As a Pilates’ studio owner probably one of the most frequently asked questions is “Will I lose weight doing Pilates?” My short honest answer is probably not. However, the broader question surrounds weight loss and exercise in general. Before sharing my opinion* on weight loss, I think it’s important to review the original intentions of Pilates, as stated by Joseph Pilates.
Roots of Classical Pilates
In “Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology” first published in 1945, Joseph Pilates describes his reasons for developing the method and demonstrates the original mat exercises. The book opens with “Civilization Impairs Physical Fitness” and is followed by “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.”
In this very short text (less than 20 pages), he speaks to the harmful effects of individuals living in an industrialized society. He advocates strongly for a physically fit body that must “constantly strive to acquire strong, healthy bodies and develop our minds to the limit of our ability.”
He expresses concern for individuals not taking care of themselves, “we do not give our bodies the care that our well-being deserves” and the perils of a demanding “fast” living. I wonder what he might think of the work-life speed today?
He highlights a lack of good posture, inadequate energy, too little attention to getting outside in the open air and a need to play. He voices concern for individuals so drained that they are unable to dynamically contribute to family, friends and community.
As a health and wellness consultant those concerns he voiced in 1945 are still with us today. It would seem not much has changed. Joseph Pilates developed a concise system of exercises intended to equip the body for challenges mentioned above.
“Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”
Pilates is in a nutshell a system of exercises focused on creating an efficiently moving body, for any person, age or fitness level. A body capable of executing everyday movements, with ease, grace and efficiency. Pilates emphasizes:
- Integrity of the spine
- Enhances breathing
- Supports postural alignment
- Tones and develops musculature
- Augments balance and coordination
- Improves focus and kinesthetic awareness
In my opinion, Classical Pilates offers a host of beneficial qualities to the average individual desiring to be physically fit. Yes, it was a different era. The levels of obesity currently experienced in the US were unheard of in Joseph Pilates’ lifetime. The CDC offers graphic illustrations of the growth of obesity.
Beyond the benefits of physical fitness, food is mentioned briefly in Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology.
“The principle point to remember with regard to diet is to eat only enough food to restore the “fuel” consumed by the body and to keep enough of it on hand at all times to furnish the extra energy required on occasions beyond our normal needs and to meet unexpected emergencies.”
He also expounds on the fact that different vocations require different proportions of food, such as the “sedentary indoor worker requires proportionately less food than a laborer.” There is no mention of Pilates as a remedy for weight loss.
In fact, he does mention too much weight, what he calls “excess baggage” that if “once acquired, unfortunately, not so easy to rid yourself of excess weight.” His advice “Consult your family physician for regular physical check-ups, and then follow his sound advice and instructions implicitly.”
Exercise & weight loss
For many decades main stream media and governmental sources have promulgated the “calorie/energy theory”. That being in order to lose weight you need to exercise or burn more calories than you consume. This belief has engulfed, in my opinion, nearly every facet of the health and fitness industry to this day.
However, there is a growing body of literature debating this thinking. One in particular is Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat. This is a broad-brush simplification of a very complicated topic, in order to share a different perspective and its’ possible application to Pilates.
In Taubes’ viewpoint, a calorie is not a calorie. 100 calories of sugar is not equal to 100 calories of protein, thus not metabolized the same way in the body. Why is this important to our subject? Because the variance in calories you consume, along with how your body processes them will dramatically affect a weight loss, weight gain or maintenance of the status quo.
There are unconditionally many other factors besides just the quality of calories. Your age, gender, genetic and hormonal make-up, insulin resistance, medication profile, activity level and general health, just to name a few. I highly encourage you to investigate not only the brilliant work of Gary Taubes but Dr. Robert Lustig, Peter Attia, Dr. William Davis, Zoe Harcombe, Nina Teicholz, Sally Fallon and The Weston A. Price Foundation among others.
From a Pilates’ perspective and if you believe in the calorie/energy theory, than you must consume less calories and or burn more than you take in. I believe it will be very hard to lose weight by just doing Pilates. Why?
