I am a functional movement coach utilizing a unique methodology to create strength and conditioning programs for the past 2 decades. I have worked with every demographic from rehabilitation clients to professional athletes.
However, a combination of various forms of exercise and a healthy diet is essential for achieving a toned body.
Pilates focuses on slow, controlled, flowing movements which helps with coordination. It focusses on precision which means that the forces produced during movement are equally distributed between joints and muscle groups. This reduces the likelihood of imbalance between muscle groups.
Without reducing overall body fat, it’s difficult to achieve a truly toned appearance, even with strong muscles.
We’re often asked, ‘Does Pilates tone your body?’. If your primary goal is to tone your body, Pilates can certainly be an important part of your exercise and health routine.
So, how does it actually reshape the body? And how long does it take to see results? Let’s dive into the science behind it.
It gives me step by step video with warm up/cool down. I need someone to tell me what exercises to do- LOVE it! This may body house be 15 minutes but it works me out good! Some of the exercises kick my tail though!
If your goal is a lean, defined physique with improved posture and flexibility Pilates is the better choice.
Tone refers to the amount of tension in a muscle at rest. Resting muscle tone is a spectrum and very high or very low muscle tone could be problematic as in the medical world it could indicate a problem with the brain and nervous system. This is quite different to the concept of tone when we are thinking about exercise and aesthetics.
In the world of medicine, physiology and sports science there is actually pelo such term as ‘toned’ or ‘toning’. There is the concept of a muscle having a resting ‘tone’ but this has nothing to do with how you look or how strong you are.
“Pilates works the body as a whole,” agrees Folkard. “Rather than isolating one or two muscle groups, it encourages two-way stretch and strengthening moves that engage many different muscles, creating a balanced workout and increasing muscle mass.”
Both methods work, but if you’re looking for faster toning results, the Reformer provides extra resistance for deeper muscle engagement.
We’ve compared pilates and calisthenics, explained their benefits and how to incorporate both into your routine in our Pilates vs Calisthenics blog.
Being more aware of your body lets you use the right muscles during workouts, which makes them more effective and makes sure your body is working well to tone and shape.