Most of us know, that there is no shortcut or ‘magic pill’ to losing weight. It takes dedication, patience, and commitment. However, what many of us don’t know, is that there IS an effective and sustainable way to lower your body fat percentage whilst simultaneously shaping your body into the most toned, sculpted, lean figure you’ve always dreamt of. And that our friends – is Pilates Reformer.
Firstly, what is body fat percentage?
Your body fat percentage is your total mass of fat divided by your total weight. Generally speaking, the ideal body fat percentage is 6%-17% for men and 14%-24% for women, respectively for a basic level of fitness.
It’s important to remember that having body fat IS necessary! You don’t want to ever aim for 0% body fat, because we all NEED body fat to maintain life and reproductive functions. However, if our body fat percentage is too high, it turns into storage body fat and accumulates in places which can also negatively impact our organs’ ability to function.
How can you lower your body fat percentage?
Before we delve into this – remember that regardless of your shape, size, weight, or body-fat percentage, healthy looks different on everyone. If you feel health and vitality within yourself – that is the most important thing! However, if you’re honestly searching for a safe and sustainable way to lower your body fat percentage into the ‘safe’ range, then we recommend Pilates reformer beginner.
The reason we recommend Pilates Reformer over any other high-intensity cardio is because lowering your body fat percentage is NOT the same as losing weight.
Many people who seek to lose weight don’t necessarily want the number on the scale to be smaller, as that could just be them losing water retention or muscle mass, i.e. strength. What they really want, is to be able to have more muscle mass and less body fat. Whether or not the number on the scale changes then becomes irrelevant, as your body composition has changed and you are looking leaner and more toned. Pilates Reformer beginner achieves this really well as it makes use of both bodyweight training and weight training, building up the deepest layer of muscle, which sculpts your body and allows you to have a better muscle to fat ratio.
What does science say?
A small study conducted in 2017 observed 37 overweight or obese women ages 30 to 50. The researchers found that practicing Pilates regularly for eight weeks was effective for weight loss, lowering BMI, toning the waist, and decreasing abdomen and hip circumference.
How many calories does Pilates burn?
The number of calories you can burn during Pilates classes depends on your current weight, whether you’re doing a mat or reformer class, and the level of difficulty of the class. For someone who’s approximately 68 kilos, one 50-minute Pilates mat class at a beginner level burns approximately 175 calories. An advanced 50-minute class burns approximately 254 calories.
How do calories affect weight loss?
To lose 1 pound, you need to burn about 3,500 calories. In other words, the number of calories you burn during Pilates reformer beginner becomes irrelevant if you are failing to curb junky eating habits or you don’t really get active in other areas of your life.
How many times a week should you do Reformer Pilates?
While there’s no magic number when it comes to reformer Pilates, the amount of times you practice depends on what kind of results you want to see. To quote Joseph Pilates: “In 10 sessions you will feel better, in 20 you will look better, and in 30 you will have a whole new body.” Generally speaking, like most fitness workouts’, practicing 3-4 classes per week is a good guideline to stick by.
Can I practice Pilates at home?
You can practice mat Pilates, anytime and anywhere. Of course, it’s an added bonus if you have the exercise equipment, but it’s also not necessary, as there are plenty of Pilates exercises, we can do using any old things we find lying around the house, including a skateboard! See our ‘Can I practice reformer Pilates at home?’ article for more information.