Ever wondered how many calories do you burn in a pilates workout? Well, it turns out it depends on the type of Pilates you’re doing! From the mat to the reformer, the answer is surprisingly high. But before you get too excited, it’s important to note that the degree to which you burn calories during a Pilates session depends on several factors.
Pilates exercises can be done using a variety of equipment, such as mats, reformers, chairs, and more. Each piece of equipment offers different benefits and can help you burn calories in different ways. To help you better understand the calorie-burning power of Pilates, we’ve put together an overview of several different types of Pilates burn calories and how they help you.
So, whether you’re in beginner pilates or a master yogi, you’ll find something in this guide to energy-busting Pilates for every fitness level. Read on to discover how each type of Pilates burns calories differently so that you can find the best one for your needs. We’ll also cover some tips on how to maximize calorie burning during your workouts. Get your sweat on while sculpting a leaner physique today.
Health Benefits of Pilates
Pilates is a full-body workout that consists of specific movements and postures, with a low impact on the body. It is designed to increase flexibility, strength, coordination and balance within the body by concentrating on core muscles. The controlled movements and stretching of Pilates can result in many positive benefits for participants, such as improved posture, better muscle strength and tone, enhanced joint mobility, improved cardiovascular health and increased core stability.
The mental health benefits of Pilates are often overlooked but are just as important as the physical benefits. Regular participation in Pilates can help reduce stress levels while improving focus and concentration. As well as improving self-confidence through increased knowledge of your body’s abilities and limits.
Because pilates is a low-impact exercise, it can be enjoyed by almost any person, regardless of age or fitness level. Even those who are nursing an injury or suffer from chronic pain may benefit from participating in Pilates because of its ability to reduce pain while building strength back up again. Whatever your goals may be, Pilates is an excellent form of exercise to include in your regime.
How Does Pilates Burn Calories?
Pilates is great for toning and sculpting the body, but it can also be an effective way to burn calories. It burns calories through a combination of both cardiovascular and muscular movements. The steady, low-impact exercise increases your heart rate, allowing it to pump blood more effectively and boosting metabolism.
Additionally, Pilates focuses heavily on strengthening the muscles in order to tone them and increase calorie expenditure even further. After exercising, your body continues to burn fat as it repairs and strengthens those same muscles worked during your session.
The amount of calories that you burn during your pilates routine is determined by both the difficulty level and duration spent in each position. If you challenge yourself with more difficult poses and hold them for an extended period, it will be much more efficient at burning those extra calories when compared to quick transitions from one pose to another. Pilates’ combination of dynamic and static movements can enable you to maximize calorie-burning potential while getting the most out of your workout.
Different Types Of Pilates Burn Calories Differently
Mat vs Apparatus Pilates
Traditional mat pilates not only sharpens strength and flexibility but also enhance your overall posture. This form of exercise is accomplished on a mat by executing stretching movements, postural alignments, and core-enhancing exercises, all with the use of one’s own body weight as resistance. With a keen focus on each movement and breathing technique at hand, Mat Pilates develops inner control and equilibrium for optimal wellbeing.
Apparatus Pilates is similar to mat pilates, but with a twist – quite literally. Chair, Cadillac, Tower, Barrel, and Reformer pilates use equipment that allows for deeper movement through weight bars and springs that challenge your strength and endurance even further than could be achieved on the mat alone. Not only does Apparatus Pilates help you develop core stability in ways not achievable from standard mat exercises; but it also provides an intenser workout thanks to its use of advanced moves with greater resistance added into the mix.
While both forms provide a great workout, the additional equipment in apparatus pilates can offer an even greater challenge for those looking to take their pilates practice even further.
How Many Calories does Mat Pilates Burn?
Mat pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that can be done almost anywhere, making it an ideal workout for those who want to stay active without putting too much strain on their bodies. The amount of calories you burn during mat pilates is determined by the type, intensity, duration, and also individual factors like body weight, height, sex, and age.
Typically, a person will burn around 200-250 calories per 60-minute session. People who engage in a more intense form of pilates mat class are likely to burn many more calories than regular, more relaxed classes.
If you’re looking to torch those extra calories, hot pilates classes, dynamic cardio workouts and power-based routines are your best bet as they can burn up to 400 calories per hour! The combination of core strengthening exercises, mindful breathing techniques, and body sculpting activities provide the perfect opportunity for calorie burning. These exercises can help tone your muscles and enhance your metabolism significantly – allowing you to burn calories even after the workout session is over.
