If you’re just looking to lose weight, Pilates is not the most efficient method. Pilates is a unique training system with many benefits best achieved by practicing Pilates regularly. Weight loss is not its most efficient outcome.
Pilates is unusual in that it can reshape your body—posture, tone, and lines—without necessarily changing the number on the scale.
I first added a weekly Pilates regimen to tone and strengthen a few stubborn areas. I didn’t have time for extra cardio, so the only change was Pilates. After about a month my clothes fit differently: looser waistband and thighs, more defined arms—yet the scale was unchanged. Family asked, “Have you lost weight?” Even though I only felt small changes from my at-home sessions, others noticed a big difference. When I explained the only tweak was Pilates (no diet changes), the feedback kept coming about how long and lean I looked. I wasn’t chasing Pilates weight loss, but I didn’t mind the compliments.
Is Pilates Really a Weight Loss Program?
You’ve heard bold promises—some programs (think classic infomercials) push Pilates as a magic solution for weight loss. Can you feel like a celebrity for an hour a day, drop 65 pounds, and come away with a rock-hard bum?
Let’s break it down.
How To Lose Weight
Simple formula: calories out must exceed calories in.
A six-month study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Redman et al., 2007) reaffirmed that weight change follows energy balance: eat fewer calories than you expend. You can create a deficit without exercise, but it’s hard (hello fast food and sugar drinks) and can be unwise if done aggressively. Exercise adds health benefits you want anyway.
Why Exercise?
Exercise comes in two broad types:
- Aerobic: moderate effort, sustained for longer durations.
- Anaerobic: higher intensity to build power and/or muscle mass—shorter, harder bouts.
Both improve more than the calorie burn: stronger respiratory and heart muscles, toned tissues, better circulation, lower blood pressure, improved immunity and mood, and more. People argue which is “best” for fat loss; the key is still the energy deficit. Choose the mix you’ll sustain.
Calories Burned: Pilates Exercise vs. Other Exercise
General Exercise
The Mayo Clinic reported approximate calories burned in one hour for ~145-lb individuals:
- Aerobic dancing 416
- Backpacking 448
- Badminton 288
- Bicycling (outdoor) 512
- Bicycling (stationary) 448
- Bowling 192
- Canoeing 224
- Dancing 288
- Gardening 256
- Golfing 288
- Hiking 384
- Jogging (5 mph) 512
- Racquetball 448
- Rope jumping 640
- Running (8 mph) 864
- Skating 448
- Skiing (cross-country) 512
- Skiing (downhill) 384
- Stair climbing 576
- Swimming 384
- Tennis 448
- Volleyball 192
- Walking (2 mph) 160
- Walking (3.5 mph) 243
Pilates Exercise
SELF.com’s calculator (for a ~145-lb person, one hour):
- Beginner Pilates: 241 calories
- Intermediate Pilates: 338 calories
- Advanced Pilates: 421 calories
If you weigh less than ~170 lbs, the calories burned are typically lower. So to the common question “how many calories does Pilates burn?”—it depends on your level, body weight, and class style. These numbers place Pilates mid-pack versus many activities.
Pilates and Exercise: The Answer
Even someone jogging (~512 calories/hour) must still watch intake: a Big Mac with cheese is ~740 calories. Pilates is similar: compared to the general list above, calories burned (Pilates) land between extremes. You can lose weight with Pilates as your exercise—just manage intake.
Put plainly: if you’re doing one hour of Pilates a day and nothing else, you’ll likely need to track calories closely. Remember the formula: exerted > ingested to lose weight. Not many people eat fewer than ~338 calories in a day (the burn from an intermediate mat session).
If my only goal were rapid Pilates weight loss, I wouldn’t pick Pilates alone—it’s not the most efficient fat-loss tool. In a world where time equals money, efficiency matters.
Pilates Results
Few clients come in saying “I just want to lose weight.” I hear more from athletes (“I want to excel at my sport”) and busy students/executives seeking durable strength and control. Clients who chase only the scale can get frustrated if pounds don’t fall quickly.
Where Pilates shines—and where I often recommend it as the #1 efficient choice—is for:
- Improved posture
- Full-body tone
- Relieved back discomfort
- Increased joint mobility and control
- Greater flexibility
- Improved sports performance
- Off-season conditioning, and more
These are the Pilates reformer results and mat benefits you can feel: better alignment, smoother movement, and a body that works together, not harder.
Pilates and Extraordinary Effects on the Body
- Pilates reshapes your body—clothes fit differently.
- Pilates often tightens the waistline even if the scale doesn’t budge.
- Pilates builds muscle without bulk and improves posture—many look taller and slimmer.
- Each exercise is a whole-body effort—more muscles get trained every session.
- Paired with the right program, Pilates supports weight loss by maintaining lean mass and movement quality.
Misrepresentation in Pilates Marketing
- Why do some ads show a 300+ lb person losing 150 lbs with Pilates alone?
Those who are very deconditioned or new to activity can lose weight faster at first—any moderate activity, including Pilates, creates meaningful change from a low baseline. - Not every Pilates class burns calories the same.
Session type and level affect how many calories Pilates burns. Classes worldwide vary: some slow and principle-focused, some moderate, others built for higher heart rates (rapid sequences, minimal breaks, jumpboard work on the reformer). Doing cardio before Pilates can keep your heart rate elevated during the session, and trimming breaks can nudge burn upward.
Optimal Pilates Weight Loss Program
- Define your Pilates goals (mobility, posture, reformer skills) and discuss them with your instructor.
- Clarify weight-loss targets.
- Log intake and output: calories eaten vs calories burned (Pilates and other activity)—for loss, output must exceed input.
- Boost expenditure by combining Pilates with your preferred cardio or strength: e.g., brisk walking/cycling + reformer or mat 3–4×/week.
So yes, Pilates sculpts—creating the illusion of weight loss via posture and tone. You can integrate Pilates into a weight-loss plan and succeed, but you must manage the other pieces (diet, total activity) that drive the energy deficit.
Calling Pilates the new “miracle pill” is marketing hype that frustrates instructors and misleads clients. Everyone can gain from Pilates’ wide benefits—just don’t confuse fat loss with its primary strengths.
This article focuses on the Pilates weight loss debate. While Pilates does have solid appearance-related effects, they aren’t its main bragging rights. For a broader picture of benefits, see Pilates As Smart Exercise. Want to start but unsure how? Read three different ways to get started with Pilates.
