Will I lose weight doing Pilates?

Jane Arlow • July 19, 2021

Sorry to burst your bubble, but no..

It’s a question I get asked fairly often. If you’re looking to lose weight, Pilates can certainly be one of the tools you use.
But if your Pilates class is your only form of exercise, and you make no other changes to your calories in and out, you’re unlikely to lose weight. 

That means that if you see other people posting claims to “lose your belly fat” or “do Pilates to get a long, lean body”, they’re talking crap.  

If you’re interested in reading all the studies (and who wouldn’t be?!), you’ll find links to them at the bottom of this blog, along with a link to some of my other blogs.

Will I lose weight doing any exercise?

Weight loss happens when you use more calories in a day than you consume. It’s called “creating a calorie deficit”.


Obviously, this is fairly simplistic and there are lots of other things that impact your weight on a daily basis, but calorie maths is the bottom line.


 A Pilates workout won’t burn as many calories as an Aerobics, HIIT or Step class.


The number of calories that you’ll burn in Pilates varies will depend on the duration and intensity of the class. A shorter, beginner class will burn fewer calories than a longer more advanced class.


However, it’s worth noting that exercising alone, without changing your eating habits is not shown to help you lose weight.


While one hundred percent of the of the energy we gain comes from food, we only burn about ten to thirty percent each day with physical activity. 

Is Pilates a waste of time for weight loss?

NO!


Pilates focuses on building strength, flexibility, endurance and stability. 


All of these things improve your ability to move better and move more.


Pilates is a form of weight-bearing form of exercise that helps you to build more muscle; and this means you'll burn more calories at rest.


As we also use the breath to improve our mind-body connection, you may also find that it helps you to slow your resting heart rate, sleep better and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the opposite of the fight-flight response many of us find ourselves in most days).


Cortisol, which is one of the main hormones released as part of the fight-flight response is strongly correlated with weight gain.

I've got an injury and exercise is difficult. Will Pilates help me?

If you still want to get all the other benefits of exercise but you're struggling with an injury, Pilates is great!


Mr A and I came to Pilates because he was struggling with recurrent back spasms. After fixing him for about the fifth time, his physical therapist told him to get to Pilates. I had to go to keep him company. The rest is history.


Because it’s low impact and focuses on improving strength, flexibility, endurance and stability, it means that we can work to improve how you move through your problem areas. We’ll work on all the muscles around the problem joint to relieve the stress on it.


For example, if you've got a knee problem, we’ll focus on improving strength through your quadriceps muscles (the big muscles down the front of your thigh), while ensuring that we improve flexibility through the hamstrings (the muscles down the back of your thighs);


If it’s a hip problem, we’ll be looking to increase the strength & flexibility of all your glute muscles (the group of three muscles in your butt); your hip flexors (the muscles in front of your hips) and your adductors (inner thigh muscles).


These aren’t the only areas we can work on.


Please always remember to advise your instructor of any injuries or issues so that they can provide you with the appropriate exercises.


As your ability to move improves, you’ll find that you may be able to increase the range of exercises that you do; and that walking and moving becomes less painful.


In summary, you’re unlikely to lose weight simply by taking Pilates classes (or any other form of exercise), but the other physical, and mental benefits of exercise mean you’ll feel better.

Links to studies and other blogs if you want to learn more about exercise/ Pilates and weight loss:

Studies have found that Pilates is has many benefits, but weight loss is not one of its strongest.


While Pilates has definite benefits, weight loss is not its strongest suit.


As a matter of fact, a 2006 study found that body weight and body fat percentage was not significantly affected in adult females using a regular Pilates routine.


2004 study found that while Pilates does help to improve flexibility, it doesn't significantly affect body composition, even after 6 months of practice.” According to  Medicine Net, there is no evidence to directly link Pilates with weight loss.


This meta-study of 60 different studies also found that exercise alone is not sufficient to lose weight.


You can also check out previous blog posts from me including “How to melt your belly fat and other fairy tales”; “Nutrition guide for a healthy heart” , "Is being overweight inevitable as we get older" and “Is Stress Making you sick, cranky and overweight?” are all available.

By Jane Arlow October 13, 2025
Because no one wants the lurgy!
By Jane Arlow October 13, 2025
And the first one's a doozie!
By Jane Arlow October 13, 2025
October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!
By Jane Arlow October 13, 2025
I bet you've asked these yourself!
By Jane Arlow September 22, 2025
Because resting is revolution in a world that wants to keep you agitated!
By Jane Arlow September 13, 2025
Why should I do Pilates?
By Jane Arlow September 2, 2025
Spoiler alert...
By Jane Arlow August 18, 2025
What are "Bungalow Legs"?
By Jane Arlow August 18, 2025
Struggling to get 10,000 steps a day?
By Jane Arlow August 18, 2025
Because knees are important!