Effect of Pilates exercises on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in women: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is challenging, calling for therapeutic strategies other than pharmacological treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Pilates exercises on IBS symptoms and severity, frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and body weight in women with IBS.

Methods: Sixty women with IBS, aged 20-45, completed this study. They were randomly assigned to two equal groups: a study group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The study group received an 8-week Pilates exercise program (2 sessions per week) in addition to dietary advice, while the control group received dietary advice only. Inclusion criteria were women, IBS diagnosed based on Rome IV Diagnostic criteria, constipation-predominant IBS, and moderate to severe IBS. The outcome measures were the IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), the frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements, the modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS), hospital anxiety and depression (HADS) scale, and body weight (BW).

Results: The study group showed more significant improvements than the control group in total IBS-SSS score (Cohen d = 0.73, p < 0.001), frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements (Cohen d = 0.50, p < 0.001), total MFIS score (Cohen d = 0.74, p < 0.001), anxiety (Cohen d = 0.56, p < 0.001), and depression (Cohen d = 0.64, p < 0.001). The study group also showed a significant reduction in body weight compared to baseline (p < 0.05). The control group showed significant improvements in all outcomes, except body weight, compared to baseline (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Pilates exercises, used in addition to dietary advice, may significantly improve IBS symptoms and severity, frequency of complete spontaneous bowel movements, and alleviate fatigue, anxiety, and depression moderately more than dietary advice alone in women with constipation-predominant IBS. Nevertheless, dietary advice alone may also significantly improve these outcomes in this cohort.