The short answer is a big yes. Pilates is a very effective way to tone your body, but it does so in a unique and powerful way that goes far beyond just building muscle.
Our Pilates sessions incorporate mat work and specialized equipment like Reformers, Chairs, and Barrels. The exercises blend strengthening and stretching with a focus on core engagement, proper alignment, coordinated breathing, and smooth transitions between movements. Sessions are fully personalized for your skill level and goals.
Pilates focuses on slow, controlled, flowing movements which helps with coordination. It focusses on precision which means that the forces produced during movement are equally distributed between joints and muscle groups. This reduces the likelihood of imbalance between muscle groups.
Pilates is one of the most effective ways to do this because it targets multiple muscle groups at once while focusing on control, alignment, and consistency.
Contact us today to schedule your first Pilates session and take ownership of your fitness, mobility, and overall well-being through the life-changing magic of Pilates!
Exercises like the plank and teaser force muscles to contract without movement, which builds strength and definition.
One of the biggest advantages of Pilates is that it strengthens muscles without putting stress on the joints, making it a fantastic option for all fitness levels.
This contributes to a firmer, more defined appearance even without significantly increasing muscle bulk.
The focus on this version of a press up is to keep the elbows close to the sides. This is super challenging for your triceps as it means that you use your chest muscles less.
Poor posture from sitting, slouching, and repetitive movements plagued most of our clients. Pilates re-patterns your posture by activating key muscle groups while ensuring proper spinal alignment. Our instructors manually cue proper alignment and teach you to be more mindful of your movements.
Pilates emphasizes precision over momentum, which forces muscles to stay engaged longer. This time under tension helps develop muscle endurance and definition. Movements such as leg circles and roll-ups require sustained control, leading to greater muscle activation.
My shoulder was dislocated and ultimately, surgically repaired. I’ve been told that rehab for a shoulder is the worst part, but Dr. Jenna Smiith has made the whole process bearable. She measures progress every visit and tailors the stretches and exercises to my individual performance, or lack of. Her enthusiasm is contagious gyms in muskegon mi and helps to motivate me to do the stretches every day, and usually a couple of times per day. She spends time and studies how I’m moving and adjusts each stretch to maximize my efforts.
Whilst Pilates theoretically is not the quickest route to increasing muscle mass, anecdotally many people do feel that they look more ‘toned’ when they do Pilates. There are a few reasons why this may be.
Pilates and yoga both build core strength and flexibility using your own body weight. However, Pilates incorporates more resistance training with Springs and bands to build functional strength.