HealhtyNCT07308626
Acute Effects of Reformer, Cadillac, and Chair Pilates Appa-ratuses on Cardiac Autonomic Modulation and Flexibility
A study testing Reformer-based Pilates, Cadillac-based Pilates and Chair Pilates Session in people with Healhty, run by Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study looked at how different types of Pilates equipment affect heart function and flexibility right after exercise in sedentary middle-aged women. Pilates can be performed on several apparatuses, such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair, and each device places different demands on the body. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 to 60 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healhty
- What is being tested?
- Reformer-based Pilates, Cadillac-based Pilates and Chair Pilates Session
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 15 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 25 Jul 2025to 25 Oct 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 40 to 60 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Female
- Age 40 to 60 years
- Sedentary (not engaged in regular physical activity)
- No prior experience with Pilates apparatus-based exercise
- Able to provide informed consent
Who cannot join
- Known metabolic or cardiovascular disease
- Regular use of medications that influence heart rate or autonomic function
- Current smoker
- Musculoskeletal injuries or limitations that prevent safe participation in exercise
- Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would interfere with study participation or data collection
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Acute Effects of Reformer, Cadillac, and Chair Pilates Appa-ratuses on Cardiac Autonomic Modulation and Flexibility in Sedentary Middle-Aged Women
This study looked at how different types of Pilates equipment affect heart function and flexibility right after exercise in sedentary middle-aged women. Pilates can be performed on several apparatuses, such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair, and each device places different demands on the body. However, it is not well known whether these differences lead to different short-term effects on the heart or on flexibility.
In this study, 15 women completed three separate Pilates sessions-one on each apparatus-on different days. During every session, researchers measured heart rate variability (a way to assess how the heart responds to and recovers from exercise). Flexibility was also tested before and after each session.
This information may help instructors and clinicians choose the most appropriate Pilates equipment based on individual goals.
Read the detailed description
Pilates is widely used to improve strength, posture, and flexibility, and it may also influence how the heart responds to exercise. Many Pilates programs use equipment such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair, which provide adjustable spring resistance and allow movement in different body positions. Although these apparatuses are commonly used in fitness and rehabilitation settings, little is known about whether they create different short-term effects on cardiovascular function or flexibility, especially in people who are sedentary.
This study designed to compare the immediate effects of three Pilates apparatuses-reformer, cadillac, and chair-on heart rate variability (a marker of cardiac autonomic activity) and flexibility in sedentary middle-aged women. Understanding these effects may help practitioners choose equipment that best supports specific goals, such as improving cardiovascular recovery or increasing muscle flexibility.
Each participant will complete one exercise session on each apparatus in a randomized order. Heart rate variability will be measured before exercise, during exercise, and throughout a short recovery period to observe how the body responded and returned to a resting state. Flexibility will be assessed before and after each session to determine the immediate physical benefit of the different apparatus types.
This study may help clarify whether specific Pilates equipment provides unique physiological advantages. Such information may support more targeted exercise prescriptions for individuals who are beginning Pilates, those with limited fitness experience, or those seeking improvements in flexibility or cardiovascular regulation.
- Conditions
- Healhty
- Being tested
- Reformer-based Pilates, Cadillac-based Pilates, Chair Pilates Session
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Reformer-based PilatesBehavioural
A supervised 50-minute Pilates exercise session performed on the reformer apparatus. Participants complete standardized beginner-level movements using spring resistance. The session emphasizes controlled full-body movement and postural stability.
Cadillac-based PilatesBehavioural
A supervised 50-minute Pilates session using the cadillac apparatus. Participants perform beginner-level exercises incorporating bars and spring systems to support controlled movement patterns targeting the upper and lower body.
Chair Pilates SessionBehavioural
A supervised 50-minute Pilates session performed on a Pilates chair apparatus. Participants complete a series of standardized beginner-level exercises using spring resistance to train core control, lower-limb strength, and stability.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Reformer Pilates Session | Experimental | Participants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a reformer apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. All movements are performed under instructor supervision. This arm is part of a randomized crossover design in which all participants complete all three apparatus conditions. Receives: Behavioral: Reformer-based Pilates |
| Cadillac Pilates Session | Experimental | Participants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a cadillac apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. This arm is one condition within the randomized crossover design, and all participants perform this and the other apparatus sessions. Receives: Behavioral: Cadillac-based Pilates |
| Chair Pilates Session | Experimental | Participants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a Pilates chair apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. All participants complete this arm as part of the crossover structure. Receives: Behavioral: Chair Pilates Session |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Heart rate fluctuations are measured using a chest-strap heart rate monitor to evaluate cardiac autonomic modulation. The measurements include the average time between heartbeats, the root mean square of differences between successive heartbeats, and the standard deviation of normal heartbeat intervals. These values are analyzed using specialized heart rhythm analysis software. Increases or decreases in these values reflect changes in autonomic nervous system activity. This outcome is used to compare acute cardiovascular responses between the different Pilates apparatus sessions.
Measured: Pre-exercise; during exercise; 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes post-exercise
Secondary outcomes (1)
Flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test)
Flexibility is assessed using a standardized sit-and-reach box. Participants perform two trials, and the best score (in centimeters) is recorded. This measure evaluates immediate and short-term changes in lower-back and hamstring flexibility after each apparatus session.
