In the quest for an effective weight loss workout, you may dismiss Pilates, traditionally seen as a core-strengthening mat-based workout. When tested by researchers at the American Council on Exercise, an advanced mat-based Pilates workout was found to be equivalent to walking 3.5 to 4 miles per hour. Newer variations of Pilates focus on increasing your heart rate on par with other fat-burning formats, while still staying true to powerhouse Pilates principles.
History
Joseph Pilates was an accomplished athlete with a passion for fitness. After coming to America in 1920, Pilates opened a studio where he worked primarily with professional ballet dancers. Breathwork, spinal flexibility and alignment integrated with core strengthening are the foundational techniques Pilates taught. After his death, his methods continued to evolve through his students and their students. In the world of Pilates, there are purists who claim they adhere strictly to Joseph Pilates methods as taught. Others have added to his methods though still retaining the core principles.
Benefits
Fitness includes strong bones and muscles, flexibility, ability to engage in the activities of daily living and a low-stress lifestyle, which contributes to a sound mind and body. Pilates was developed to nurture the mind-body-spirit connection and improve posture, strengthen the core muscles and promote a calm and focused mind. Taken to the next level and blended with cardio-infused techniques and modified movements new incarnations of Pilates support exercising within the 60 to 90 percent maximum heart rate range, optimal for burning calories and losing weight. Incorporating standard fitness equipment such as the stability ball and weights with Pilates-based movements may also be used to increase caloric expenditure during your workout.
Types
A quick search of online exercise video site Collage Video reveals numerous titles of Pilates workouts which focus on weight loss. Well known instructors such as Ellen Barret offers "Fat-Burning Pilates" and Kathy Smith promises a "Peel off the Pounds Pilates" workout. Mari Winsor's Slimming Pilates program guarantees that you will take off "10 inches in two weeks" using her invention, the Accelerator. Keep in mind that if you are in a hurry to lose weight, Pilates might be a bit frustrating as your primary exercise activity. There is a considerable learning curve to master the form and techniques of Pilates which may preclude you from performing the activities at a pace that increases your heart rate into the fat-burning zone.
Cardio-Pilates Fusion
Fitness instructors have devised their own approach to incorporating Pilates into a fat-burning workout. Instead of performing the exercises supine or prone on a mat, they do the same exercises while standing. Instead of performing the movements slow and controlled, movements are performed to music at a rhythmic and heart challenging pace while still keeping the powerhouse -- the core muscles -- contracted and practicing the characteristic Pilates-breath. June Kahn, whose cardio-infused Pilates routine is highlighted in "Lose Your Ab Flab: Fat-Burning Power Pilates" by Jennifer Matarazzo in Fitness Magazine, takes such standard exercises as the Pilates 100 from the mat to a standing position allowing you to burn approximately 420 calories per hour, about 17 percent more than a typical mat class.
Considerations
Doing Pilates at a faster pace puts you at risk for injury if you are not able to maintain proper form and technique. Take it slow, make sure you have mastered the principles and then go on to master the moves. Find a Pilates class with an experienced instructor that preferably keeps the class size small, in order to ensure participants are employing good form and technique during the moves. It's important that the instructor offers modified movements when necessary to prevent stress to the back. As with any exercise endeavor, check with your doctor before embarking on this or any fitness program.
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