Is Pilates good for weight loss? An expert analyses the evidence
Ask Google ‘is Pilates good for weight loss?’ and you’ll be presented with over 23 million results. Within that, there’s a whole load of misinformation and disinformation, but Women’s Health Collective coach Rosie Stockley (@mamawelluk) is here to clear up any confusion.
For context, Pilates was the most popular workout on Mindbody in 2023, with a 92% increase in class bookings, while online searches for Pilates have increased by 124% in the last year. There are plenty of reasons for its popularity: we’ve spoken to many women who claim it can improve posture, reduce stress and relieve pain (and research proves these benefits aren’t just anecdotal). But does the evidence stack up for weight loss?
Rosie Stockley, former professional dancer, pre and postnatal fitness coach and founder of Mamawell says:
My social feeds are overrun with Pilates workouts claiming to help weight loss, and more than 1k of you ask Google 'Is Pilates good for weight loss?' every month. But the answer is: it depends on everything from your age to your lifestyle.
For a 2017 study, researchers observed 37 overweight or obese women aged 30 to 50 and found that eight weeks of Pilates was effective for weight loss. In contrast, a study published two years earlier, monitoring postmenopausal women aged 59 to 66, found that 12 weeks of mat Pilates had no effect on body composition, while a meta-analysis published in 2021 concluded that Pilates was effective for weight loss, but only for people with obesity.
So, why the different findings? Well, weight loss happens when you expend more energy than you consume, meaning nutrition is key.
The authors of the 2015 study proposed that they saw no change in body composition because the women in the study didn't alter their diets. For that to be true, I suspect the participants also already did some form of exercise, which Pilates then replaced. If you were to go from doing no exercise to doing Pilates - keeping energy intake consistent - you'd probably end up losing some weight.
Other lifestyle habits will contribute to the rate of weight loss, too, including the amount of quality sleep you get, your muscle mass percentage (the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolic rate), your stress levels and your immune system.
Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night and try to limit stress with regular yoga, meditation or breathwork, once or twice weekly. What's more, remember that weight loss isn't - and shouldn't be - the only outcome of exercise. Good sleep, minimal stress, lower blood pressure and a reduction in visceral fat are all significant indicators of good health.
I suspect the reason you're sceptical of Pilates is because you know that more intense exercise, such as running, can burn more calories. But how much do you really enjoy that type of movement? If Pilates is your preferred form of fitness, studies show you're more likely to stick to it and, therefore, more likely to achieve your goals. Consistency trumps all.
More fitness stories:
What is Pilates? 34 exercises, benefits + 15 best online classes
Weight training for beginners: Benefits, tips, lingo + workouts
20 best HIIT workouts for all levels, from 5 to 45 minutes long
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