If you're looking for a low-impact exercise routine that can help you improve strength, tone trouble spots, and help you lose weight, Pilates Reformer could be the solution. Typical Pilates exercises emphasize core strength, flexibility, and awareness to build muscle and improve posture.
Reformer Pilates takes the program to the next level with the use of equipment that adds resistance. The number of calories you can burn with reformer pilates depends on your weight, time spent exercising, and your level of exertion during exercise.
What is the Difference Between Mat Pilates and Pilates Reformer? If you are new to Pilates, understanding Mat Pilates can help you grasp the concept of how Pilates Reformer helps you meet strength and weight loss goals by increasing intensity.
Mat Pilates is a series of exercises performed on a mat on the floor, providing your body with cushioning and support while you build strength, flexibility, and improve posture. The exercises teach muscle control and focus on core strength.
Pilates Reformer uses equipment to add resistance to the exercise routine. The central piece of equipment used is the Reformer, a bed-like machine that features springs, gears, and ropes. Other equipment used includes tower systems and split pedal Pilates chairs. Performing Pilates exercises on an elevated surface with resistance increases the intensity of the workout and requires more control.
Calculating How Many Calories Pilates Reformer Burns
The amount of calories you can burn with any type of exercise depends on your body weight, exercise intensity, and time spent exercising. In many exercise routines, including Pilates Reformer, experience can help you burn more calories.
For instance, using the resistance reformer, a 120-pound person can burn around 180 calories, while a 150-pound person can burn up to 220 calories in an hour.
As you become more accustomed to performing the exercises with proper form, you can exercise more efficiently, leading to higher calorie burn. Exercise intensity will impact the number of calories you burn. You may be able to get a closer calculation of the calories you burn using a calorie burn calculator or a calorie counter that takes your gender, weight, time spent, and heart rate into consideration.
How to Increase Calorie Burn During Reformer Pilates
The two main ways to increase calorie burn during exercise are added intensity and longer workouts; Reformer Pilates is no exception. As you become accustomed to the exercises and gain strength, increasing workout intensity through speed or added resistance can help you burn more calories. You'll also likely notice improved endurance, allowing you to extend your workouts for greater calorie burn.
Evidence also shows that increasing muscle mass can increase your basic metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy your body expends while at rest. In other words, the increased muscle mass from your workouts can help you burn more calories while at rest. So, the calorie-burning benefits you reap by exercising harder and more frequently don't stop when you finish your workout. They continue to add up as you go about your daily routine.
Sign Up for Our Pilates Program Today
While you can burn a significant number of calories with Pilates Reformer, the benefits go far beyond calorie burn. Pilates builds lean muscle, improves posture, and helps create balance for improved mobility. These benefits tone your body, decrease waist size, and help you achieve a slimmer profile. Low-impact Reformer Pilates can be modified to meet personal flexibility, and strength limitations, is ideal for reducing back pain and compression on joints.
If you're interested in reaping the calorie-burning and health benefits of Pilates Reformer, the YMCA of Central Kentucky is ready to help. Register now to join our Pilates Reformer program, and get started on the path to meeting your fitness goals.
