Posted by

Date Posted May 28, 2008

I am always asked the question, "What type of cardio activity do you recommend in addition to pilates?"

Personally, I love cardio exercise of (almost) any kind, so of course I think any type of cardio is good. But most of the time, I know the people who are asking me this question are busy, and come to pilates classes at least two or three times per week, which is an expense. In other words, joining a gym or joining a team sport is not always an option for busy people who are already spending a good amount of money on pilates each week.

If this sounds like you, I have this suggestion for incorporating cardio into your life- why not walk (or jog) to your pilates class, and home again?

A brisk walk to the studio will really get you warmed up and ready to move when the class starts. A walk home will help you savor that uplifted feeling from class just a little bit longer.

This is also a great solution if you're pressed for time in general. True, it might take you a half-hour to walk to the studio, and a half-hour back again. But it would take you just as long to carve time out of a different day to drive to the gym, get out of the car, venture into the locker room for a while, then jump on a treadmill, right?

You could even take it one step further and ask another person from class to walk for 45 minutes with you after class. Its motivating when you know someone is planning to walk with you, and you tend to walk faster when with another person. Talking, laughing, and bonding with a like-minded person is great, added pick-me-up to walking.

I realize that not everyone is able to walk to the studio, due to location and environment. However... I have to bet there is some way to incorporate walking on the way to and from pilates. You could try parking your car a 1/2 mile from the studio, and walking the rest of the way. You could drive to a nearby park, jump out, and walk for a bit before class, and then do the same on the way home.

To put it in perspective, here's the amount of calories burned while walking briskly, and the amount of calories burned in a pilates class, then the combined amount:

150 lb person walking for 30 mins (3.5 mph) = 173 calories

150 lb person doing 1 hour of pilates (intermediate level) = 360 calories

Walking home again after pilates = 173 calories

Total calories burned = 706!

Not that you should only focus on the number of calories you burn, but burning calories does play a huge part in weight loss, and most people exercise for weight loss! Hopefully, you also exercise because it makes you feel good, mentally and physically, too.

Some pilates studios with enough space are also equipped with cardio machines like bikes and treadmills. If you're lucky enough to have one of these "one stop shops" in your neighborhood, it can be a great alternative to a gym and will save you time and money in the process.