Can belly dance and mat Pilates be effective for range of motion, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms of breast cancer women?

This study aims to analyse the effect of an intervention with belly dance or mat Pilates on range of motion, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer receiving hormone therapy. A randomized clinical trial of 52 participants, diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing adjuvant hormone therapy that were randomized and divided into three groups (1): Belly dance group, which received 16 weeks of Belly Dance classes 2) Mat Pilates group, that performed 16 weeks of Pilates intervention and (3) Control group, that received educational activities in the form of lectures and was invited to maintain its routine activities. The participants answered a questionnaire in which they contained the clinical and personal characteristics; quantification of the range of motion of the upper limbs using the Absolute Axis 360° digital goniometer; self-esteem by the Self-Esteem Scale (EAR) and depressive symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All data was collected at two moments in the study, in the pre-intervention period (baseline) and at the end of the 16 weeks of intervention. Only the variable range of motion variable showed significant results in all study groups (p = 0.025), with the Mat Pilates group having the best scores. Although not significant, the other study variables also improved after the intervention period. Belly dance and the Mat Pilates can bring positive results in the range of movement of women undergoing adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, with the Pilates method being the one that most contributed to improvements in this variable. •Regular physical exercise is an important complementary therapy to the clinical treatment for breast câncer.•Belly Dance and mat Pilates method can be safely applied for women with breast cancer.•Physical exercise reduces the adverse effects of treatment for adjuvant hormone therapy for breast cancer.•Further RCTs are needed to confirm the statement.