Can anyone give me some input on Pilates?

Question

I am thinking of starting to do Pilates and was wondering if anyone had any tips or info. Like how soon do you see results?

Answer 1

Pilates is a toning or strengthening exercise. You are working your muscles, increasing strength. Although you do burn calories while doing Pilates, you do not burn as much as you do, say, running or even walking. Additionally, you are not working your heart strong enough for it to count as cardio. That said, by toning your muscles you are doing good things not only for your health and ability to live life to the fullest but you are also ensuring that when you do lose weight you will have shapely muscles that will help you look and feel even better. In addition, Pilates will aid flexibility, an often neglected part of fitness programs.

I find that with regular Pilates practice (2-5x/week, depending upon the type of Pilates I do and my current exercise regimen), my pants fit more loosely, but I personally don't lose weight with Pilates alone. I do see results, however, albeit subtle ones.
Joseph Pilates said that in 10 session you will feel a difference, in 20 you will see a difference, and in 30 you will have a whole new body. For the most part I found that true, although no one can escape their genetic destiny in terms of body type. That said, I moved in a different way and saw my body differently, so in that sense I did have a whole new body.
Most importantly, as a result of my regular Pilates practice my core (abs and lower back) are so much stronger. I have better posture, and I have less lower back pain and even tension. Pilates helps me train the muscles that pull in my tummy, acting like a natural "control-top" or girdle. I've seen some increases in flexibility, too. And Pilates has helped me gain confidence in my body.
If you possibly can save up for one live class, I highly recommend that. If you can't, at least enlist someone to check your form every once in a while, as it can make a huge difference in the safety and enjoyment of the practice.

There are also a number of good instructional and practice videos available. You might want to look at Pilates for Dummies; beginning or basics videos by Hilary Burnett, Ana Caban, Moira Stott, and Mari Winsor; and Rael 7 Pilates.
Once you've done some working through at least one of these more instructional videos, you might want to look into these slightly more beginner / intermediate videos that still provide good instruction on form, etc.: AM Pilates, the Crunch Pilates videos (like Pick Your Spot Pilates), Quick Fix Pilates (but not Quick Fix Pilates Abs - that one's more intermediate), You Can Do Pilates, Prevention Flatten Your Belly with Pilates, The Quick and Dirty Guide to Pilates, and videos by Denise Austin and Kathy Smith.

I would also recommend a book like Brooke Siler's The Pilates Body and anything by Alycea Ungaro.

If you're looking for more information on Pilates videos and books, I highly recommend CollageVideo.com, where you can see previews of the videos they have in stock and read customer reviews; VideoFitness.com, where you can read consumer reviews of a ton of videos and some books as well as ask questions on their forum; and YourExerciseDVDs.com, where you can read professional reviews of a number of videos.

Good luck as you begin your Pilates practices!

Answer 2

I do pilates once a week, but i'm quite thin already. I do it for core stability to help with my running. If you find a good teacher, it's a very enjoyable and relaxing excercise. Within weeks people told me my stomach looked a lot more toned.