Pilates!

irishdancer23

I've started taking pilates classes at the gym on campus, and I absolutely love it. However, I've only been doing it twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) because I run 4 days a week. I'm wondering if doing pilates only 2 days a week is enough to see results. I know it will be good for me whether I build a ton of muscle or not, but I feel like I would definitely be more motivated if I saw improvement and at least a little toning in my body.

sophie_wr

I am really curious about pilates cause I bought a groupon few weeks ago. and I haven't started using it.
Is that very different from yoga ?

Enjoy your pilates class, anyway !

irishdancer23

I haven't done a lot of yoga, but I think yoga is more about relaxing and stretching your muscles, whereas pilates is more focused on building core strength. pilates does have some elements of yoga though, and from what i've seen, it definitely increases your flexibility. you should try it! the first few classes are a little intimidating, but once you're more comfortable with all of the different poses and stuff, it's a great workout!

MinMin97

Great exercise!
Exercise can help you maintain your muscle mass, but in order to actually build muscle you would need to eat a surplus of calories, not a deficit.
You have a great start...Your body will get stronger and leaner.
It takes time and persistence!
It's fun and rewarding:)

irishdancer23

okay, thank you! it's definitely fun, so i guess whether i'm building muscle or not, it's still a good thing to do!

Skinny_minny_mo

pilates sounds great for losing inches and improving muscle tone. i'd be keen to hear how it goes

summer8it

I don't do pilates at the moment (I quit the gym after my fabulous yoga teacher left and was replaced by someone who seemed to think it was a nursing home exercise class) but I spent one summer doing pilates two evenings a week, and I did see results. The most awesome result was that I got a half-inch taller... in my 30s!

If you want to get the most out of your classes, push yourself. Don't let ANY part of your body get floppy while you work. Point or flex your feet hard, suck that navel to your spine, and focus on making your body alignment as perfect as possible.

But as someone who's studied yoga for 19 years, I have to disagree with your statement that yoga is just about stretching, not about building muscular strength. Yoga can be a powerful bodyweight strength training workout. Some styles are more intense than others... and some teachers are more intense than others! If you want a strength-building yoga workout, check out Anusara or power yoga classes. If you want strength-building plus a lot of cardio, look for a challenging Vinyasa class.