Can Pilates help you lose weight?
Maybe you have just had a cholesterol test and it is high and your GP has asked you so lose weight. Maybe your family has a history of diabetes and your GP has recommended weight loss. Pilates can help!
In this podcast I talk to Rocco Sorace about his experience with his clients and his advice about weight loss and Pilates.
For my own experience, no one wants to hear the words that they need to lose weight. No one enjoys their zipper ripping in their jeans due to extra kgs!
At dance school, the hardest thing I heard was that I needed to lose weight. No one wants to hear that. But this was purely for aesthetic reasons rather than health.
I asked Rocco if any of his clients were told to lose weight by their GP and the reasons they needed to. There were many. He listed a few: heart problems (including heart attacks), they needed to reduce stress and load on their joints - especially hips and knees, and diabetes (many with type two diabetes).
I believe Pilates can help with weight loss and Rocco does too.
The reasons we have are as follows:
You will keep up with Pilates as it is low intensity, unlike other exercise forms where you may get injured or just find it too hard to maintain.
Pilates is enjoyable and you are less likely to get injured as it is low intensity.
If you set your heart and mind to it, you will achieve your goal.
Pilates will increase your body awareness, strengthening and stretching and creating feelings of wellbeing. This will elevate your spirit and put you in a better frame of mind with a more positive body attitude and body image. This circular effect will mean you will like your body better and continue to make small improvements daily along with better health choices.
Rocco stated that we as Pilates instructors can help with motivation, helping you to increase muscle mass, reducing back pain, and also that once you start moving with Pilates, you will be motived to start walking because you are feeling better about yourself.
