We’re mixing sets of highintensity jump roping with low-intensity, band-based Pilates moves to deliver one of our toughest routines that will reap maximum rewards.

Can Pilates help you lose weight? I get asked this question repeatedly as a Pilates instructor. One very effective way to torch some serious calories while also practicing Pilates is a workout I designed formyself when I was working on Broadway. I was looking for a pre-show workout I could do backstage that would keep my body lean, my core powerful, my muscles strong and supple and increase the cardiovascular endurance required to sing and dance at the same time.

Is it true that eating more later in the day is less healthful or will lead to more weight gain than if you eat the majority of your calories earlier?

A recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity showed a positive correlation between the timing of meals and weight loss, in that early eaters lost slightly more weight than those who ate later in the day. This study gives credence to the notion that eating later leads to weight gain. The other school of thought, however, is that it’s not when you eat but what you eat, along with your physical activity level, that counts.

Can Pilates really help to lengthen your muscles?

  There is a  great deal of myth  related to lengthening muscles.  In fact, there are bountiful myths when it comes to Pilates in general: practicing it will give you a dancer’s body, long, lean muscles, or even make you grow in height (having done Pilates for 35 years, if that one’s true, surely I would have exceeded my very modest 5’6” by now!). Possibly, the fables of people becoming taller,longer and leaner after

Tracking the pilates burn

Fitness monitors are designed to measure physical activity
by calculating energy expended and calories burned. But
before strapping one on, keep in mind that they may not
be as trustworthy as we’ve been led to believe, according
to Dr. Nathan Meckes, an assistant professor at Azusa
Pacific University, who became aware of their inaccuracies
after his hip monitor failed to record his movements.
Dr. Meckes decided to put their reliability to the test
by fitting 16 volunteers with three different monitors—two
worn on the hip and a third strapped around the arm—and
a special mask to help calculate energy expenditure. After
observing the participants do a variety of activities (stand
up, walk on a treadmill, clean a simulated kitchen, type
and play board games), researchers found that, while the
monitors were successful in measuring energy expended
on the treadmill, they were less accurate during standing
and cleaning. Overall, the monitors were far less precise
in tracking light-intensity activities, mistaking them for
physical immobility.
So what does this mean for your Pilates practice? It’s
“tricky to measure because most exercise devices are
designed to assess movement, while the bulk of Pilates
tends to be slower in nature or isometric, which most
devices do not measure well, if at all,” says Dr. Meckes.
He suggests using a suggests using a heart rate monitor,
like those manufactured by Polar, to sense changes in
our movements in order to accurately calculate calorie
expenditure. Happy burning!
—Nurit Lewis

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Do I need to stretch after a Pilates session?

A. Dawn-Marie Ickes, MPT, PMA-CPT, owner of Evolve
Integrative Wellness PT & Pilates in Rancho Santa
Margarita, CA, responds: The answer to this question is
largely dependent on the nature, structure and design of
the session or class you are taking. For example, a group
class with a plyometric [jumping] emphasis would have
a completely different body response compared to a
fusion class.