When you think of the word “workout,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Do you imagine yourself doing squats, lunges, and push-ups? Or maybe running in place on a treadmill or lifting weights?
If so, it’s time to rethink your idea of what a great workout looks like. You see, there are plenty of exercises that will help you lose weight without ever having to break a sweat. In fact, some of them might even make you feel like you’re lying on a cloud while they do their magic. And that’s because they don’t just burn calories through movement—they actually use your body’s core muscles to give your metabolism an extra boost so that the weight loss process keeps going even when you’re not working out!
Right here on Buy and Slay, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on pilates exercises for weight loss at home, fat burning workout programs and pilates, pilates and walking for weight loss, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
Pilates Workout For Weight Loss And Toning
Pilates is a great form of exercise to tone muscles and lose inches and body fat. Give Pilates a try in 2015 for a fantastic full body workout. Here are the top 10 Pilates moves for weight loss recommended by celebrity fitness and Pilates instructor Radhika Karle.
Pilates push-up: This is a great way to start your Pilates routine as you work out your entire upper body and core. This push-up is different from the traditional one as the elbows graze the side of your ribcage than going outwards. Also, you come back to the standing position in-between reps. Here’s how to do this exercise.
Supine arm work on the reformer: Reformer is one of the most versatile Pilates apparatus. This exercise works on your core muscles both lower and upper ones. You can try different variations to work on them. For this exercise you lie in a supine position on the reformer. Though it looks easy, it definitely works out your core.
Side-lying leg lift: This Pilates move targets your obliques and legs especially the inner thigh region. So if that is your problem area, you should definitely try this move. It also engages your core. Watch this video to learn the right technique.
Leg pull front and back: These are a set of 2 exercises that challenge both upper body and core strength. The leg pull front uses your chest and arms to engage your core and pelvis while the leg pull back uses the back. Though the same muscles are worked on, you use different body parts each time. Watch both the videos to see the different variations.
Lunges on Pilates chair: In this exercise, you work on the hamstrings, butt and pelvic areas. The lunge is done using a chair which makes it more intense as your stride is higher and deeper than a normal lunge. Watch the video to learn the correct technique.
Feet in straps on the reformer: This exercise is the best way to work out the hips, glutes, and large leg muscles. It is done on the reformer machine where your feet are strapped in and then you move up and down to work on the lower body. Here are a few variations you could try on the reformer.
Saw: Another Pilates move on the mat that looks deceivingly simple yet works some deep back muscles. It is mostly a spine rotation exercise. But if you have back problems, you may want to skip this or try a different, easier variation. This video demonstrates how to do the saw.
Hip circles: This is an advanced mat Pilates move that promises to leave you feeling worked out from head to toe. Though it looks simple as you are basically just rotating your legs in a circular fashion, it is definitely exhausting. Watch the right way to do it.
Snake on the Pilates Reformer: An advanced move which shows how Pilates truly is about full body integration. This exercise requires stamina, balance and coordination in the right measure as you may end up falling flat if you do not perform it the right way. Watch this video to learn.
Swan on the Pilates chair: This Pilates move elongates your spine and lengthens your back. It engages your chest and shoulders as well. You need a special chair to do this exercise as you lie on your stomach and then perform it. Here’s a video that shows you how to do it.
Pilates Exercises For Weight Loss At Home
Pilates is a full set workout that actually works your abdomen muscles quite well helping you to reduce belly fat along with helping you build up stamina and much more. It is a world-renowned exercise that works for everybody and for people of all ages and is actually known to work well for older people in regards to helping with joint pain and loss of stamina as well.
A Pilate’s exercises and preparation stays your top-secret armament as its workings all of your stomach muscles like the six-pack rectus abdominal that runs down your middle; the waist-describing oblique’s, that cover round your sides; plus the profound transverses abdominal, and is frequently lost in customary abs exercises. Ensure a Pilates workout for 3 times a week, each other day.
Pilates are great workouts that you can easily do in the refinement of your home and the best part is that it is not even exerting too much, therefore, you do not have to worry about overexerting yourself. Pilates has plenty of workouts to choose from and it is best if you find what suits you the most if you want to be at peace when doing the workout so you know all the benefits of Pilates for weight loss.
Benefits Of Pilates:
- Developed Posture.
- Off-Season Preparing.
- Increased Elasticity.
- Improved Joint Movement and Switch.
- Relieved Back Pain.
- Enhanced Sports Performance.
- Full Body Toned.
- Larger Mind-Body Connection.
Best Pilates Exercises For Weight Loss:
Below we mentioned a list of top pilates exercises for weight loss fast. These exercises are very helpful to reduce fat from the body. Let’s have a look into them.
1. Toe Dip:
How To Do:
- Place your body on the ground with elevated legs plus curved at 90 degrees and straight the thighs in addition to calves equivalent to the floor.
- Relax your hands by your sides having palms down. Maintaining abs tight besides pressing your lower back to the ground.
- Breathe in and inferior your left leg for a total of two, stirring only after your hip plus dropping your toes to the floor.
- Respire and elevate your leg back toward the initial position for a sum of two. Repeat and perform 12 reps by changing the legs.
- This is one of the perfect Pilates for weight loss which has so many health benefits.
2. Criss-Cross:
How To Do:
- Start as in the Toe Dip however through your hands behind your skull, elbows exterior.
- Twist ups to elevate your neck, head as well as shoulders off the floor.
- Breathe in, replace your torso to the right, carrying your right knee beside left shoulder to each other as well as spreading your left leg to the ceiling in an oblique line as of your hips.
- As you respire, switch to the left, taking your left knee on the way to your right shoulder in addition to spreading your right leg. This is one rep. Ensure six reps.
