How much Pilates is enough? How much Pilates is too much? Do I have to do an hour of Pilates for it to “count”?
These are questions I get asked frequently.
We’re afraid to not do enough more often than we’re afraid to do too much (although if you’re ever joined a gym for January 1st and went everyday for 4 days and then couldn’t sit on the toilet without holding the wall or the counter to get down there…you know how it feels to do too much!).
So, how much Pilates SHOULD you be doing?
My answer is always, something is better than nothing at all.
I know, it's easy to convince yourself you're too tired, you don't have enough time, or you'll do it tomorrow, but the truth is, our lives are made up of the small choices we make every day.
Most people look at exercise as a punishment – for what they ate or drank yesterday or today, for carrying a few extra pounds, for not moving enough lately, for “not being good enough” – there’s all kinds of reasons people come up with. But Pilates isn’t supposed to be punishment.
It’s supposed to make you feel great, give your body strength, and help you do life better! My goal is to help you feel that Pilates is FUN and FEELS AMAZING!
Doing Pilates sporadically doesn’t help you get all its benefits; it’s the consistency that’s key. So, if you take your online Pilates class once or twice a month, you won’t feel nearly as much as you do when you’re doing an hour a week.
if you just do an hour of Pilates once a week, you won’t feel the same as if you do some Pilates, every day.
Even if every day you’re just doing one thing – like the Hundred - which literally takes one minute, you'll see a marked improvement in your flexibility, mobility, and control. You’ll feel better, be stronger AND maintain that wonderful Pilates feeling of length and connection. So, that means yes, I’d rather see you do a few minutes of Pilates daily, than just one hour-long session every week.
It's not to say that hour sessions once a week aren’t great – because they are!
With your hour session, your body realizes where it’s supposed to be, feels great, and then maintains that for 2-3 days. If you wait a week before doing it again, your body has a hard time “remembering”, because you’re out of that groove. Your consistency is what makes your Pilates practice feel like it’s FOR you, not something you do to yourself because you were “bad”. With consistent shorter daily sessions, your body is continuously reminded how it should be moving, so your body stays in that great place, and that’s where the most change happens.
Just like with your sleep, your water intake, and what you put in your mouth. Consistency is key! So what’s the ideal amount of Pilates to do?
Doing 1 to 3 hour-long sessions a week with your teacher, preferably a day or two apart (i.e., Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or Monday/Thursday) and 5-20 minutes the other days!
You can do more if you like, but don’t feel like you’ve gotta do an hour-long practice every day on your own. More is not always better – if you think you haven’t “done enough” and you’re doing 2 hours of Pilates a day, we need to talk!
Small efforts consistently will help reap the rewards sooner than you think, not only physically, but mentally as well, without burning out. You’ll feel stronger, healthier, successful, and more motivated, all from a few minutes of work. Wouldn’t that feel good? Some minutes of Pilates is better than no minutes of Pilates! Why not make THAT your mantra?
Let’s go!
Xo, Kimberly
p.s. Want to feel better with Pilates but don’t know what you’re doing? The next New to Pilates online class (just 5 weeks & a small class size) starts soon! Register today for our next session!
p.p.s. If you’re on our list, you’ll get special discounts if you register early, so sign up for our newsletter today!
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