Let’s say you on average you burn 300 calories in a 55-minute Pilates’ workout. The average daily calorie intake is estimated +/- 2000 for moderately active women and +/- 2550 for men. According to Mayo Clinic they estimate in order to lose 1-pound a week you need to eat 500 less calories per day. Similar thinking estimates that for a 2-pound per week weight loss a reduction of 1000 calories per day would be required. THIS IS A GROSS ESTIMATION FOR EXAMPLE PURPOSES ONLY!
In my case as a woman, I have to create a deficit of 1000 calories a day to meet a 2-pound loss per week. If you believe in this doctrine (and I don’t) I can either cut my food intake, try to exercise it off or some combination of the two.
Hypothetically speaking let’s look at one week. If I use the 2000 per day average I’m allowed 14,000 calories per week. My total reduction must be 7000 calories for the week to lose the 2 pounds.
- I crank up my Pilates to 4 times a week; burn 300 calories per session, 1200 total. Thus, 7000-1200= 5800
- 5800/7 days = 829 calories left that I need to get rid of per day.
Those remaining 829 calories per day either need to come from a nutritional deficit or I have to find more exercise to remove them from the calculation. The point being it is REALLY HARD to exercise away pounds.
I pause for a moment to recognize YES, many individuals have lost weight while embarking on an exercise routine, whether through Pilates or other type of exercise. The positive side of exercise is that it often stimulates individuals to improve/change other facets of their life, such as nutrition. I think it is really challenging to pinpoint exactly what “caused” the weight loss because multiple factors are involved.
I also believe from a teacher’s perspective assisting clients in finding reasons for exercise beyond weight loss leads to a deeper appreciation of the true benefits. There are many websites and ads that flaunt weight loss predications, personally, I would be very leery of such claims and want to know more specifics. For instance, was it sustainable? Have they kept the weight off or was it regained? Moreover, have they found joy and pleasure in exercise? And, how do they feel; energized or depleted?
According to a recent issue of The Economist in a special report on obesity,
“The average American dieter attempts to lose weight 4 times a year… Diets are not so much a science as a cultural obsession. Yet obesity statistics suggest that none of this has had much effect on helping people lose weight.”
Need new thinking
My feeling after 30+ years in the health and fitness industry is the model is just not working. We need to think different. In a nutshell, I believe exercise has tremendous benefits for the human body. However, if extreme weight loss is the goal, you need to start first by tackling the food issue, and then move on to exercise.
What do I mean by the model needs to change? Where I see positive results in weight loss today are when individuals dramatically limit their carbohydrate and sugar intake. Again, I strongly recommend a review of recent literature. My beliefs stem from experience with actual clients and worksite wellness programs.
Looking at this from a practical standpoint, carbohydrates and sugar have some very negative effects on the body. They raise insulin levels creating highs and lows of energy. These qualities have an adverse impact on an individual’s performance. In a related wellness blog post I looked at sustainable performance, similar to what Joseph Pilates talks about in eating for “fuel.”
In addition, sugar and carbohydrates have very addictive properties, which can cause overeating and binging habits. And finally, both sugar and carbohydrates are highly involved in fat accumulation. In a nutshell, eliminating these foods, along with other processed foods I find more successful with individuals trying to lose weight than trying to “exercise” away the pounds.
Navigating the food scene in the USA is super challenging. However, I strongly believe in the honesty theory. And in this case I think it is vital to at least be abreast that there is good research out there debating the whole concept of the weight loss and exercise phenomenon. I’m also a huge fan of self-experimentation.
In short there is so much to be gained by an active regime of smart, efficient daily exercise, which is in my opinion the essence of Pilates. It’s impossible to know specifically what Joseph Pilates intended but if listening to his words offers insight than we should stay the path of least resistance.
“With body, mind, and spirit functioning perfectly as a coordinated whole, what else could reasonably be expected other than an active, alert, disciplined person?”
Exercise is an individual exploration, if you believe in its’ benefits find your own unique inspiration, away from losing pounds. You just might discover a renewed energy source, an awesome way to start the year!
All the best for a Powerhouse Year!
*This blog is not intended as medical or nutritional advice. The purpose is solely to offer personal insight and promote discussion. It is highly recommended to seek professional advice when embarking on any type of exercise or diet regime.
