محمدباقر عسکرنیا

  Objective : It is crucial to prioritize the enhancement of teachers’ mental health within the education system. As a result, this study aims to examine the impact of a Pilates training course on the psychological and mental well-being of school teachers, encompassing aspects such as depression and self-esteem. Methods : The research was carried out using a quasi-experimental approach. The study involved 60 elementary school teachers who were chosen through convenience sampling and then randomly and equally divided into two groups - experimental and control. Data was collected using standard questionnaires. T tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze data.  Results : The results showed that there is no significant difference in both depression and self-esteem in the pretest (both P>0.05). However, it was observed that experimental group had significantly lower depression and higher self-esteem compared to control group in the posttest (both P=0.001). Finally, the results of ANCOVA showed significant differences between experimental and control groups in both depression and self-esteem (both P=0.001). Conclusions : These findings indicate that it is possible to recommend Pilates exercise and movement activities as a way to improve mental health, self-esteem, satisfaction with life, efficiency, positive mood and reduce mental and emotional tensions in school teachers.