fitbody
PILATES FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Strengthen, Lengthen and Tone by Victoria Everman
Pilates, similar to yoga in its concentration on breathing, was developed by Joseph Pilates in just the past century. While it’s rare to break much of a sweat during a session, with its focus on major muscle groups and slow, intentional movements, Pilates has become a popular practice for effecting weight loss.
“P
ilates can help to build and maintain lean muscle mass while you are losing weight, realign posture as the body’s center of gravity changes, promote long elegant posture and graceful flowing movement, and keep you centered and energized— all at the same time,” explains Jillian Hessel, a Los Angeles-based Pilates teacher with 26 years’ experience. “I find that many people are suc- cessfully losing weight with Pilates be- cause they become much more aware of their bodies, and in turn, treat them bet- ter and make better food choices,” adds Ana Cabán, a Pilates fitness expert who has operated studios on both coasts. After chatting with a panel of pros and diving into the fitness method’s history, we arrived at the top five ways to become trim and toned by practic- ing Pilates.
Burn More Calories
Creating muscle mass is one of the best ways to increase calorie-burning potential. Pilates can help accomplish that in spades. “Simply stated, Pilates is strength training,” says Alycea Un- garo, owner of Real Pilates, in New York City. “We work with resistance to increase strength and hence, muscle mass. Using springs and different apparatus to increase the load to the muscles, we can affect a metabolic increase by building lean muscle mass.”
Individuals can add a variety of tools to a basic Pilates mat routine to help tone muscles all over and avoid boredom. “I enjoy adding bands, body rings and light weights to my routine because it provides variety and challenges muscles in a different way,” says Cabán. Resistance bands are easily portable, yet create a con-
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