3. Back Extension With Spin:
How To Do:
- Lie on your belly by your temple on your hands and palms on the surface. Isolated your feet to hip thickness. Drive abs in.
- Elevate your head, chest and shoulders off the ground. Revolve your upper physique to the right and back to the centre, at that time lower.
- Recap to the left side then remain interchanging up to you have completed 6 revolutions to every side.
- This is one of the excellent Pilates exercises for weight loss.
4. The Hundred:
How To Do:
- Set your body on your backbone taking place on the workout mat then spread your legs out on a 45-degree angle by the ground.
- Bounce your arms together with your body and 3 to 4 inches beyond the carpet.
- High your head as well as shoulders equally you drive your arms.
- Breathe in for 5 pumps and respire for 5 pushes to complete 1 recurrence.
- For easy step, you can twist your knees at a 90-degree angle thus your shins are equivalent to the surface as you drive.
5. Leg Circle:
How To Do:
- Lie on your vertebral by your legs prolonged beside the ground. Promote your left leg in the direction of the ceiling, by toes piercing and hands at your sides and palms down.
- Grasp for 10 – 60 seconds. You can also curve your right leg plus set your right foot in level on the ground.
- Create a minor circle on the ceiling by your left toes, revolving your leg as of your hip. Gasp as you initiate the circle then respire as you completed.
- Tighten your abs. Ensure 6 circles, and then reverse the direction for 6 more by altering the leg.
- Leg circle is one of the most simplest Pilates exercises for weight loss.
6. The Hundred Part 2:
How To Do:
- Lie on the flat of your back with your face facing straight upward and breathe in and out.
- Lift your feet into your air squeeze your abs and try to touch your feet while putting stress on your back and your buttocks for the best results.
- Starting pumping your arms up and down at least five times before taking a break and then take a break after which do it again twice for a complete 3 consecutive periods.
- Work towards hundred pumps for the best results making it a great Pilates weight loss workout.
7. Saw:
The saw requires you to first to sit on your buttocks with your legs sticking out straight. No other Pilates exercise is effective than this workout.
How To Do:
- Try and spread your legs by cracking a walnut and then try and touch your toes with your arms in a firm upright manner.
- Then by further spreading your legs move from side to side so that you move in a saw manner.
- This works your backbone and your abdomen quite well and is the best for Pilates workout for weight loss.
8. Double Leg Stretch:
How To Do:
- Lie on your back and look up at the ceiling and start with some breathing exercises first as it will help you to relax your muscles because it is very necessary to keep calm during Pilates. Keep your hands at your sides at this time.
- Now once relaxed put your legs in the air like a wishbone and try to touch your toes at this time. This must be done in three distinct periodic manners so that you can work your neck muscles and your abdomen at the same time which is best for Pilates for weight loss at home.
9. Cork Screw:
How To Do:
- Lie on your back as normal and relax first for the best results.
- Lift both legs up in the air in an equal fashion.
- Breathe in deeply and then move your legs from side to side in three sessions of ten times each for the best results.
Fat Burning Workout Programs and Pilates
It would be my pleasure to tell you that among its many benefits, Pilates is the best fat burning exercise in the world, and all you have to do is Pilates and you will be slim no matter what. That’s not quite the case. Pilates can be extremely helpful as a part of an overall fat burning workout plan, but a few other elements have to be in place for optimal effectiveness.
How much fat a workout burn depends on how much energy it takes to accomplish it. We get our energy from food calories. If we have calories that are not burned in a workout or by life processes, we store them as fat. If your workout requires more calories than you have taken in, your body will burn fat to help fuel your workout.
Fat Burning and Pilates
There are ways to increase the fat burning potential of a Pilates workout. Increasing the speed at which you do a routine, the level of difficulty of the exercises, and the length of the workout all burn more calories and move you closer to a fat burning stage.
Weight Loss Exercise Recommendations: Strength and Cardio
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACM), 150 to 250 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise will promote weight loss. Clinically significant weight loss occurs at over 250 minutes per week. That could be four to five Pilates sessions per week. However, those sessions would have to be fairly high level to meet the intensity you need for significant fat burning.
A better solution is to do a mixture of cardio and strength and flexibility training throughout your week. That combination is known to be best for promoting overall fitness and weight loss. Pilates is the moderate weight training/flexibility part of the program. And Pilates is ideal for that.
The Aerobic Workout
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of adding aerobic (cardio) exercise to your workout program. You can start with all kinds of activities that keep your heart rate up for a sustained period of time: walking, dancing, jogging, swimming or any number of other fun activities.
So how much cardio do you need? The physical activity guidelines for Americans suggest 2.5 hours per week of moderate aerobic (cardio) exercise or 1.25 hours of high-intensity cardio. Learn more about combining Pilates and cardio training:
The sample fat burning exercise program outlined below will give you 2.5 hours of moderate cardio and a minimum of 2 hours of strength training. That will put you right in the weight loss zone of just over 250 minutes per week of moderate exercise as recommended by the ACM. Of course, you can mix and match as is right for your body and schedule, and increase intensities as appropriate.
Sample Fat Burning Exercise Program
Day 1: Pilates 40 – 60 min, cardio 30 min
Day 2: Cardio 30 min
Day 3: Pilates 40 – 60 min
Day 4: Cardio 30 min
Day 5: Cardio 30 min
Day 6: Pilates 40 – 60 min, Cardio 30 min
Day 7: rest day or make up for a missed day
Diet and Weight Loss
An article on exercise and fat burning wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the other half of the fat burning equation: what you eat. Diet and exercise go together to promote weight loss — after all, you could do all the cardio and Pilates in the world and never lose any weight if you eat all the calories back.