Measured: Pre-exercise; immediately post-exercise; 40 minutes post-exercise
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Dec 2025
- Study start25 Jul 2025
- Primary completion25 Sep 2025
- Study completion25 Oct 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for HealhtyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- This study uses a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design in which all participants complete three separate Pilates exercise sessions performed on different apparatuses (reformer, cadillac, and chair). Each participant experiences all interventions in a rotating order to minimize sequence effects. The crossover model allows each participant to serve as her own control, improving the ability to detect differences in acute physiological responses between apparatus types
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 15 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Monira Aldhahi, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07308626
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PNU-8
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 16 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Acute Effects of Reformer, Cadillac, and Chair Pilates Appa-ratuses on Cardiac Autonomic Modulation and Flexibility in Sedentary Middle-Aged Women
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07308626
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PNU-8
- Conditions
- Healhty
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 15 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Oct 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study looked at how different types of Pilates equipment affect heart function and flexibility right after exercise in sedentary middle-aged women. Pilates can be performed on several apparatuses, such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair, and each device places different demands on the body. However, it is not well known whether these differences lead to different short-term effects on the heart or on flexibility.
In this study, 15 women completed three separate Pilates sessions-one on each apparatus-on different days. During every session, researchers measured heart rate variability (a way to assess how the heart responds to and recovers from exercise). Flexibility was also tested before and after each session.
This information may help instructors and clinicians choose the most appropriate Pilates equipment based on individual goals.
Detailed description
Pilates is widely used to improve strength, posture, and flexibility, and it may also influence how the heart responds to exercise. Many Pilates programs use equipment such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair, which provide adjustable spring resistance and allow movement in different body positions. Although these apparatuses are commonly used in fitness and rehabilitation settings, little is known about whether they create different short-term effects on cardiovascular function or flexibility, especially in people who are sedentary.
This study designed to compare the immediate effects of three Pilates apparatuses-reformer, cadillac, and chair-on heart rate variability (a marker of cardiac autonomic activity) and flexibility in sedentary middle-aged women. Understanding these effects may help practitioners choose equipment that best supports specific goals, such as improving cardiovascular recovery or increasing muscle flexibility.
Each participant will complete one exercise session on each apparatus in a randomized order. Heart rate variability will be measured before exercise, during exercise, and throughout a short recovery period to observe how the body responded and returned to a resting state. Flexibility will be assessed before and after each session to determine the immediate physical benefit of the different apparatus types.
This study may help clarify whether specific Pilates equipment provides unique physiological advantages. Such information may support more targeted exercise prescriptions for individuals who are beginning Pilates, those with limited fitness experience, or those seeking improvements in flexibility or cardiovascular regulation.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- This study uses a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design in which all participants complete three separate Pilates exercise sessions performed on different apparatuses (reformer, cadillac, and chair). Each participant experiences all interventions in a rotating order to minimize sequence effects. The crossover model allows each participant to serve as her own control, improving the ability to detect differences in acute physiological responses between apparatus types
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Reformer Pilates Session | Experimental | Behavioral: Reformer-based PilatesParticipants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a reformer apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. All movements are performed under instructor supervision. This arm is part of a randomized crossover design in which all participants complete all three apparatus conditions. |
| Cadillac Pilates Session | Experimental | Behavioral: Cadillac-based PilatesParticipants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a cadillac apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. This arm is one condition within the randomized crossover design, and all participants perform this and the other apparatus sessions. |
| Chair Pilates Session | Experimental | Behavioral: Chair Pilates SessionParticipants complete a single 50-minute Pilates session on a Pilates chair apparatus using standardized beginner-level exercises. All participants complete this arm as part of the crossover structure. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 to 60 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Female
- Age 40 to 60 years
- Sedentary (not engaged in regular physical activity)
- No prior experience with Pilates apparatus-based exercise
- Able to provide informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Known metabolic or cardiovascular disease
- Regular use of medications that influence heart rate or autonomic function
- Current smoker
- Musculoskeletal injuries or limitations that prevent safe participation in exercise
- Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would interfere with study participation or data collection
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Reformer-based PilatesA supervised 50-minute Pilates exercise session performed on the reformer apparatus. Participants complete standardized beginner-level movements using spring resistance. The session emphasizes controlled full-body movement and postural stability. | Behavioural | Reformer Pilates Session |
| Cadillac-based PilatesA supervised 50-minute Pilates session using the cadillac apparatus. Participants perform beginner-level exercises incorporating bars and spring systems to support controlled movement patterns targeting the upper and lower body. | Behavioural | Cadillac Pilates Session |
| Chair Pilates SessionA supervised 50-minute Pilates session performed on a Pilates chair apparatus. Participants complete a series of standardized beginner-level exercises using spring resistance to train core control, lower-limb strength, and stability. | Behavioural | Chair Pilates Session |
Primary outcome
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time frame: Pre-exercise; during exercise; 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes post-exercise
Heart rate fluctuations are measured using a chest-strap heart rate monitor to evaluate cardiac autonomic modulation. The measurements include the average time between heartbeats, the root mean square of differences between successive heartbeats, and the standard deviation of normal heartbeat intervals. These values are analyzed using specialized heart rhythm analysis software. Increases or decreases in these values reflect changes in autonomic nervous system activity. This outcome is used to compare acute cardiovascular responses between the different Pilates apparatus sessions.
1 secondary outcome
Flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test)
Time frame: Pre-exercise; immediately post-exercise; 40 minutes post-exercise
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jan 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Reformer-based Pilates, Cadillac-based Pilates and Chair Pilates Session in people with Healhty, run by Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (time frame: Pre-exercise; during exercise; 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes post-exercise). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2026.