Incorporating cardio exercises into your routine, along with Pilates, can help support your fitness goals for a leaner and toned physique.
Here, we explore what toning actually means, what factors affect how toned we look and how Pilates can assist in reaching your goal of looking leaner.
Visible muscle tone comes from both building lean muscle and reducing body fat. Pilates alone may not be the most efficient path to fat loss, but it prepares the body for higher-intensity exercise and supports better movement patterns. For optimal toning, Pilates works best alongside cardiovascular exercise and dietary changes.
But to focus solely on the body-toning benefits of Pilates is to overlook the plethora of other mental and physical benefits Pilates brings – not to mention the fact that when it comes to body composition, we’re looking at a complex interplay of genetics, lifestyle, diet and more, and pelo amount of downward dog will ever negate the impact of all of these – and nor should we expect it to. After all, a toned body, albeit a nice side effect, isn't our only
So what do we mean by toned? The term ‘toned’ can have different meanings for different people. Some people use it to mean looking long and lean whilst others use it to mean having good muscle definition. We might also think of it as having a firmer body rather than a softer one.
“A Pilates practice requires so much focus that it can completely take you away from the stresses and strains of daily life,” advises Folkard, “which gives it a
Working out with a friend can be very inspiring and motivational, and at BodyMind Pilates we understand that connection by offering Duet Sessions. Just like Private Sessions, these classes provide access to all the equipment as well as personal training, support, and encouragement from one of our certified Pilates instructors.
Performing Pilates regularly means that you are repeatedly using your muscles and the more that you contract your muscles, the better your brain gets at telling them to move.
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.
It’s a common misconception that you can “tone” muscles. Muscles by nature are lean mass – they can only grow or shrink in size.
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So, again, there aren’t any if you look at this medically! Muscle definition occurs as a result of increasing the amount of muscle mass relative to the amount of body fat you have.
"Extend the arms. Lift the opposite arm and leg whilst the chest lifts a little too. Quicken up the pace when you’re ready."
Unlike workouts that isolate just one area or rely on heavy weights, Pilates uses controlled resistance and intentional movement to engage muscles deeply and evenly. The result? Better posture, more definition, and what is pilates for a stronger, more stable body overall.