How Long Does It Take To See Pilates Results?

Pilates is a unique form of exercise because it incorporates multiple training styles to maximise benefits. This makes pilates ideal as either your main approach to exercise, or to complement other training sessions in your weekly workout plan. If you’re new to pilates, you might have questions about building a weekly workout plan and how long it will take to see pilates results.

Luckily, FS8 workouts have a flexible approach with a rotating schedule of classes that target different movements – making it simple to create a workout schedule that suits you. If you’re keen to incorporate pilates into your lifestyle but you’re not sure where to start, we’ve created this guide to help you learn everything you need to know.

Pilates results for the mind and body

Regular pilates can have a major impact on your fitness, mental health and daily life. Stretching and body weighted resistance exercises are key elements of pilates than can complement other workouts in your training plan. Beyond the gym though, pilates results can support you in daily life by making movements easier and lowering the risk of injury.

Pilates can support: 

• Posture and balance 
• Flexibility and mobility 
• Core strength and muscle tone 
• Relief for physical pain and mental stress 

If you want to see what pilates can do for your body, read on to learn how to create your optimal pilates routine and harness pilates results for yourself.

How much pilates is needed to see results?

Pilates newbies often wonder, ‘how many pilates classes should I do a week?’ – and there’s a few things to consider in answering this which we’ll explore. Firstly, your workout plan should suit your lifestyle, so it’s important to assess how many classes will suit you each week and the type of pilates class you’d like to include.

Our FS8 Remix classes utilise the resistance elements of pilates alongside cardio exercise for high energy training, while FS8 Restore incorporates yoga for a slower paced session focused on recovery. To help you create a pilates workout schedule that suits you, let’s discuss training frequency, workout duration, and how long it takes to see results. 

How many times a week should I do pilates?

Like any training style, consistency is key to unlocking pilates results. When it comes to pilates, how many times a week should you attend a class? FS8’s flexible training approach means you can attend as many classes as you’d like each week. 

• Those who prefer a packed workout schedule can attend FS8 every day as classes vary in intensity levels. 
• If pilates is your main form of exercise, two to three mat or reformer pilates classes per week is ideal to get in the habit, develop form, and see results sooner. 
• If pilates is just one element of your workout plan, a dedicated pilates class a week can enhance your performance in other workouts and build up pilates results over time. 

Is 30 minutes of pilates a day enough?

30 minutes of daily pilates can benefit your health, but to see pilates results sooner, you may want to train for longer. For a full body workout and to get the most out of a pilates class, we recommend a session length between 50 minutes and 1 hour. This gives you time for a warmup and cooldown, which are important injury reduction elements in any training session.  

• Warmups prepare your body for exercise by increasing blood flow to your muscles and raising your body temperature. 
• Cooldowns help with active recovery and reducing the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

When can I expect to see pilates results?

The many benefits of pilates make it a perfect addition to anyone’s weekly workout plan, but is pilates once a week enough to see results? It depends on what your goals are. The endorphin release triggered by exercise is almost immediate, so if you’re hoping to gain the mental health benefits of exercise, you can leave a pilates class happier and more motivated than when you entered the room.

If your goal is physical changes, pilates is also ideal as a full body toning workout. It generally takes about 10-20 pilates classes to see changes in how your body looks (1), so the timeline for noticing these pilates results depends on how often you attend class. 

1. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/pilates-health-benefits