 18) or a group without intervention (control group, CG, n = 17). All participants followed a Mediterranean diet. The PG followed a twelve-week online Pilates Matwork program (three times/week; 180 min/week), while the CG was not involved in any structured physical exercise program. Body composition and handgrip strength were evaluated at baseline (T₀) and after the intervention (T₁). A significant group × time interaction (p < 0.05) was found for the fat mass percentage (pFM). Specifically, the pFM was significantly lower at T₁ than at T₀ in the PG. Significant group × time interactions for fat-free mass (p < 0.05), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.05), and skeletal muscle mass (p < 0.01) were found. All these variables were significantly higher at T₁ than at T₀ in the PG (p < 0.05). Home-based Pilates combined with diet intervention may represent an effective strategy to improve body composition in terms of fat mass reduction and muscle mass gain in adults affected by obesity.

Age-related muscle mass and force reduction may ultimately pave the way for loss of independence, reduced quality of life (QoL) and increased falls, which represents one of the primary causes of hospitalization and death among the elderly. Physical exercise (PE) is widely proposed to reduce the risk of falls (RoF) in the elderly, and Taekwondo (TKD) seems a particularly suitable activity for this purpose. Therefore, this single-arm longitudinal observational study aims to evaluate (a) the effects of a six-month adapted TKD course on RoF by means of an instrumented version of the timed up and go test (TUG) and (b) differences after six months of TKD on TUG temporal and kinematic variables. Twenty elderly participants of both sexes (age: 64.6 ± 4.2 years; mass: 76.0 ± 15.0 kg; stature: 1.63 ± 0.10 m) were assessed before (T0) and after (T6) six months of adapted TKD by means of the i-TUG test. TUG, walking phases and time to sit duration were shorter than at T0. Furthermore, during walking phases, antero-posterior linear acceleration increased significantly. The adapted TKD course was suitable to improve functional mobility in the elderly, and the use of the instrumented TUG allowed us to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these improvements.

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a widely used training method to increase muscle strength and power. However, its working mechanisms are still poorly understood, and studies investigating the effects of WBV on muscle stiffness are scant. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the acute effects of WBV on stiffness and countermovement jump (CMJ). Twenty-four recreationally active males, on separate days and in random order, performed a static squat under two different conditions: with WBV (WBV) or without vibration (CC). Muscle stiffness was assessed through the Wartenberg pendulum test, and CMJ was recorded. RM-ANOVA was employed to test differences between conditions in the above-mentioned variables. In the CC condition, stiffness was significantly lower after the exposure to the static squat (p = 0.006), whereas no difference was observed after the exposure to WBV. WBV and CC did not affect CMJ. No significant correlation was observed between changes in CMJ and changes in stiffness. Our results show that WBV may mitigate the reduction in muscle stiffness observed after static squats. However, current results do not support the notion that WBV exposure may account for an increase in CMJ performance.