Pilates classes regularly. Many of our students are absolutely addicted to their reformer Pilates workouts and mat classes—therefore, a common question we receive is “How many classes should I take per week to see results?” or “Is it okay to practice Pilates two days in a row, even when I am sore?”
In Return to Life through Contrology, Joseph Pilates states, “If you will faithfully perform your Contrology (Pilates) exercises regularly only four times a week for just three months, you will find your body development approaching the ideal, accompanied by renewed mental vigor and spiritual enhancement.”
The good news about Pilates is, if you practice every day you can completely transform your body. On one hand, we have students who only take class once per week to supplement the other physical activities they do—they still see and feel changes in their bodies and experience the benefits of stretching and elongating their muscles. Our students who take Pilates classes two to three times per week definitely see noticeable results, and those who do Pilates four times a week or more tend to have a killer Pilates body.
So the gist of our answer is, any amount of Pilates, whether mat classes or reformer Pilates workouts, is going to improve your health and fitness—and the more you practice, the more results you will see. Starting a Pilates practice will truly change your life—it will improve strength, flexibility and help rehabilitate painful injuries. Like few other exercise regimens, it combines flexibility and strength training in a unique way that, like many gym and other workouts, builds lean muscle while creating movement with functional alignment and coordinating our entire musculature. Since we’re constantly working the core and back muscles, balancing movement with flexion and extension, we can actually do Pilates every day.
image: everymove.org