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Is once a week enough? Do I need to take a day off between workouts?
These are just a couple of the questions that often come up regarding not only your Pilates practice but exercise in general.

So, let’s talk a little about how often you should exercise in general and then more specifically how Pilates fits into your workout routine.

This past summer, ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) published new exercise recommendations that promote a very active lifestyle and reinforce the latest research that exercise is absolutely necessary to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Here are the new recommendations by category:
✓ Cardio – increase heart health by completing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, further broken down it can be 30-60 minutes over five days or 20-60 minutes of vigorous exercise over three days.
✓ Resistance – increase strength by training each major muscle group two-three days each week
✓ Flexibility – increase range of motion by including flexibility work two-three days each week
✓ Neuromuscular – increase balance and coordination by including functional training two-three days each week.

As you can see these new guidelines promote a full week of exercise for your entire body. If you’re already exercising you’re ahead of the game and this is a perfect opportunity to confirm you are getting enough exercise. Are you working hard enough? Are you getting a well rounded workout or too much of one category?

The good news is that if you practice Pilates, you’re covering three out of the four categories with the exception of cardio. And, if you aren’t already, you definitely need to add cardio to your routine. So how is it that one workout can cover three out of the recommended categories? Is Pilates really that well rounded?

The answer is yes! And here’s how.

Resistance -
Pilates is a weight bearing exercise that will increase your lean muscle mass, strength, and bone mass especially if you practice on the reformer or other equipment. With their unique spring based resistance, Pilates machines provide an excellent resistance workout. As a matter of fact, several clients who only practice Pilates have reported increased bone mass results as a result of their practice.
Working with spring resistance allows you to execute each exercise smoothly and with control to ensure proper form and efficiency which cannot always be achieved working with free weights. In addition, Pilates focuses on increasing strength not only in the large muscle groups but also in the deep, joint stabilizing muscles which is accomplished through low load and eccentric control for which springs are especially well suited.

Flexibility -
Pilates is excellent for increasing your flexibility. Pilates is a multi-planar workout that includes exercises in every plane of movement ensuring balance and symmetry in movement. Additionally, Pilates focuses on both the concentric and eccentric (shortening and lengthening) phases of the muscle which ensures that you work more efficiently getting a stretch during every movement as well as working through the full range of motion in a smooth and controlled manner.
In addition, Pilates encourages a more natural lengthening and releasing of the muscles to increase flexibility rather than holding static stretches which can pose a risk of over-stretching or stretching connective tissues and not muscle fibers.

Neuromuscular -
Neuromuscular workouts include activities that focus on mind/body control, understanding proprioception (where your body is in space), and developing stability & coordination. By definition this category encompasses the Pilates workout. In Pilates the goal is to work the stabilizing muscles of the body to correct imbalances, improve symmetry and improve body function.
Pilates excels at this with the low load (workouts done with lighter weight), low repetitions (not working to fatigue) and slow controlled movements encouraging eccentric control. Pilates is not about power. Pilates is all about “no pain, all gain” as a way to improve muscular control and stability.

Now that you know how one full body Pilates workout fits into all of these categories, I bet you really want that original question answered…how often can I do Pilates?

And the answer is….Everyday. And while you probably can’t fit Pilates into your routine every day, it is recommended that you add it in at least twice a week.

So why don’t you need to rest between Pilates workouts?

The secret is in the “no pain, all gain” philosophy of working. Because Pilates is done with low weights, low repetitions, and in a slow & controlled manner, your muscles aren’t worked to the point of exhaustion and fatigue and the muscle fibers aren’t broken down as they are in more strenuous workouts so there isn’t a resting period needed between Pilates workouts.

Enjoy your Pilates workouts, be sure to get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate/vigorous cardio exercise, and enjoy your Pilates fit body with all of its great benefits:
▪ greater joint range of motion
▪ increased flexibility
▪ stronger bones
▪ stronger abdominals and back muscles
▪ improved stability and balance
▪ greater body awareness
▪ more focus and less stress

Read more about the new ACSM exercise guidelines