ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Ghasemi   Gh. (*1)
Barati Rokati   P. (2)
Salehi   O.R. (3)






(*1) Sport Injuries & Corrective Exercises Department, Sport Sciences Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
(2) Physical Education& Sport Sciences Department, Physical Education& Sport Sciences Faculty, Isfahan(Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
(3) Physical Education & Sport Sciences Department, Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty, University of Kurdestan, Sanandaj, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Sport Sciences Faculty, University of Isfahan, Azadi Square, Isfahan, Iran. Postal Code: 8174673441
Phone: +98 (31) 37932571
Fax: +98 (31) 36687572
gh.ghasemi@spr.ui.ac.ir

Article History

Received:  November  24, 2018
Accepted:  June 17, 2019
ePublished:  December 21, 2019

BRIEF TEXT


... [1, 2]. During the Iran-Iraq war and chemical bombardments on the fronts, many Iranians suffer were poisoned from sulfur mustard and have suffered from its complications [2,3].

... [4-6]. Many studies have been conducted on the impact of exercise on the quality of life of chemical veterans and patients with pulmonary obstruction and the results have suggested that performing a regular exercise program, including training gentle exercise program for 6 months could improve the dimensions of quality of life of pulmonary injured veterans with chemical weapons [2]. In a study, eight weeks of morning and evening lung rehabilitation exercises for 20 min improved the quality of life in patients with moderate-intensity obstruction [7]. It was found that 8 weeks of adjusted Pilates exercise 3 sessions per week for 60 min could be used as a complementary and useful method in the rehabilitation process of patients with asthma [8]. ... [9-14].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of modified Pilates training on pulmonary function and quality of life in chemical veterans.

This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and control group.

This study was conducted in 2016 on male veterans of Izeh city disabled and poisoned by inhalation of chemical gases during war.

After obtaining permission from the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, 30 male veterans disabled and poisoned by inhalation of chemical gases during war with no disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc., and no history of at least 6 months of physical activity were voluntarily selected.

The training group performed modified Pilates exercises for 8 weeks of three 60-min sessions per week. Also, 2 subjects in the training group withdrew from the activity, which, as predicted 13 subjects remained in the training group. It should be noted that in pretest and posttest, demographic characteristics, such as age, height and weight, as well as pulmonary function of subjects were measured by Datospir Micro (Jager, Germany) and back muscle strength was measured using back-and-leg dynamometer. The quality of life was measured by the SF-36 questionnaire. Measuring pulmonary function: To measure the pulmonary function in the pre-test and post-test, subjects were seated in a chair for 2 min and described how to perform the test with a spirometer. Measuring back muscle strength: The subjects were first placed on a dynamometer to adjust the length of the chain, and then they held the dynamometer handles and bent forward slightly toward the knees. Similar to lifting weights from the ground, they pulled the Tensiometer bands up with maximum power. Finally, the strength of the subjects' legs was recorded in kg. ... [15]. Pilates practice protocol: The training group performed modified Pilates exercises for 8 weeks of three 60-min sessions per week. It should be noted that in order to adhere to the principle of overload, the ability of the subjects to practice each session became more difficult than the previous one, as the exercises initiated from a low level followed by a slight increase in the intensity. Exercises were performed throughout the training period by an experienced Pilates instructor in the presence of a nurse [8]. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check the normal distribution of data. Paired T-test was used to investigate the post-test changes compared with the pre-test and univariate analysis of covariance was used to investigate the differences between the groups using SPSS 22 software.

The subjects included 28 persons, of which 13 cases were in the exercise group and 15 cases in the control group. The exercise group had the mean age of 51.85 ± 2.26 years, mean height of 171.46 ± 4.94 cm, and mean weight of 87.38 ± 13.44 kg, whereas the control group had 51.47 ± 2.69 years, the mean height of 170.27 ± 5.18 cm, and the mean weight of 73.87 ± 9.24 kg.In the post-test, after adjusting for the pre-test effect, back muscle strength (p = 0.03; F = 4.91), forced vital capacity (FVC) (p = 0.02; F= 5.72) and quality of life (psychological perspective) (p = 0.001; F = 25.85) in the training group was significantly higher than the control group, but there was no significant difference between training and control group in peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the first second (p = 0.66; F = 0.19) and quality of life (physical perspective) (p = 0.16; F = 2.06).

The results of this study showed that the levels of back muscles strength and FVC in the training group were significantly higher than the control group. However, there was no significant difference in forced vital capacity levels (per second) in the training and control groups. ... [16, 17]. Consistent with our results, it has shown that 10 weeks of aerobic-resistance exercise increased vital capacity and pulmonary volumes and improved quality of life in asthmatic patients [10]. Eight weeks of special water-based exercise therapy improved the angle of kyphosis and FVC, peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and PEF in male students [18]. Also, 8 weeks of yoga training increases FVC and expiratory volume in the first second, and also reduces heart rate and respiratory rate in non-athlete women [19]. ... [20-25].

In future studies, it is suggested that the limitations of the study be controlled to a greater extent.

The limitations of the present study were the lack of control over the level of anxiety and stresses after training times that can affect the variables of the present study.

Eight weeks of modified Pilates training can be effective in respiratory rehabilitation and improving the quality of life of chemical veterans.

We would like to thank the Research Deputy of Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan Branch, Isfahan and all those who directly and indirectly contributed to this research.

None

All subjects were consented to participate in the study.

This study was supported by the authors.

TABLES and CHARTS

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CITIATION LINKS

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