The ancient fitness art known as Pilates is gaining a lot of ground in today’s America as a way to tone the body and to adapt to physical challenges. However, Pilates is not known for being a “calorie-crunching” activity, so why would it be prescribed for those who are obese or very overweight?

Some of the values of Pilates for overweight clients may not be readily apparent, but on closer observation, lots of studies have found that doing Pilates can get a participant closer to weight loss goals for a variety of reasons. One benefit of Pilates for the overweight is in its utility for dealing with back pain and other symptoms of carrying too much weight: as the body responds to Pilates challenges, it supports the body systems that carry the weight daily.

Another aspect of Pilates that leads to greater success in fitness and weight loss is in the more complex process of “knowing the body” – in this sense, Pilates can be like a gateway to better health, where an individual uses what he or she has learned in Pilates to tackle power workouts and calorie burning regimens.

Think of it this way: beginners trying power workouts often burn out, but why is that? Often, it’s a case of being intimidated by physical challenge, freaked out by muscle pain, or generally overwhelmed by the unknowns of body building. That’s where a good Pilates program can mean the difference between success and failure; by using Pilates to identify aspects of physical activity, fitness clients are better positioned to take their winning power workout formulas into their own hands.

Tips for Pilates Beginners

Those beginning Pilates with a lot of extra weight can make use of these basics to maximize their benefit.

·    Use Pilates to Calibrate – many obese individuals have problems with body alignment, which affects how they carry weight. Pilates can help by re-forming posture habits.

·    Pinpoint Specific Pilates Tasks – a specialized Pilates program can support the body parts that will eventually lead the way in power activity.

·    Palpate the Body to Find Pilates Points – in general, Pilates includes identifying various body parts. However, in obese individuals, these can be harder to locate because they are shielded by extra tissue. However, with specific attention to physically palpating their bodies, overweight participants can get the same helpful identifiers to move forward with their Pilates and power workout goals.

·    Put Movement First – if your tendency is to go toward Pilates first, center on the specific goals for those activities before taking on aerobics and other challenges. Take time to build the ground work to avoid being discouraged and overwhelmed.

Above all, remember that Pilates is just a key to getting closer to eventual fitness goals that may have an entirely different focus. In the Pilates realm, you can forget about other pressing challenges, and focus on getting to know the body you currently have. This can go a long way in setting an individual up for success in the training room, at home gym setups or on the field in team sports activities.