Health is the most valuable asset that you can own, as a healthy body is important to live your life comfortably and disease-free. In today’s fast-paced world, people often compromise on their health to focus on other goals and priorities like prosperity, career, success, family, and so on.
However, in the absence of good health, you can’t focus on any area or aspect of your life for much longer. You must keep your body fit to live a long and satisfying life. When you are physically healthy, you can concentrate on other aspects of health as well, such as mental health and emotional health. Irrespective of how busy you are, you should always make time to work out and plan proper meals.
A lot of ways are available in today’s time to stay fit. Fitness instructors, health experts, and other professionals teach many workout methods and programs. You can choose the most suitable type of exercise from a large number of exercises. One of these exercises is Pilates – a low-impact mind-body exercise developed by the German physical trainer ‘Joseph Pilates’ in the early 20th century.
The question ‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’ often comes to the mind of people who feel interested in trying out Pilates to achieve their weight loss goals. Obesity is a huge problem all over the world. Hence, the main objective related to health in the case of the majority of the people is reducing weight.
Thus, before starting any workout regime or program, people research its effectiveness in terms of weight loss. Many people who want to start doing Pilates first gather enough information to determine whether this exercise will help them reach their desired weight or not. We have written this blog post to enable such people to make the right decision.
What Exactly is Pilates? How Does It Affect Your Body?
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Practiced in several countries around the world, Pilates is an exercise that can improve not only the fitness level but also the overall well-being of people. In this modern era, where people remain stressed most of the time, focusing on overall well-being is important. If you are not happy, peaceful, and calm, adding a workout to your routine will only increase your stress.
Therefore, it makes complete sense to choose a workout method or exercise that makes you feel good both physically and psychologically. We know that even after learning about the benefits of Pilates, you still want an answer to the question ‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’.
Do not worry, as we have answered this question in as simple a manner as possible. But before that, we want to highlight the effects of Pilates on your body and mind. Pilates can be considered a structured fitness program as it involves precise moves and specific breathing techniques. Pilates concentrates on enhancing strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and body awareness.
Unfortunately, Pilates is not as effective as cardio exercises like walking, running, cycling, and swimming when it comes to weight loss. It is also less effective than strength training exercises like lifting weights, climbing stairs, push-ups, squats, lunges, and more.
Now, you might think that the answer to the question, ‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’ is ‘No’. But the answer is not that clear. If you do Pilates by taking care of some points, you can definitely achieve your weight loss goal. These points include healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, and exercise combination.
Should You Do Pilates If You Want to Reduce Weight?
Pilates was developed as a method of injury recovery for dancers. Pilates is useful for treating imbalance occurring in muscle groups due to repetitive motion. The basic principles behind the Pilates exercise are flowing subtle movement patterns and controlled breathing.
So, the biggest benefit of Pilates is definitely not the weight reduction as it does not help you burn as many calories as strength training or cardio. But Pilates has amazing effects on your body, such as recovery from injuries, improved muscle tone, improved muscle strength, improved posture, building lean muscle, and many more. Pilates is a way of body conditioning as it allows you to have a flexible body.
Coming back to the question, ‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’, we just want to say that you can include Pilates in your weight loss plan. But your plan should also include other elements like eating a healthy food, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and combining Pilates with types of exercises.
It’s important to mention here that Pilates classes can be classified into beginner’s classes and advanced classes. The beginner’s classes are known as ‘Pilates Mat Classes’ or ‘Mat Pilates’ as they involve the use of a mat. On the other hand, the advanced classes are ‘Pilates Reformer Classes’ as they involve the use of a reformer, which is a costly Pilates equipment.
The correct answer to the question, ‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’ is incomplete without describing the difference between beginner’s classes and reformer classes. When you perform mat Pilates, you will reduce less weight compared to the weight you can lose by performing reformer Pilates.
Whether you do beginner’s Pilates or advanced Pilates, you should ensure to consume healthy food items and beverages. You should include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein in your diet. Avoid taking fast-food, sugary drinks, carbonated beverages, and other items that are harmful to your body.
To fast track your weight loss journey, you can carry out other exercises along with Pilates, for example, cardio exercises, strength training exercises, and yoga. The number of calories burnt by attending a Pilates session may vary from one person to another depending on the factors like current weight and lifestyle.
Conclusion
‘Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss?’ – Well, it depends on your dedication towards getting and remaining fit. If you follow the advice of your physical trainer and dietician properly, you can definitely reach your targeted weight. Make sure to note down your daily progress in a diary to stay motivated.
