With years of experience as a Physical Therapist, Jenna Smith has dedicated their career to helping patients achieve their maximum physical potential and improve their quality of life.
The movements are smaller and more precise than yoga flows. There is also greater emphasis on core control and stability during Pilates exercises. Finally, instructors play a bigger hands-on role in manually cueing proper form and alignment.
Why? A classic Pilates move that's part of most classes, this move is great for improving mobility, and strengthening the back of the body, including the glutes.
Pilates can help build lean muscle mass, but if it’s covered by excess body fat, those defined muscles won’t be as visible.
After graduating from The Citadel, I began working with middle and high school football teams to develop functional strength and conditioning programs. Soon after, I began coaching amateur and professional MMA athletes.
We have a class for you, whether you like the dynamic challenge of reformer pilates or the precise control of mat work.
The term “toning” as applied to exercise was likely introduced to the fitness world as a marketing term. Its purpose? To encourage women to do strength training during decades when the concept of gaining muscle bulk was considered unfeminine and therefore off putting to women.
If you’re new to Pilates, aim for 2-3 times a week to start and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the exercises (5). If you have specific areas of your body that you want to tone, consider targeting those muscles more frequently within your weekly routine.
That started a process that would change my ideology and method of training the human body forever.
And, because we’d hate to leave you wanting more, why not take a look at our guides to Pilates for beginners and Pilates exercises for beginners, find out about the five simple Pilates moves one MC UK Health Writer and fitness trainer raves about, plus discover the best twenty minute Pilates workouts, for when you're pushed for time.
Lean and toned up body isn’t just a far-fetched fantasy. Check out the BetterMe app and watch it propel your weight loss journey into high gear!
The truth is, neither approach is automatically “better” for toning. What matters most is how you’re practicing: the quality of movement, consistency over time, and the level of challenge being applied.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about Pilates and how it fits into this equation.
Unlike standard workouts that may neglect the deep core muscles, Pilates specifically activates the transverse abdominis, leading to a flatter stomach and improved posture. This results in a stronger, more defined midsection and reduced lower lakeshore fitness center muskegon back pain.