Benefits Of Pilates, Evaluation By American Council On Exercise

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 20 Jan 2006 - 11:00 PDT

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Check out the group fitness schedule at most health clubs and it's clear that Pilates is still one of the hottest trends in fitness. But is Pilates also a good calorie-burning workout? In an exclusive study, the American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness advocate, examined the calorie expenditure of an average Pilates Workout.

Lead researchers Stefanie Spilde and John Porcari, Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, recruited 15 healthy women, ages 18 to 26, with at least an intermediate level of Pilates experience. Each subject participated in two 50-minute Pilates mat-training sessions (one beginner, one advanced), following a videotaped routine for consistency.

Each subject first followed a beginner mat Pilates routine, which consisted of five minutes of breath-linked alignment exercises, followed by 40 minutes of basic Pilates exercises that followed the original Method of sequencing. The session ended with five minutes of stretching and realignment. The advanced routine was similar to the beginner routine except that it utilized advanced techniques of positioning and pacing for each exercise. During each session, heart rates and oxygen consumption were measured and recorded, and subjects rated their perceived effort using the 6-20 Borg scale.

An analysis of the data showed that the intensity of the beginning Pilates routine was lower than the recommended guidelines for improving cardio respiratory fitness. The average percentage of maximal heart rate was 54 percent, which is below the ACSM recommendation of 64 percent to 94 percent. The advanced Pilates routine elicited a higher aerobic response, with 62 percent of maximal heart rate and 43 percent of VO2 max. This would be the equivalent to the energy requirements of walking 3.5 to 4 miles per hour.

The study concluded that the cardiovascular benefits of Pilates appear to be limited. Even though participants feel as though they're working hard-and from a muscular standpoint, they are-they are not achieving significant aerobic or calorie-burning benefits from their efforts.

"Pilates has a long list of benefits including improved body mechanics, balance, coordination, strength and flexibility," said Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for ACE. "While the ACE study shows that a Pilates session burns a relatively small amount of calories, it is still a valuable addition to any exercise routine offering the essential elements of building a strong core and increasing flexibility."

Complete study results appear in the November/December 2005 edition of ACE Fitness Matters magazine or on our Web site at
acefitness.org/getfit/PilatesStudy2006.pdf.

About ACE

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's Authority on Fitness, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation's "workout watchdog," ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world's largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at
http://www.acefitness.org.