Pilate is a form of anaerobic exercise. It doesn’t help you burn a lot of calories but it can help improve recovery, balance, and mobility. Using our pilates calories burned calculator, we conclude that a 200 lbs person can burn about 300-330 calories per hour doing pilates at moderate intensity. The same person can burn about 400 calories per hour if he/she does advanced pilates moves or uses pilate machines such as AeroPilates Pro Reformer with Free-Form Cardio Rebounder.
This is just an approximate number. The actual number of calories burned doing pilates may vary depending on your age, metabolism, physical health, weight, and a few other factors. Use our pilates calories burned calculator below to find out what you can expect from your next pilates session. Keep reading the article to learn more about the formula we have used in our calculator and why it is more reliable than other calorie trackers. I have also included a few tips on how you can burn more calories doing pilates so you can get maximum output.
💡 Quick Tip: Pilate reformers like the one mentioned above are pretty expensive, although they serve their purpose well. If you are looking for an affordable option, check out AeroPilates Premier Reformer 700. You can use it to perform almost all traditional pilates moves. It is a heavy-duty machine with a 300lbs capacity, Best suited for intermediate-level trainers.
AeroPilates Premier Reformer 700
Our pilates calories burned calculator
Our pilates calories burned calculator formula
Our calculator uses the MET value of pilates to find out the number of calories burned doing pilates.
MET value stands for Metabolic Equivalent of a Task. When you are sitting ideally at room temperature, the MET value of your activity/task (i.e. sitting ideal) is 1. The MET value of standing is 1.5 and walking could be anything between 3 and 5 or more depending on your speed and inclination of the path. This means, standing burns 1.5 times more calories than sitting and walking burns 3 to 5 times more energy i.e. calories than sitting. Running has a MET value of 9 to 20, which means you can burn 9 to 20 times more calories than sitting.
MET value of pilates
As I said at the beginning of the article, pilates are low-impact exercises. They do not get your heart pumping as hard as cardio and strength training workouts do. The MET value of most moderate-level pilates moves ranges between 3.5 to 4.5. If you intensify your workout using various equipment such as resistance bands, pilate rings, or mini balls, the MET value may become 5 or 5.5.
📖 Related Article: If you are trying to lose weight, pilates may not be the right kind of workout for you. You must try cardio and strength training instead and restrict pilates to once a week. Don’t worry; even if you are just a beginner, you can still get impressive results using only a pair of dumbbells. Read this article to find out if you can Get Results From Using Dumbbells Only.
How to calculate pilates calories burned?
MET value and body weight are two major factors that you can use to calculate the number of calories needed to do a certain activity at a certain pace.
The formula that uses these two factors is-
Calories burned per minute = (body weight in kg x MET x 3.5) / 200
If you weigh 200lbs and do pilates leisurely, you can burn=
Calories burned in 1 hour = (90.7 X 3.5 X 3.5) / 200 X 60 = 5.5 X 60= 330 calories
If you weigh 180 lbs and exercise at a high intensity, you can burn-
Pilates calories burned per hour = (81.6 X 4.5 X 3.5) /200 X 60= 385 calories
Don’t know what the MET value of your pilates workout is? You can use our pilates calories burned calculator to keep a track of your calories. Simply select the intensity at which you are exercising and our calculator will automatically adjust the MET value and give you the most accurate result.
💡 Quick Tip: Standard pilate mats are often not wide enough to accommodate all your moves. They sometimes skid too depending on the floor you are using them on. If you are committed to living an active and healthy life, you may buy Gxmmat Large Yoga Mat. It measures 72″x 48″ and has a 7mm thickness. You can use it for almost all types of exercises.
Gxmmat Large Yoga Mat
How accurate is our pilates calories burned calculator?
The formula we have used is one of the most reliable and scientifically-proven ones. There is no guesswork involved in it. And, it can help you calculate the number of calories you can burn for almost all activities. So, I believe it is more reliable than simple calorie meters available online or on your smartwatch.
However, please note that our pilates calories burned calculator only provides an approximate number. The exact number may vary depending on your metabolism and body composition. For example; if you are obese, you will burn more calories than a person with a healthy BMI. Heavier people burn more calories because they have to use a lot of energy to move their heavy bodies. Similarly, women have a slower metabolism and burn fewer calories than men for doing the same activity. Young people have a very active metabolism so they burn more calories than elderly people. Our pilates calories burned calculator does not consider these factors because there is no scientific formula available so far that can count age, gender, and physical condition.
📖 Related Article: Looking for a low-impact, full-body workout that can help you burn more calories and build more muscles than pilates? You can try rowing. Rowing is safer for joints and still provides a decent cardio workout. Here are The Best Rowing Machines for Your Home Gym
How to burn more calories doing pilates?
The more challenging your pilates workouts are the more calories you will be able to burn.
Pilates Bar Kit with Resistance Bands can make your workouts more challenging by adding resistance to them. Unlike pilate reformers, these kits are quite affordable and do not require any dedicated floor space. They are great for beginners as well as fitness enthusiasts. Advanced trainers may not like it.
Another way you can burn more calories doing pilates is by choosing challenging exercises over standard ones. For example, kneeling side kicks burn more calories than lying down side kicks. They can set your glutes and torso on fire. They can challenge your balance and coordination. Similarly, corkscrew pilates moves can be extremely challenging even for an otherwise active person. It can set your heart rate up and challenge your abdominal muscles. So, it can help you burn more calories than standard leg raises. Crisscross, swimming, side splits, skaters, plank to pike, jack knife, and scissors are a few other challenging pilates moves that you can try.
Wrap up
Pilate is a low-impact workout. Although it doesn’t help you burn as many calories as cardio and strength training exercises, you should still include it in your workout routine at least once or twice a week as a part of your recovery or for days when you feel lazy or tired. After all, exercise is not only about burning calories. It is about giving some work to your muscles so they do not lose their strength and balance.
I hope you find our pilates calories burned calculator easy to use and helpful. If you are experiencing any difficulty using it or have a suggestion, please leave a comment or email me. Before you go, do check out our other fitness calculators such as Covert Bailey body fat calculator, calories burned skiing calculator, jumping jacks calories burned calculator, squats calories burned calculator, calories burned in sauna calculator, and many more.
