Pilates is a low impact exercise that’s great for improving mobility, flexibility and strengthening your muscles, which in turn, helps lead to improved posture and prevent injuries. With so many benefits, it's no surprise it's become one of the most popular forms of exercise in recent years, but is Pilates good for weight loss?
Becky Fuller is senior writer for Yours and a personal trainer specialising in fitness for women over 50. She says that although Pilates can aid weight loss, the answer is much more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
"Pilates is an excellent form of exercise, and is primarily used to improve mobility and flexibility," she says. "It also helps strengthen our bodies - particularly the muscles of the core and pelvic floor. When it comes to weight loss, however, you need to create a calorie deficit to see a change on the scale."
Roger Mallett, a pilates instructor and tutor at TRAINFitness, agrees.
“Pilates is a brilliant mobility exercise, known for its ability to improve body strength, endurance and flexibility, and like all other exercise it can also aid weight loss. But this must be accompanied with a nutritious and calorie-controlled diet that allows the individual to create an effective calorie deficit.”
Which type of Pilates is best for losing weight?
Becky says: "All forms of Pilates will help your fitness, flexibility and may aid weight loss. There are, however, more challenging forms of Pilates which can push your body further.
Reformer Pilates is often seen as a more effective workout when it comes to burning calories, therefore aiding weight loss, because it requires more strength-based work, but other options - and indeed other forms of exercise are also a great choice. It's all about what works for you."
Roger points out that doesn’t mean mat work Pilates should be dismissed.
“A mat work Pilates session can be just as challenging using your body weight – it really comes down to the challenge and degree of skill required for each exercise. It also needs to be noted that large muscle groups will require more energy, so a simple leg circle will not burn as many calories as a push up or side bend and twist.
How many calories can you burn doing Pilates?
According to Roger, taking part in an hour Pilates class can see you can burn up to 200 to 250 calories (that’s the equivalent of a Cadbury’s Boost bar). However, this does depend on your current body weight and the type of Pilates you’re doing. For example if it’s mat work Pilates (where the moves are performed on a mat), or reformer Pilates (where the moves are performed using a Pilates reformer machine, and is more intense).
“Is Pilates good for weight loss? Well, studies have suggested that Reformer classes can burn slightly more calories due to the extra load of springs which have different degrees of strength and resistance that help control the machine,” says Roger. “The amount of weight loss achieved by regular attendance is therefore very subjective. Pilates does improve posture, lengthen and define muscles, which in turn can give the impression of weight loss, however, lean muscle mass does in fact burn more calories as a whole.”
Becky points out that relying on a smart watch to accurately track your calories burned is not a good idea: "Smart watches are great for motivation, for tracking your activity and working towards step goals," she says. "However, more often than not they wildly overestimate the calories actually burned during an exercise session, often giving people the misleading impression that they can eat what they want because they've burned so many calories during a class.
It's far better to think of Pilates - or any form of exercise - as something you get to do to improve your overall wellbeing than as a tool for weight loss. Sure, it can help, but it shouldn't be your primary motivator."
Whatever form of Pilates you choose, you're getting a full body workout and over time, you will burn calories and tone up. Not only could it help you lose weight, but Pilates is also great for building your strength, meaning you're less likely to get injured during your other activities. That's why many choose to do some Pilates two to four times per week as a low-impact workout between their other, more intense activities.
How can I create a calorie deficit?
"When it comes to weight loss, the age-old saying 'calories in versus calories out' still holds true," Becky says. "Put simply, you need to burn more calories than you consume. To lose around a pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories per week, or about 500 a day. This can be achieved through diet, exercise or - the best way - a combination of both.
"For post-menopausal women, focus on lean protein and try and include some with every meal. Eat plenty of fruit and veg and fewer starchy carbs or processed foods."
Becky also points out that there's much more to health and wellness than the number on the scale.
"Exercise shouldn't be a punishment for something you ate," she says. "And remember that muscle and fat weigh the same, but lean muscle takes up less space on your body, so you could end up wearing a smaller dress size, feeling fabulous, but weighing more than you did before.
"I know, because it happened to me! Focus on how you feel in yourself. How are you sleeping? How are your energy levels? Can you complete all your day-to-day activities with ease? Is your mobility or confidence improved? All these things are much better to focus on than what you weigh."
Does Pilates help you lose belly fat?
Unfortunately, you can't spot-reduce fat anywhere on the body, and that includes the belly area. What Pilates will do however is improve the strength of your core muscles and help you learn how to properly engage them.
It's a great exercise to improve muscle strength and appearance but to truly see your abdominal muscles and get some visibly defined abs, you need to lose the fat that sits on top of the muscles. The best way to do this is through following a healthy and nutritional balanced diet, as Becky detailed above.
How often should you do Pilates to lose weight?
If you're a beginner to Pilates, then starting with two sessions per week is advised to get your body used to using your muscles and your joints familiar with the new moves. For beginners, we'd also recommend attending a class at first, at least for the first few sessions so that you can have some professional guidance. Once you feel more confident you may want to invest in some Pilates accessories and move your workout into the home.
Once you gain more experience and strength you can increase the number of classes you do to three to five per week to truly improve your overall fitness and aid your weight loss journey.
What are the best pilates moves for weight loss?
Below are Rogers top 10 Pilates moves to help boost your metabolism and aid weight loss:
Pilates Push Up
Good for: strengthening the upper body including the triceps, back and chest.
Leg Pull Front
Good for: strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, arms.
Leg Pull Back
Good for: Strengthening hamstrings, glutes and back.
The Saw
Good for: strengthening spine muscles and stretching out the hamstrings and hips.
The Hundred
Good for: warming up lungs and core muscles.
Short and long spine on the reformer machine
Good for: stretches hamstrings, works glutes, core, abductors and improve spinal alignment.
Side bend and Twist
Good for: improving range of motion in upper body, spine and strengthening core.
Snake on reformer machine
Good for: arms, back, abdominals, side abdominals, legs…basically everything!
Shoulder bridge
Good for: mobilising the spine, as well as strengthening, glutes, hamstrings, abdominal muscles and back
Becky Fuller is a senior digital writer for Yours.co.uk. She is also a fully qualified personal trainer and strength coach, specialising in fitness and wellbeing for over 50s. Prior to joining Yours, Becky was a fitness writer for Saga, and a freelance entertainment and theatre journalist. Becky is passionate about helping people to move well and discover the many benefits of strength training.
Roger Mallett is a pilates instructor and tutor at TRAINFitness,
Bryony Firth-Bernard has contributed to various Bauer Media brands such as Yours and What’s The Best as a Health and Fitness Product Writer since 2022. Having previously sat on the editorial team for Mother&Baby and Yours as a Digital Writer, she is now pursuing her passion for fitness further at T3.com as an Active Writer.