The elderly in Control Group suffered no intervention and continued with their daily activities.

Pilates group (PG), which underwent one-month (three times per week) training program with the Pilates method. This protocol consisted of Pilates exercises on the ground.Stretches were performed on upper trunk and lower limbs before the exercises. Subsequently, exercises that included the range of motion and strength of the upper limbs, trunk and lower limbs were performed, always associated with breathing and contraction of transversus abdominis muscles, in different positions, increasing repetitions and resistance in the weeks of the study, using the Swiss ball, thera-band and the magic circle.

PNF group that underwent one-month (three times per week) training program using the propriocptive neuromuscular facilitation method.The selected PNF diagonal patterns were chosen with all the basic procedures to the facilitation and according to three specific principles of PNF: rhythmic initiation, sustain and relax and reversal of antagonists. During the first week, one set of ten repetitions for each diagonal was performed; in the second week, two sets of ten repetitions and in the third and fourth weeks, three sets of ten repetitions were performed.

Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups: Pilates group (n=20), which underwent one-month (three times per week) training program with the Pilates method; PNF group (n=20), that underwent one-month (three times per week) training program using the PNF method; and Control group (n=18), that received no intervention during that one month and continued with their daily activities.

Displacement of the center of pressure of the body was collected using an electronic baropodometer, composed by a force platform with 1600 sensors. The subjects were oriented to be in a standing position in the platform, barefoot, bipedal support and with feet hip width apart.The kinetic variables related to body balance analyzed were: total displacement oscillation (TDO), amplitude of displacement of the center of pressure antero-posterior (ACPap), amplitude of displacement of the center of pressure medio-lateral (ACPml), displacement area (AREA), antero-posterior average speed (AAS), medio-lateral average speed (MAS) and total average speed (TAS).

The Timed Up & Go test (TUG) was applied to evaluate functional mobility involving speed, agility and dynamic balance of the elderly women, measuring the time in seconds spent by the volunteer to stand up from a chair (seat height 45 cm) without the help of arms, walk a three meters distance, turn around and return.

The Berg Balance Scale consists in 14 tasks, on a 5-point ordinal scale, ranging from 0 (unable to perform the task) to 5 (performs the task independently). Scores of the 14 tasks are summed into a total score, ranging from 0 to 56 points, the highest score being related to better performance and values lower or equal to 45 points being related to prediction of falls.