Why and How to Practice Pilates for Weight Loss?

What is easy to put on but difficult to put off? For many people, the obvious answer is weight. Though it’s a bitter pill to digest, it’s a fact. It’s easy to pile up pounds on your body while it requires efforts to get rid of them. Dieting is an unhealthy fad and is what 50% of U.S adult population does at any given moment to lose weight.

Health experts always suggest relying on exercises to reach your ideal weight with healthy food intake. Pilates for weight loss is gaining popularity among people of all ages for its low-impact methods. Pilates is named after its founder(1), Joseph Pilates, who was a circus performer. He developed his exercise regimen to overcome his childhood obesity and helped the injured soldiers of WorldWar I to walk again using his workout methods.

• 1. Types of Pilates
  2. Guide to Start
  3. Five Exercises of Pilates
  4. Pilates: Burn Calories and Points to Remember

How can Pilates for Weight Loss Help?

Pilate studios are like a morning routine for many modern women. However, to many, it is still a mystery. If you belong to the latter group, then relax! This article will hold your hand and take you into the magical world of pilates.

Before starting our journey, it’s crucial you get convinced why to choose pilates over the other weight loss regimes.

Involving pilates for weight reduction will help you in multiple ways and not just one. Read the various benefits of pilates mentioned below and be ready to get amazed:

• Are you craving to have a lean body just like any of your favorite star? If yes, then pilates can help you. It helps to tone your muscles, primarily around the midsection of your body. This fantastic attribute of pilates for losing weight keeps your body in shape and blesses you with a leaner appearance.
• Pilates helps to increase your body strength and flexibility(2) which in turn ensures proper movement and comfort during your exercise routines.
• When you get immersed in the world of pilates, you will realize a sudden boost in your metabolism.  It helps you to burn more calories than usual, all through the day.
• For the proper functioning of your body, harmonious sync amongst mind, body, and soul is very much required. Pilates routine focuses on this requirement of the body and enhances the overall fitness of your body.

[Also Read: Natural Remedies for Weight Loss ]

Types of Pilates to Lose Weight

With the growth in popularity of pilates to shed weight and sculpt your body, there is also a growing concern as which form or type of pilates should one choose.

Two basic types of pilates are ‘Pilates on a Mat’ and ‘Reformer Pilates’ or ‘Equipment Based Pilates.

The core principle behind the two types of pilates used in weight loss is the same; however, there is a sharp contrast in the methodology used in both types.

Let’s understand the benefits, differences, and essential characteristics of the two regimes of pilates for weight loss.

• Mat Based

1. Mat Pilates or mat based pilates regime involves the practice of pilates on a mat.
2. This type of pilates regime requires equipment such as dumbbells, balls, elastic bands, exercise rings, etc.
3. The central pedagogy involved in mat pilates is to build control over the breathing through slow and effective exercises.
4. Mat-based Pilates has various levels, and it is the best option for someone who has just opted for pilates as a weight loss solution.

• Equipment-Based

1. Equipment based pilates is popularly known as Reformer Pilates.
2. This kind of pilates regime for weight loss requires the use of a specialized machine that comes with a lot of options for exercising.
3. Benefits of pilates reformer is to tone and lengthen the muscles, and in achieving that sexy figure which can make anyone drool over.
4. Reformer Pilates is a stricter option but gives quick results when compared to the traditional mat pilates regime.
5. Also, reformer pilates runs on equipment and so is only available in limited pilates studios.

[Read: Diet Plans for Weight Loss]

Guide to Start Pilates for Weight Loss

After getting thorough information on weight loss through pilates, let’s peek into some pre-requisites concerning pilates.

• Classes

Inquire about a well-equipped pilates class. A pilates class will help you practice the exercise regime in a disciplined manner. The instructor in your pilates class will guide you and assist you in carrying out your regime efficiently.

• Personal Instructor

If you are someone who avoids involving in group activities, then you can easily hire a personal pilates trainer for yourself. The instructor will train you on a one-on-one basis at your convenience.

