While Pilates isn’t a high-calorie-burning workout on its own, having more lean muscle does help your body burn more energy—even at rest.
However, a combination of various forms of exercise and a healthy diet is essential for achieving a toned body.
An important fact to acknowledge is that you can’t lose fat from selected body parts. If you lose body fat, you will lose it all over.
Let’s face it, we all seem to be more stressed than ever right now – and it’s pelo secret that hardcore cardio workouts can further increase our cortisol levels, sending our stress responses sky high. But we also know that exercise is a known stress reliever. The solution? You guessed it – Pilates.
But make sure to not overdo it. Just because you have a “problem” area you want to target, does not mean you should be spending your workouts only focussing on that area.
The result is strength without bulk. Muscles become more firm and defined, especially when combined with consistent training and healthy habits outside the steam room yoga studio.
By increasing muscle tone and promoting better body awareness, Pilates can be a valuable component of a comprehensive fitness plan aimed at achieving a toned physique.
The key is consistency. Practicing Pilates regularly allows those small gains to add up to visible change over time.
This allowed me to experience various styles of high-level conditioning. Working with fighters I was able to experiment with and develop real-world functional conditioning programs and hybrid-style strength movements using body weight, kettlebell, and other functional implements.
Athletes love using our Springboard and Reformer equipment to safely increase flexibility. Our Tower Circles open up the shoulders and thoracic spine, combatting poor posture and freeing up your breath. Regain your range of motion with Pilates!
This includes eccentric training, which lengthens and strengthens muscles without adding bulk. Improved body awareness and alignment also contribute to a leaner, more upright look.
When your breathing works properly, so does the core. When the core muscles work well, so do your other muscles. We can think of it like links in a chain, where each muscle function is interconnected with the next.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about Pilates and how it fits into this equation.
Being aware of and in control of your body: Pilates focuses on the mind-body connection, which helps you learn how to move more precisely and with more control.