Effects of Aerobic Exercise Combined with a Pilates Program and Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on Pelvic Floor Function and Quality of Life in Postpartum Women

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of a Pilates-aerobic combined program and a Pilates-pelvic floor combined program on pelvic floor function, quality of life, and functional movement in postpartum women.Methods: Twenty-one women, 6-48 weeks postpartum, were randomly assigned either to a Pilates-aerobic group (n=11) or a Pilates-pelvic floor group (n=10).Each group participated in 60-minute sessions twice weekly for six weeks.Assessments included pelvic floor displacement, vaginal pressure, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20), the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7), and functional movement tests (deep squat, hurdle step).Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in pelvic floor function and quality of life, with increased pelvic floor displacement and vaginal pressure and decreased PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 scores.However, only the Pilates-aerobic group demonstrated significant gains in deep-squat and hurdle-step performance, indicating superior functional movement improvement.Conclusion: The Pilates-aerobic combined program was more effective than the Pilates-pelvic floor combined program for enhancing pelvic floor function, quality of life, and physical functional movement in postpartum women.These findings suggest that integrating aerobic exercise with Pilates may be an efficient and comprehensive rehabilitation approach for postpartum recovery.