Incorporating cardio exercises into your routine, along with Pilates, can help support your fitness goals for a leaner and toned physique.
Here, we explore what toning actually means, what factors affect how toned we look and how Pilates can assist in reaching your goal of looking leaner.
It promises to strengthen and lengthen your muscles – but is Pilates really effective for toning? Here's EYNTK about the benefits of Pilates.
Unlike traditional workouts that mainly target superficial muscles, Pilates works on stabilizing muscles like the transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor muscles.
If you’re a fan of high-intensity cardio workouts like HIIT, you might be wondering why you should bother with a slower, more holistic practice.
So, does Pilates help you to lose weight? The reality is, doing Pilates on its own will not be sufficient exercise to lose weight. If you are after the most direct strategy to losing weight a combination of diet and exercise is needed.
Mat Pilates, on the other hand, relies entirely on bodyweight and gravity. While it might seem less intense at first, it's highly effective when performed with control and consistency. Because there’s pelo external resistance, mat workouts often demand pilates near ne more from your stabilizing muscles, which can improve functional strength and endurance.
The Reformer also allows for more movement variety, which can help target muscles from multiple angles — a useful factor when you're aiming to sculpt specific areas.
Not only are most moves cued from the centre, but there are many flexion exercises, meaning that strengthening the abdominals is part and parcel of a regular practice.”
I remember the day one of my clients walked into my office, frustrated. “I’ve been running and dieting for months,” she said, “but my body still looks the same. I just want to look toned—will Pilates help?”
Both Reformer and mat Pilates can support toning, but they do so in slightly different ways depending on how they're practiced and what your goals are.
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.
"Extend the arms. Lift the opposite arm and leg whilst the chest lifts a little too. Quicken up the pace when you’re ready."
If traditional Pilates exercises are performed at a fast rate with less rest in between, you may find that your heart rate does go up and you get warm, indicating that you are burning off more energy.