Pilates is a great form of exercise.
Besides being gentle to our joints, it has beneficial effect on our backs too.
Some people use physical exercise for weight loss and toning their bodies. Pilates may not seem as a type of exercise where you will burn a lot of calories, but that is not completely true.
Calorie consumption depends a lot on your muscles, weigh, and gender, however, an average person will burn around 200 calories during a 1 hour Pilates practice. More advanced classes will burn about 250. If you are using Pilates reformer, this number can get quite higher.
To know more about how many calories do you burn in Pilates, and how to make the most of it, read the following chapters:
So, How Many Calories Do You Burn in Pilates (in One Hour)?
How many calories do you burn in Pilates in one hour is a question with no definite answer.
Here I am going to tell you approximate numbers for an average person and what exactly affects this number.
For example, if you and me were doing the exact same exercises for one hour, we would burn different amount of calories.
It highly depends on our body mass, gender, age, and even some health conditions.
Men burn more calories than women, due to the fact they are larger. Of course, there are exemptions to this rule.
It is quite simple, the more you weight, the more calories you burn.
The same goes for muscles. Those with more developed muscles, burn more calories. Women naturally have more body fat, so that is also one reason for burning less. However, our bodies, even within the same gender group differ a lot, and so does our calorie consumption.
Another thing that affects calorie burn is increased heart rate. Activities like running increase our pulse more than activities like yoga, and that results in higher calorie burn.
When it comes to Pilates and calorie burn, an average person who weights 150 pounds (ca. 68kg) will burn about 200 calories in one hour Pilates training. This person has some average body too, with normal muscle development.
Advanced classes, where you perform more physically demanding exercises, and also increase your heart rate a bit, will burn around 250 calories for the same average person.
To calculate your own calorie burn you will have to know the approximate value of your body fat, monitor your heart rate during practice and calculate the final result. There are online calculators which can help you.
How Many Calories Do You Burn in Pilates Reformer (More or Less)?
So, if an average Pilates class will burn around 200 calories, how many calories do you burn in Pilates reformer?
Pilates reformer adds resistance to your practice, and you have to activate your muscles a bit more. That increases calorie burn. Additionally, practicing on a reformer, especially if you are doing advanced exercises, increases your heart rate, which also results in higher calorie burn.
The same previously mentioned average person will burn around 250 calories on a 1 hour class on a reformer. So this is the same as the advanced user with no props.
Advanced Pilates practice on a reformer can burn up to 450 calories.
So, if you are interested in weight loss, you should exercise on a reformer. It can increase your calorie consumption for almost 50%.
If you want to burn more calories, you should consider other forms of physical activities in addition to Pilates, such as running or fast uphill walking.
For those who want to lose weight but have very sensitive joints, Pilates can be a great option.
However, due to the fact that this form of exercise does not have extremely high calorie consumption, you will have to eat healthy food, and avoid processed sugars and saturated fats.
Strict diets are not necessary if you eat a variety of healthy and well balanced food.
How Many Calories Do You Burn in Hot Pilates?
Hot Pilates, and Hot Yoga, are becoming more and more popular.
For some reason, many people think that by sweating, you are melting your fat.
And I wish it was that easy!
By increasing outside, and your body, temperature you are losing water. During hot Pilates, you should keep yourself hydrated. This is also not advisable for sensitive people with blood pressure problems.
Although hot exercise classes are advertised as increased calorie burn classes, the truth is that there is no medical evidence it is true.
However, hot Pilates increases sweating, and sweating can be good for your body. If people go to saunas to sweat, there is no harm to practice hot Pilates.
So, how many calories do you burn in hot Pilates?
The answer is, exactly the same as in normal Pilates class.
Increasing your body temperature warms your muscles faster. Stretching and increasing flexibility is easier while temperatures are higher.
Some people say that they feel like they worked harder and feel greater sense of accomplishment after practice.
This form of exercise should be avoided, or at lease avoided until you consult a doctor, if you are elderly person, have cardiovascular problems, or you feel weak and dizzy in high temperatures.
Sweating is our body response to high temperatures. By expelling sweat, we are lowering the temperature. Extreme sweating can lead to dehydration, which can be dangerous. If you are practicing hot Pilates, drink water before, and always have a bottle of water near you so that you can consume it during practice.
Can You Lose Weight (Belly Fat) by Doing Pilates?
When talking about how many calories do Pilates burn, you are probably asking yourself can you lose weight, or even better, can you lose fat from a certain part of your body?
Many people want to lose belly fat, and consider Pilates as a god way to do so, because it core oriented.
To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take.
Your body has basic metabolism needs, and it will burn certain number of calories during day, even if you are just resting.
Of course, you can be on a diet and not exercising, but that is less healthy way of weight loss, and the end result will not be a toned and nice body with muscles.
It is impossible to lose belly fat by doing abs exercises. Those will strengthen the muscles, but strengthening muscles underneath the fat is not enough.
The best way to lose fat is to do some cardio exercises, including those on a Pilates reformer or Pilates Cadilac.
Additionally, healthy food is important for flat belly. Processed sugars and saturated fats are your enemy number one.
However, strengthening of your core muscles has a few benefits in weight loss. I already mentioned that muscles burn more calories, so the more developed they are, the more you are going to burn.
Secondly, strong muscles will make your belly look less “wobbly” even if you still have some fat left.
So, the final verdict is, YES, Pilates can help you lose weight and get rid of your belly, however, Pilates alone may not be sufficient.
What Burns More Calories Pilates or Yoga?
People often compare Pilates and Yoga, and think about how many calories do you burn in Pilates, and how many in Yoga.
There are different types of Yoga classes, and some burn more calories than others. It also depends on your body and competence. Advanced practice will always burn more.
Many mistakenly think that Yoga is just stretching, but to be able to hold certain asanas (poses) you need to engage your muscles a lot. Yoga actually burns calories.
Yoga, depending on a class type, will burn between 170 and 400 calories in one hour. This may seem the same as Pilates, however, that is not the case.
Average beginner will hardly be able to burn more than 200. In Pilates, even beginners can increase this number by using props (like Pilates ring, Pilates bar, etc.), or a reformer. To burn 400 calories in a yoga class, you will have to invest years of practice to reach that competence level.
Those who want to lose weight and want to do it by practicing one of those activities, should choose Pilates.
There are all kinds of “power Yoga” classes too, but those look more like Pilates, and less like Yoga.
It is up to you to decide. You can even combine both and enjoy all the physical and psychological benefits.
Conclusion
How many calories do you burn in Pilates should not be the only question to ask. This amazing form of exercise has numerous other health benefits, and weight loss is just one of those.
To live a healthy lifestyle, loose fat and obtain a nice figure, you should eat healthy, exercise regularly and be persistent. Results do not happen over night.
To increase your calorie burn, you can always combine Pilates with other activities.