• Self-Training

Not everyone is ready to spend money in group training or personal training for opting pilates regime. So what can be done? The answer is simple, train yourself. You can easily buy DVDs and books on Pilates training. You can also get videos on the internet. Through these self-training techniques, you can practice Pilates for calorie burning at your ease.

Five Exercises of Pilates for Weight Loss That You Can Do At Your Home

Five best Pilates exercises to reduce weight include:

• Swimming

1. Lie down with your stomach touching the ground with your forehead facing down.
2. Make sure your thighs are close to each other.
3. Stretch your arms forward and place your palms facing the ground.
4. Raise your arms, legs, chest, and head at once.
5. Breathe in and breathe out. Then lift right arm with the left leg and left arm with right leg without touching them to the ground.
6. Count one to ten and try to raise higher and reach longer with each count.

• Crisscross

1. Lie down with your back touching the ground.
2. Keep your hands at the back of your head.
3. Bend your knees and force them towards your chest.
4. Breathe in and twist your torso to the left side.
5. Try to touch the right elbow with the left knee.
6. While doing so, straighten the right leg and hold it in the air.
7. Breathe out and twist right while connecting your left elbow with the right knee.
8. Keep your left leg straight in the air.
9. Perform six sets of twists while alternating sides.

• Jogging Knees

1. Lift your arms towards your shoulder and jog lifting the knees to hip height. While jogging, move your right arm to the left and vice versa. aTake about eight knee lifts, and start touching your bottom with your heels.
2. Meanwhile, keep your elbows close to your sides.
3. After eight kicks, head to a new exercise or reduce the number of kicks while performing another set

• Leg Pull

1. Sit straight and extend your legs.
2. Press your legs together and point your feet.
3. Place your hands at your back and your palms facing downwards with fingers pointing inwards.
4. Apply pressure with your hands and lift your hips to achieve a diagonal positional.
5. Breathe in and raise your right leg as high as you can.
6. Make sure not to touch the mat.
7. Breathe out as you return your leg to the mat.
8. Now, switch to the other leg and repeat the same process.
9. Practice the leg pull for six times and ensure that you reach higher with each round.

• Corkscrew

1. Lie down flat and place your arms by your sides.
2. Press your legs together to bring the back portion of the upper inner thighs close.
3. Breathe in and lift your legs overhead.
4. Roll back until you achieve an equilibrium in the middle of the shoulder blades and the back of the arms.
5. Breathe out and point your toes while you roll back down and lean your body rightwards.
6. Once you complete the circle towards the right, circle the legs leftwards and inhale.
7. Now roll up to the left side of your body.
8. Reverse the circle and complete three sets of the exercise

[Read: Keto Diet for Weight Loss]

How many Calories can you Burn through Pilates for Losing Weight?

Burning calories is an important feature of pilates postures for weight loss. The intensive exercises help in shedding those extra calories which add on to your body unnecessarily.

Beginners who take the mat based pilates workout exercises can burn upto 175 calories in a 50-minute session(3) whereas taking advanced sessions of the same duration can burn around 254 calories in approximation.

So if a person burns a total of twelve hundred calories in a day, then by opting for pilates exercises, one can increase this count to around fifteen hundred easily.

Points to Remember if You Want to Practice Pilates Exercises for Weight Loss

• It is always advisable to seek advice from your doctor before indulging yourself in Pilates exercises.
• Wear comfortable clothes that will help you perform the activities easily.
• Use a sticky mat to get the perfect grip for performing pilates poses.
• Never strain your body and always move in a range of motion which you can control easily.

Losing weight was never so much fun until you find this article on pilates for weight loss regime. This fantastic form of exercise is not just comfortable but also fun as it employs simple yet effective practices.

Pilates is for anyone and everyone who wishes a perfect figure body. All you need is a set goal and a determination to pursue your dream.

So get up, put on your sportswear and start your pilates regime to get into shape at the earliest.