Incorporating cardio exercises into your routine, along with Pilates, can help support your fitness goals for a leaner and toned physique.
Since Pilates builds muscle slowly with a focus on lengthening and stretching the body, it’s become synonymous with a more toned and defined physique.
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.
Pilates emphasizes alignment, control, and posture. As posture improves, the body naturally appears leaner and more lifted. Better muscle engagement and movement efficiency may give the impression of being more “toned,” even without significant fat loss or hypertrophy.
You might notice muscles you didn’t know existed becoming more visible, which can build confidence and motivation to continue your practice.”
Mat Pilates, on the other hand, relies entirely on bodyweight and gravity. While it might seem less intense at first, it's highly effective when performed with control and consistency. Because there’s no external resistance, mat workouts often demand more from your stabilizing muscles, which can improve functional strength and endurance.
The key is consistency. Practicing Pilates regularly allows those small gains to add up to visible change over time.
We are unable to match our clients with partners, but please feel free to connect with other clients or invite a friend to join you.
Reformer for Pilates: The Pilates Reformer is the most famous Pilates machine. It uses springs and pulleys to give you adjustable resistance, which lets you do more exercises and work your muscles harder. This works very well for specific toning.
“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.”
When your breathing works properly, so does the core. When the core muscles work well, so do your other muscles. We can think of it like links in a chain, where each muscle function is interconnected with the next.
Pilates is a multi-faceted exercise system focused on core strength, precise movements, proper alignment, and integrative breathing. Classes can be done on a mat or using Pilates yoga grand haven mi equipment to add resistance and variability for more athletic clients. While often associated with dancing and gymnastics, Pilates offers measurable benefits for people from all walks of life.
Exhale and circle your arms around to grasp your shins again, drawing your knees back into your chest.