Pilates for weight loss?

katrina1979

I have managed to get myself a £3.99 DVD called Pilates for Dummies a weight loss work out.

Has anyone tried it, or can anyone advise of what i can expect from a pilates workout( weight loss, toning etc), any info will be very useful as i have never tried Pilates before:D

cymrugirl

I've tried pilates and if you can get yourself to even one lesson, I think it would be beneficial for you as you may do it incorrectly with the video. But if you've done some ballet then you'll be fine as the concepts are similar.

As for weight loss - I wouldn't put it at the top of the list. I know it's helped people but pilates was originally intended for rehabilitating injured soldiers and adopted by dancers to prevent injuries. It's a great supplement to your workout but I wouldn't rely solely on it for weight loss.

It is great for working your core and your posture will improve but if you want to lose weight, I would recommend cardio and weight training foremost, with pilates as a supplement to help strengthen your core and work muscles that don't get used in normal weight training.
I always view pilates as helping to lengthen my body and provide a strong core rather than as a weight loss device.
HTH

tru

I agree with Cymrugirl.

I'm a trained dancer - though you wouldn't think it look at me at the mo

Go to a few classes first to learn how to use your muscles, if your posture is wrong you could end up toning them 'out' instead of 'in', IYSWIM.

Pilates tones and strengthens muscles and improves your posture. You'll look a bit slimmer with pilates alone - but it won't burn fat, you need cardio for that. Most aerobic DVDs are boring IMO so I recommend Zumba for added sexiness In fact I'm going to order that set for myself.

ailuro2

tru wrote: »

I agree with Cymrugirl.

You'll look a bit slimmer with pilates alone - but it won't burn fat, you need cardio for that.

you don't need a cardio workout to burn fat, you need a fat burning workout - by that I mean you need to do a decent length of exercise a few times every week that will raise your heart rate into the fat burning zone. Google is your friend how to work this out.

If you want to exercise you cardio vascular system you choose a faster workout that gets your heart pumping at a higher rate, that is cardio and will not burn fat at it's optimum level.;)

Pilates is great for toning though, when done right, and it gives you strong stomach muscles so helps prevent other injuries.

A mix of everything is the best method, imo.:) I agree about catching a couple of pilates classes, just to give you an idea of how to do it right, the instructor will go round checking posture etc. to make sure it's being done well.:)

rubytuesday

I used to go to Pilates classes for my back and I certainly felt like I had a work out!!
It really helped me strengthen up my abdominals and helped me to stop looking like I was pregnant!

elainem10

I have this dvd and have found it very good although I have not quite been disciplined enough to do it regularly to tell you about weight loss or toning results. The first 2/3 is standing pilates which involves a lot of plies and lunges as well as oblique crunches. I find this section gets my heart rate up quite well although it doesn't leave me completely exhausted. The last 1/3 is mat pilates and is more gentle. Overall I find the workout leaves me feeling more energised and toned although as I said I haven't noticed a difference to my weight or size yet.

tru

ailuro2 wrote: »

you don't need a cardio workout to burn fat, you need a fat burning workout - by that I mean you need to do a decent length of exercise a few times every week that will raise your heart rate into the fat burning zone. Google is your friend how to work this out.

If you want to exercise you cardio vascular system you choose a faster workout that gets your heart pumping at a higher rate, that is cardio and will not burn fat at it's optimum level.;)

Yeah, I know

Most people think of exercise as either toning or fat burning. It's assumed that if you're out of breath and your heart is beating faster, that's the best way to burn fat. Course, it does burn fat, but it's not the fastest way. I've tried explaining that regular weight training is great for burning fat but people don't believe me - "how can it? I'm not out of breath.........". So I stick to the usual cardio (what people call fat burning, even though it's not technically correct) and toning examples - it's easier on a forum, otherwise my post would take up loads of space

elfen

I like doing weights after my cardio....it's part of my fitness plan and it does definitely help, since your heart rate is already raised and you're just increasing the blood flow and burning the fat/turning it into muscle, which burns calories at a higher rate

cymrugirl

tru wrote: »

Most aerobic DVDs are boring IMO so I recommend Zumba for added sexiness In fact I'm going to order that set for myself.

That Zumba looks interesting. Tempted to try it out myself! I recently got Cardio Barre which is pretty taxing - as a trained dancer Tru, you might like it. You can check it out here

Katrina - to supplement the pilates dvd, I'd recommend skipping. Cheap and great for fat loss. I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with a skipping rope as seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LLpy3Ek5sQ
Looks a bit daunting to begin with but as your fitness improves, it's a great way to challenge yourself and great for fat loss.

Material_Girl_2

Why don't you get another dvd for cardio excercises and alternate both dvd's then you get a better balance of toning and fat burning.
I do like Pilates and it's very good for core strength (which makes you look slimmer as you stant up straighter), but I think it's good to get some variety to stave of boredom.