Pilates for Weight Loss

A combination of Pilates and aerobic activities such as cycling, walking and running can help you lose weight and make you look and feel great.

Pilates as a form of moderate resistance training will increase muscle mass and therefore increase metabolism both during exercise and while at rest. This means you will be burning more calories during any activity – even while you sleep!

Pilates elongates the muscles, increases abdominal strength and improves posture. As a result you will look taller, leaner and firmer.  You may decrease your belt or dress size just by toning your abdominals because firmer abdominal muscles help to support the spine and lengthen the torso, giving you a flatter tummy.

Furthermore, Pilates will strengthen your deep back muscles and the muscles that stabilise your joints aiding efficient movement and therefore enabling you to spend more time on your aerobic activities at a higher intensity. 

If you are time poor and want to find a workout that gives you cardio and resistance training all in one, some studios run jump-board classes or incorporate the jump board into the workout. The jump board work increases the heart rate for short spells as well as the overall calorie burn for that session.

Although a study shows that the average calorie burn in a Pilates workout will be approx. 241 calories for a basic workout, approx., 338 for an intermediate workout and approx. 421 calories for an advanced workout, there are many physiological factors that will determine the actual number of calories used for any activity. (quote the study here)

Remember that ultimately the success of your weight loss program will depend on your discipline to adopt a healthy life style and consume fewer calories than you use every day.