Pilates is widely known for enhancing posture, flexibility, and overall body strength. It offers the flexibility of being performed with minimal or no equipment, making it accessible for various settings. While calorie burning might not be the primary motivation for many Pilates practitioners, understanding how many calories are burned during a Pilates session is a common question.
Accurately measuring calories burned during Pilates can be challenging without specialized equipment, as it involves various factors such as intensity, duration, and individual fitness levels. However, by considering these factors and using available methods to estimate calorie expenditure, you can gain a better understanding of how.
Calories Burned Doing Mat Pilates
Mat Pilates can burn approximately 170 to 250 calories per hour, depending on your experience level and body weight. Beginners might be on the lower end of this range, while those performing intermediate or advanced routines can expect to burn more. For instance, a person weighing 120 pounds might burn about 171 calories during a one-hour Pilates session, while someone weighing 150 pounds could burn around 200 calories. A 180-pound individual could burn up to 257 calories in the same duration.
Calories represent a measure of energy that the body uses for various functions. When you perform exercises like Pilates, your body converts the calories from food and stored fat into energy through metabolic processes, generating heat and effectively «burning» calories. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which reflects the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest, also influences how many calories you burn. Factors such as age, sex, weight, and body composition all affect your BMR. Engaging in physical activities like Pilates can help increase your overall daily caloric expenditure.
Using a Calorie Counter for Pilates
Many online calorie calculators only request your weight and the duration of exercise, but they often lack details about their baseline population, such as sex, fitness level, and other factors. They may not specify the type of Pilates being performed—whether mat exercises or equipment-based routines, and whether the workout is beginner or advanced. As a result, the calorie estimates provided by these tools are very general.
When estimating calorie burn, it’s important to note that men typically burn more calories than women during the same activity. Additionally, individuals in better physical shape generally have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning they burn more calories at rest. However, they might burn fewer additional calories as a percentage during intense exercise. Always consider these factors when using calorie calculators, as they may not capture the full complexity of your workout’s impact.
Estimating Calories Burned During Pilates
To obtain a more accurate estimate of calories burned during Pilates, it’s helpful to use methods that account for your individual body metrics. Here are three effective strategies:
Heart Rate Monitor
Using a heart rate monitor is one of the most reliable ways to estimate calorie burn. Since calorie expenditure is closely tied to the body’s demand for oxygen, which the heart helps supply, monitoring your heart rate can provide insights into how many calories you’re burning. Many advanced heart rate monitors offer projections of calories burned based on your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and average heart rate during exercise. High-quality models may also include additional personal data such as your weight and sex to refine the estimate.
Heart Rate Calculators
Online heart rate-based calorie burn calculators can offer another method for estimating calories burned. These tools use your heart rate data to provide calorie estimates. While technology is improving and more sophisticated activity monitors are being developed, current devices may not yet fully account for the complex movements involved in Pilates.
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Another approach is to use the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which gauges your subjective experience of effort during exercise. This scale ranges from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximum exertion) and takes into account factors like breathing rate, fatigue, and sweat. Throughout your Pilates workout, regularly assess your RPE to gauge how hard you’re working. A lower RPE indicates a lighter workout, while a higher RPE signifies greater exertion. Monitoring your RPE can provide an indirect measure of calorie burn based on the intensity of your workout.
Pilates for Weight Loss
If you’re considering Pilates as part of a weight loss plan, it’s important to understand the calorie-burning aspect. To lose one pound of body fat, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories. This is typically achieved by both reducing caloric intake and increasing calorie expenditure through exercise.
Pilates can be a valuable component of a weight loss program. As a form of moderate strength training, Pilates helps in burning calories and contributes to overall fitness. While it may not burn as many calories per session as some high-intensity cardio exercises, it plays a crucial role in building muscle and enhancing body composition.
Elevated Metabolic Rate
Resistance exercises, such as those performed with Pilates equipment, have been shown to increase your metabolic rate more significantly and for a longer period post-workout compared to aerobic exercises. This elevated metabolic rate helps in burning additional calories even after the workout is completed, supporting your weight loss goals.
Pilates offers various methods for calorie burning, whether you’re using equipment like the Pilates reformer or performing exercises on a mat. Incorporating certain moves can enhance your calorie expenditure. Here are a few effective Pilates exercises to consider:
- Swimming. This equipment-free exercise engages your arms, legs, and core. Start by lying face down with your arms extended and your body in a straight line. Lift your knees and arms off the ground, then begin fluttering your legs while moving your arms in a swimming motion. This movement increases the intensity of the workout and helps burn more calories.
- Plank Jacks. An advanced variation of the traditional plank, plank jacks add a cardio component to this core-strengthening exercise. Begin in a plank position with your wrists aligned under your shoulders. While keeping your palms on the ground, jump your feet out to the sides as if performing a horizontal jumping jack, then return to the starting plank position. This exercise not only targets your core but also elevates your heart rate for increased calorie burn.
- The Hundred. A classic Pilates move that effectively engages your core. Start by lying on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides. Lift your legs to a table-top position or extend them to a 45-degree angle. Raise your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat and pump your arms up and down while inhaling for five pumps and exhaling for five pumps. Continue for a total of 100 pumps, or approximately 10 breaths. This exercise intensifies the workout and promotes higher calorie burn.
Calories Burned Using a Pilates Reformer
Developed by Joseph Pilates, the Pilates reformer enhances your workout experience with its unique design. This platform features a spring-loaded carriage that moves, allowing for a range of resistance exercises to help lengthen and strengthen your body.
Compared to traditional mat Pilates, using the reformer can burn more calories due to the customizable resistance levels and the involvement of your body weight in the exercises. For instance, a person weighing 120 pounds can burn approximately 180 calories during a reformer session, while someone weighing 150 pounds might burn up to 220 calories. The increased intensity and resistance of the reformer contribute to a higher calorie expenditure, making it a more effective option for those looking to boost their calorie burn.