The Effect of Pilates And Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy (Mrt) on Stress and Anxiety During Pregnancy: a Literature Review.

Muller, Arline; Hammill, Henriette

Aim: To compile a structured literature review pertaining to the effect of pilates and progressive muscle relaxation therapy (MRT) on stress and anxiety during pregnancy. Methods: A literature search from 2005-2015 was conducted in order to capture all the articles applicable to the effects of pilates and progressive MRT on stress and anxiety during pregnancy. A descriptive analysis was undertaken of those articles that met the established criteria for inclusion following the search. Results: Searches from the databases identified 4475 articles, of these, 4461 articles were excluded and 14 articles were ultimately included for review. Conclusion: Additional research into this topic is necessary due to the limited number of papers that are published especially concerning the psychological and physiological effects of pilates during pregnancy. The literature on progressive MRT during pregnancy is better documented. The findings of this systematic review indicate that there is strong evidence that progressive MRT is an effective method in reducing stress and anxiety during pregnancy.

MUSCLE contraction; PREGNANCY complications; ANXIETY

South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 2015, Vol 27, p53

1015-5163

Academic Journal