Pilates Workouts Fat Burning Workout Programs and Pilates By Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT LinkedIn Marguerite Ogle is a freelance writer and experienced natural wellness and life coach, who has been teaching Pilates for more than 35 years. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 06, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristin McGee, CPT Reviewed by Kristin McGee, CPT Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates by the National Association of Sports Medicine. Learn about our Review Board Print Kristian Sekulic/E+/Getty Images It would be my pleasure to tell you that among its many benefits, Pilates is the best fat burning exercise in the world, and all you have to do is Pilates and you will be slim no matter what. That's not quite the case. Pilates can be extremely helpful as a part of an overall fat burning workout plan, but a few other elements have to be in place for optimal effectiveness. How much fat a workout burn depends on how much energy it takes to accomplish it. We get our energy from food calories. If we have calories that are not burned in a workout or by life processes, we store them as fat. If your workout requires more calories than you have taken in, your body will burn fat to help fuel your workout. Fat Burning and Pilates There are ways to increase the fat burning potential of a Pilates workout. Increasing the speed at which you do a routine, the level of difficulty of the exercises, and the length of the workout all burn more calories and move you closer to a fat burning stage. Pilates Workouts for Weight Loss Weight Loss Exercise Recommendations: Strength and Cardio According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACM), 150 to 250 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise will promote weight loss. Clinically significant weight loss occurs at over 250 minutes per week. That could be four to five Pilates sessions per week. However, those sessions would have to be fairly high level to meet the intensity you need for significant fat burning. A better solution is to do a mixture of cardio and strength and flexibility training throughout your week. That combination is known to be best for promoting overall fitness and weight loss. Pilates is the moderate weight training/flexibility part of the program. And Pilates is ideal for that. The Aerobic Workout Don't be intimidated by the idea of adding aerobic (cardio) exercise to your workout program. You can start with all kinds of activities that keep your heart rate up for a sustained period of time: walking, dancing, jogging, swimming or any number of other fun activities. So how much cardio do you need? The physical activity guidelines for Americans suggest 2.5 hours per week of moderate aerobic (cardio) exercise or 1.25 hours of high-intensity cardio. Learn more about combining Pilates and cardio training: The sample fat burning exercise program outlined below will give you 2.5 hours of moderate cardio and a minimum of 2 hours of strength training. That will put you right in the weight loss zone of just over 250 minutes per week of moderate exercise as recommended by the ACM. Of course, you can mix and match as is right for your body and schedule, and increase intensities as appropriate. Sample Fat Burning Exercise Program Day 1: Pilates 40 - 60 min, cardio 30 minDay 2: Cardio 30 minDay 3: Pilates 40 - 60 minDay 4: Cardio 30 minDay 5: Cardio 30 minDay 6: Pilates 40 - 60 min, Cardio 30 minDay 7: rest day or make up for a missed day Diet and Weight Loss An article on exercise and fat burning wouldn't be complete without mentioning the other half of the fat burning equation: what you eat. Diet and exercise go together to promote weight loss -- after all, you could do all the cardio and Pilates in the world and never lose any weight if you eat all the calories back. Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. ACSM Position Stand on Physical Activity and Weight Loss, A.C.S.M online.CDC. Physical Activity for Everyone. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm.U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. https://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. By Marguerite Ogle MS, RYT Marguerite Ogle is a freelance writer and experienced natural wellness and life coach, who has been teaching Pilates for more than 35 years. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit