Does Pilates Help You Lose Weight? An Honest Answer

“Will pilates help me lose weight?” is one of the most common questions studios get. The honest answer is: it can help, but probably not in the way you think. Pilates isn’t a big calorie burner. Its value for weight loss comes from building strength, and from being something people actually stick with.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, or a lot of weight to lose, speak to your GP before starting a new exercise or diet plan.

How weight loss works

You lose weight when you use more energy than you take in from food and drink. Exercise adds to the energy you use, but for most people the biggest lever is what they eat. It’s much easier to cut a few hundred calories from your diet than to burn them off in a class.

That doesn’t make exercise pointless. Regular activity helps you keep weight off, protects your muscle while you lose fat, and is good for your heart, mood and sleep whatever your weight.

How many calories does pilates burn?

Fewer than running, cycling or a spin class. Most pilates is low to moderate intensity, so your heart rate stays lower than in cardio exercise. A faster-paced reformer class with less rest will burn more than a slow mat class focused on technique, but neither is likely to match an hour of running.

Be wary of exact figures. Calorie counts you see online, and on fitness watches, vary widely and depend on your size, the class and how hard you work.

Where pilates does help

It builds and protects muscle

When you lose weight, some of it can come from muscle rather than fat. Strength exercise helps you hold on to muscle, which matters for how you look, how strong you feel and how well you move as you get older. Pilates, especially on the reformer, counts as strength exercise.

It counts towards the guidelines

NHS guidance for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength exercises on at least two days. Pilates covers the strength part well. Add brisk walking, cycling or swimming for the rest.

People stick with it

The best exercise for weight loss is the one you keep doing for months and years. Pilates is low impact, suits most fitness levels and doesn’t leave you exhausted, so many people find it easier to make a habit of than high-intensity training.

It can make other exercise easier

Stronger hips, legs and core make walking, running and the gym more comfortable, and may help you avoid the niggles that stop people exercising.

Can pilates flatten your stomach?

Pilates works your abdominal muscles hard, and stronger abdominals and better posture can change how your stomach looks. But you can’t “spot reduce” fat. Doing ab exercises doesn’t burn fat from your stomach in particular. Fat comes off across your body as you lose weight overall.

A plan that works

1. Start with food. Small, lasting changes to what and how much you eat make the biggest difference. The NHS has a free weight loss plan if you want a structure to follow.
2. Do pilates two or three times a week for strength. Our guide to how often to do pilates has more on building up.
3. Add some cardio. Brisk walking counts. Aim to build up to 150 minutes a week in total.
4. Move more day to day. Taking the stairs and walking short journeys adds up.
5. Judge it on more than the scales. Strength, energy, sleep and how your clothes fit are better signs of progress week to week.

Mat or reformer?

Either is fine. Reformer classes add resistance, which helps with strength, and are often faster paced. Mat classes are cheaper, which makes it easier to go more often. See reformer vs mat pilates to compare them.

Find a class near you

Search by postcode to find pilates studios near you, with ratings and reviews. New to it? Read what to expect at your first class.

Frequently asked questions