Is Pilates An Aerobic Exercise?

When early 20th-century fitness expert Joseph Pilates developed his signature exercise technique, he called it "Contrology," implying that the movements require concentration and precision. Pilates enhances muscle tone and core strength while improving posture. Its slow, often small and subtle movements usually do not lend themselves to aerobic conditioning, but some instructors and equipment provide ways to incorporate cardiovascular conditioning into a Pilates workout.

Aerobic Exercise Basics

Aerobic exercise is continuous, rhythmic activity that increases your pulse to 64 to 94 percent of your maximum heart rate, says the American College of Sports Medicine. Reaching this heart rate involves weight-bearing exercises, performed in an upright position. Pilates mat exercises emphasize small muscle movements, usually when lying down or seated, so most Pilates mat exercises are not aerobic. Pilates equipment uses multiple large muscle groups, often from a weight-bearing position, but no studies have explored the aerobic benefits of Pilates equipment workouts.

ACE Study

In 2005, the American Council on Exercise sponsored a study at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse that recruited 15 women, ages 18 to 26, to determine whether Pilates exercise provides aerobic benefits. They all had an intermediate to advanced level of Pilates exercise proficiency. Each performed two 50-minute Pilates mat sessions -- one beginner and one advanced.

Subjects averaged 54 percent of their maximum heart rate during the beginner routines and 62 percent of their maximal heart rate during advanced routines. This indicated that Pilates exercise is not effective aerobic conditioning.

ACSM Study

Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Alabama, conducted a similar study for the American College of Sports Medicine. She detailed the results in the November 2005 "IDEA Fitness Journal." Olson reported that advanced moves, such as the jackknife, elevated the heart rate to 120 to 130 beats per minute, while the easy, supine exercises such as the leg circles caused heart rates to plummet. Olson concluded that Pilates provided mild aerobic activity sufficient for maintaining body weight. Losing weight requires a more intense aerobic workout and a change in diet.

Aerobic Pilates

Several program have been created in an attempt to add aerobic benefits to Pilates workouts. The Pilates springboard, when placed on the Pilates reformer, facilitates a plyometric workout that may increase heart rate, according to kinesiologist and Pilates instructor Barbara Wintroub. Stott Pilates developed a Pilates circuit workout in which users perform large-muscle, dynamic movements on the reformer and the Pilates chair, moving swiftly from machine to machine. As of 2011, there are no studies that validate the aerobic benefits of these types of programs.