On the other hand, mat pilates which revolves around gentle yoga movements is not as vigorous so it may burn fewer calories. They have other benefits, such as improving posture, balance, flexibility, and mental clarity. Doing regular pilates exercises can help you stay healthy and fit without having to put too much strain on your body.
How Many Calories does Apparatus Pilates like Reformer Burn?
Apparatus Pilates classes vary in their type, intensity, and duration, which consequently affects the number of calories burned during a session. Generally, you can expect to burn anywhere between 150-400 calories within one hour of exercise. An hour-long session of pilates reformer burns up to 250 calories for a beginner. For an advanced pilates reformer class, you may expect an increase in the number of calories burned per minute.
Pilates reformer has many benefits, which includes engaging and strengthening all of your muscles while simultaneously maximizing calorie burning. Not only that but it boosts coordination, balance, and posture too. With a stronger core comes a more slender figure – in fewer attempts and duration compared to other forms of workouts.
How to Calculate How Many Calories Burned Doing Pilates?
Calculating the number of calories burned during a pilates session can be done in a few different ways. Keep in mind that we can only calculate an approximation of how many calories you’ll burn.
- First, you can use an online calorie calculator to get an estimate based on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity type. This is generally considered to be the most accurate way to calculate calories burned. For example, a 150-pound person may burn 180 calories in a session, and a 170-pound person can burn 200 calories in the same session.
- Second, you can track your progress with a wearable fitness device such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch. These devices are designed to provide real-time feedback on your heart rate-based calorie burn calculator and your energy expenditure during physical activities. As your heart rate increases, the body uses more energy and burn calories much faster.
- Third, many pilates studios offer classes that use special equipment such as reformers and chairs. These classes tend to be more strenuous and can torch even more calories than traditional mat classes. To maximize calorie burn, focus on engaging your core and controlling movements throughout the class.
It’s important to remember that individual results will vary depending on factors like height, weight, age, and intensity of the workout. By monitoring your calorie intake while keeping track of how much energy you expend during each session, you’ll be able to calculate how many calories you burn doing Pilates over time.
Tips for Burning More Calories During Pilates
Pilates can be an effective form of exercise for burning calories, and improving mobility, cardiovascular health, and core stability. It can also provide many mental health benefits. To get the most out of your Pilates routine and maximize calorie burning potential, it’s important to challenge yourself. Here are 5 tips for burning more calories during pilates:
#1 Increase intensity
If you want to burn more calories during your Pilates session, try adding in heavier weights or resistance bands to increase the difficulty level of your exercises. This will make the movements more challenging, requiring more effort and resulting in more calories burned.
#2 Increase difficulty
To take your Pilates routine to the next level, consider incorporating a balancing element such as blocks, balls, or stability discs. By doing so you’ll intensify your movements and burn more calories while simultaneously perfecting form. To make matters even better, challenge yourself further with advanced versions of each exercise like piling on extra reps or adding an extra element to the set for an extra workout boost.
#3 Increase duration
To really maximize calorie burning, it’s important to hold each posture for longer periods of time. This allows your body to adjust to the strain of the exercise, which helps it burn more energy in order to get through it.
#4 Focus on form
It is important to pay attention to your form during the exercises. Focusing on proper technique ensures that you are getting the most out of each exercise and helping your body burn more calories. Quality over quantity is key when it comes to Pilates, so be sure to take your time and focus on precision. You’ll be able to achieve better results in a shorter amount of time.
#5 Add in cardio
Pilates alone is not a great tool for losing weight, so adding some high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your routine is a great way to boost your calorie-burning potential.
#6 Mix it up
It’s important to keep your body guessing with different exercises and movements. Try incorporating some new movements or classes into your Pilates practice in order to further challenge yourself and maximize your calorie burn.
Wrap up
Pilates is an excellent form of exercise for burning calories, improving mobility and cardiovascular health, as well as providing mental health benefits. With so many different types of Pilates available, there’s sure to be one that’s perfect for you. While all forms of Pilates can help you burn calories, each type burns them differently.
To maximize your calorie-burning potential, it’s important to challenge yourself by increasing the intensity, difficulty level, and duration of the exercises to burn many more calories than you expect. Or mix it up and be creative, add some cardio activities into your session, and incorporate some new movements into your practice. Focus on quality over quantity. With all these tips in mind, you’ll be sure to maximize your calorie-burning potential and reach your fitness goals faster. Pilates is a great exercise for all so give it a go today and reap the benefits.
