Pilates Question

theaterfan23

So I decided that I wanted to try Pilates and bought a DVD at Walmart, but I am having trouble calculating calories burned. I used a calorie calculator online and according to that I burned 120 calories. Then I went to enter it on here and I couldn't find it under strength training and couldn't find it so I found it under cardio and it said for 20 minutes that I burned 88 calories. I am kinda frustrated with this and I think that I should just stick to cardio for now or maybe get a yoga DVD instead.

MsLadyVirgo

you may need to create an exercise for pilates. i also like pilates, and created a exercise for it.

good luck

yeabby

For once the MFP calculation sounds about right. Usually, for me, it is about double actual.

I'm not sure why you're thinking of doing yoga instead of pilates. They are very different in what they work and how they work it. There are also a bunch of different types of yoga, all quite different in their styles. What are you hoping to accomplish?

dittiepe

You'll find yoga is the same way. You should probably use the calculated one instead of MFP. Pilates is not technically a strength workout, and not really a cardio workout. So you don't get the big bang for the workout that you'd expect from say, a Jillian Michaels DVD. But I would stick with it at least 3 days a week as Pilates is an awesome muscle toning system. You will see great results.

ccckwalk

pilates is not a huge calorie burned, but what it does do is strengthen and tighten the muscles. What I do is get in a short cardio workout, running or a short 10-15 minute cardio burner that brings my heart rate up, and then do pilates. My heart rate stays higher for longer than if I just do pilates with no warm up. Pilates are awesome for you core, lower back and everywhere else too!

theaterfan23

I also tried to calucate it here and it asked me to enter reps and a few other things that were hard to figure out.

MsLadyVirgo

you have to enter it under cardio. i usually burn about 150 to 180 calories - using a fitness ring - in 30 mins.

Katie3784

With all the benefits that pilates provides, it would be absolutely insane to give up on it just because you can't find the calorie caount on MFP, especially since there is no way that the calorie counts on here are accurate. I love pilates and it does things for your body that no other exercise can. Buy a HRM if you really want an accurate count.

gavini

pilates is a great workout and here are two different websites and their take on why you want to do some cardio before pilates if possible to maximize your calorie burn.

"Cardio exercises start the process of burning calories and increase the heart rate. This makes it possible to create calorie deficiency. The calorie deficiency created this way is much higher than in any other regular work out. Combining cardio and pilates together helps to burn more calories and build longer, leaner muscles."

different site

"When doing Pilates with cardio you should always do some cardio before Pilates. This is important for a few reasons. When you do cardio first you start the calorie burning process. This means that your heart rate is elevated and you are helping to create your calorie deficiency.

Then once you have done some cardio, you should begin doing Pilates. Doing Pilates with an elevated heart rate allows you to burn more calories as you build your long, lean muscles. This means that you burn more calories than you would have just doing Pilates on Monday and cardio on Tuesday. It multiples your results and helps you get to where you want to be quicker."

SoCalSwimmerDude

If you can afford it, buy an HRM. Pilates (and Yoga for that matter) could either burn tons of cals or hardly any. There is a serious difference in the types of exercises you do with both Pilates and Yoga.

I forked out a TON of cash a couple yrs back and bought a Pilates machine for my wife and I can tell you... that thing will work the heck out of you when used appropriately. Unfortunately, this has also equated in our excess of Pilates/Yoga DVD's... ha, so if you'd like any recommendations on which ones are good, just shoot me a message. If my wife doesn't feel like its a good instructor/DVD, she'll return them w/out hesitation.