Pilates is one of the most popular exercises for weight loss. This low-impact exercise is effective for building body muscles and improving posture. But what about losing weight, is pilates exercise suitable for getting the ideal weight?
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a low-impact exercise that was first popularized in 1930 by Joseph Pilates. It is good for building muscles, streamlining muscles, and improving posture.
At first glance, this exercise is similar to yoga which focuses on muscle training through simple movements. The difference is that in Pilates, you will do difficult movements and then work on your core by moving your legs or arms. Whereas in yoga, you will form a position and then hold or change it to a different position.
Pilates exercise can be done without equipment or using tools such as dumbbells, resistance bands, and reformer sets.
Is Pilates Effective for Weight Loss?
The number of calories burned during pilates depends on several factors such as your current weight, the type of pilates class you are taking (mat or reformer class), and the level of difficulty you are taking.
Reformer classes burn more calories when compared to pilates classes that use yoga mats. For instance, as reported by Healthline, for a beginner mat class, a 50-minute pilates session can burn 175 calories. While reformer classes in the same session can burn up to 254 calories.
To burn or lose about 500 grams of weight, you need to burn up to 3,500 calories. When compared to other aerobic sports, pilates burns fewer calories. The main focus of Pilates is on muscle building and working on muscle strength and core through low-impact movements.
If your main goal is to lose weight, you should balance pilates exercise by maintaining a low-calorie diet and increasing the frequency of pilates up to 3 times per week. To make it more effective, you can take a reformer class that uses tools to help train your muscles and posture.
Healthy Weight Loss Tips
To get the ideal weight, you need to implement healthy lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise routine. As quoted from Medical News Today, here are some tips to lose weight that you can do:
- Eat nutritious and high-protein foods: High-protein foods can help keep you fuller and more likely to stay in a calorie deficit. This is because protein reduces hunger hormones and increases hormones that help one feel full.
- Do aerobic exercise: To prevent your appetite from increasing, you can try an aerobic exercise that involves the cardiovascular system, such as brisk walking, swimming, running, cycling, and weight training.
- Trying intermittent fasting: You could try some intermittent fasting methods that involve 12-16 hours or more without eating. This method can help one lose fat, monitor incoming calories, and maintain muscle mass.
Pilates is an effective low-impact exercise that builds muscle and works the core. If your goal is to lose weight, you should combine it with maintaining your diet and increasing the intensity of Pilates.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Siti Marsiana Meriam
Chertoff, J. (2018). Can Practicing Pilates Help You to Lose Weight?. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pilates-for-weight-loss#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1
Horne, B. (2023). Is Pilates good for weight loss?. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-pilates-good-for-weight-loss
Raman, R. (2023). The 8 Best Exercises for Weight Loss. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-exercise-for-weight-loss