The major cause of mortality worldwide is due to cardiovascular diseases. A way to treat these diseases is coronary artery bypass grafting, one of the most common surgical procedures in the world. The incidence of post-operative complications contributes to functional decline of the patient, reduced quality of life and post-discharge mortality. Also, cardiac surgery leads to changes in lung capacity and respiratory muscle strength, causing a decrease in the function lung. Physical therapy proves to be an effective tool to combat changes resulting from cardiac surgery, demonstrating beneficial results in the pulmonary function, functional capacity, and peripheral and respiratory muscle strength. The Pilates method has been studied as a therapeutic way to healthy subjects and various kinds of diseases, but there are no studies in the literature evaluating the effect method in patients after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Pilates on functional capacity , flows and lung volumes, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Randomized clinical trial in which patients will be eligible after elective coronary artery bypass surgery, randomly allocated into two groups : conventional physiotherapy group (n = 15) and Pilates method associated with conventional physiotherapy group (n = 15). The outcomes will be assessed by blinded evaluator and data randomization will be performed through by electronic randomization.The interventions will take place during the length of stay in the hospital, totalizing a maximum of six days of intervention.

It is expected that the application of the Pilates method exercise method associated with conventional physiotherapy in patients in postoperative coronary artery bypass grafting improves functional capacity, flows and lung volumes and respiratory and peripheral muscle strength.

The exercise program will be held during the period of hospitalization for six days, often two to three sessions per day, totaling 12 sessions. The intervention will start on the first day postoperatively. The program may not exceed 30% of maximum heart rate reserve of the patient that will be calculated by the Karvonen formula (Karvonen, Kentala et al., 1957). The exercises will be conducted at the patient's bedside, using light resistance springs representing the lowest possible burden of springs to be used in the Pilates method. The exercises will be performed on the upper limbs alternating between the left and right upper limb and likewise would run with the lower limbs by means of a protocol consists of four exercises until the limit of resistance of the patient or interrupt pre-established criteria.

One set of each exercise with a range of up to two minutes between exercises will be held. In the first three days of intervention 10 repetitions of each exercise and the remaining three days a total of 15 repetitions of each movement will be performed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Individuals in postoperative coronary artery bypass grafting, extubated within 24 hours after surgery, hemodynamically stable, with no ischemic changes and/or complex arrhythmias on electrocardiogram e who have performed the first surgery and surgery alone.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with decompensated heart failure, presence of any comorbidity, such as unstable angina, associated neurological disease, moderate to severe respiratory illness prior diagnosed by the attending physician, acute respiratory dysfunction in the post - operative, active infectious disease or fever; vascular disease disabling peripheral, unstable ventricular arrhythmia; musculoskeletal disease that limits the practice of Pilates will be excluded.