Is Pilates Good For Losing Weight Fast?

Pilates is sometimes confused with yoga, since they both use slow movements and certain poses for fitness. But Pilates, with its practice of slow and controlled movements for strength and flexibility, is generally considered a higher-impact method of exercise than yoga. While Pilates can certainly help build and tone your muscles, like all other exercise programs, weight loss cannot be achieved with one component alone. By grouping Pilates with cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet, you can lose weight at a healthy rate.

Defining "Fast"

While anyone attempting to lose weight wants it to happen quickly, attempting to drop pounds too fast can be dangerous and harmful to your health. Using fad diets, pills and products to achieve fast weight loss may help you to see quick results, but they are usually short lived. When choosing an exercise program, look for one that can be maintained over a long period of time and endorses a weight-loss rate of no more than 1 or 2 lbs. per week. Pilates can certainly contribute to a healthy weight-loss plan.

Pilates Benefits

When attempting to lose weight, registering for a Pilates class or trying a Pilates DVD at home can help you build muscle. Pilates relies on slow, precise and controlled movements with fewer repetitions. This helps to build both muscle and flexibility. Since muscle tissue is more active and burns more calories than fat tissue, you'll also increase your metabolism. This can help ramp up your efforts to lose weight as you adopt a healthier lifestyle overall.

Components

In order to lose weight in a healthy and successful manner, you need three components: resistance training, cardiovascular activity and a healthy diet. Pilates fulfills the first requirement, but you'll still need to add aerobic exercise and a better diet to see real results. Practicing Pilates three times per week, then adding 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day and a low-calorie, high-nutrient diet of no less than 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day all work together to give you the best weight-loss results.

Getting Started

If Pilates sounds like the right addition to your personal weight loss program, see if your community offers classes at a local recreation center or gym. In a Pilates class, an instructor will lead you through the various exercise for a solid foundation in the practice. You can also rent Pilates DVDs from your library to try the exercise from the comfort of your home. In general, Pilates doesn't use a lot of equipment, so it can be very cost effective. An exercise ball and resistance bands are best for beginners.