HANDGRIP STRENGTH IN OLDER ADULTS PRACTITIONERS OF PILATES EXERCISE METHOD: A COMPARISON BASED ON SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH, AND EXERCISE VARIABLES

Abstract

This study compared handgrip strength in older adult practitioners of the Pilates Method based on sociodemographic, health, and exercise variables. It is an cross-sectional study conducted with 71 subjects of both genders. A sociodemographic questionnaire was used to characterize the older participants. Handgrip strength was assessed using a digital manual dynamometer. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, measures of skewness and kurtosis, bootstrap procedures, independent Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's post-hoc test. A significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted. The older adult participants showed a mean handgrip strength of 26.53 kg. Male participants (p < 0.001), those aged 60-69 years (p = 0.003), and retirees (p = 0.017) exhibited higher handgrip strength. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in handgrip strength was found among older adults based on variables related to health conditions and Pilates practice. Sociodemographic factors such as gender, age group, and retirement status may influence handgrip strength in older adult practitioners of the Pilates Method.