How many calories does an hour of Pilates burn?

For a 155 lb (70 kg) person: about 127 kcal on the mat, 176 kcal on the reformer, 197 kcal in a general studio class, and 260 kcal in a fast-paced class with short rests. At 125 lb the mat figure is about 102 kcal and at 185 lb about 151 kcal.

Does reformer Pilates burn more than mat Pilates?

Yes, a little. In a study of 18 women, an apparatus session burned 2.59 kcal per minute and a mat session 1.93. Neither raised heart rate, blood pressure, or blood lactate above resting levels.

Not by energy cost. In a study of 31 healthy young adults, oxygen use during a Pilates session matched walking at 3.2 km/h (2 mph) and fell below walking at 4.8 km/h (3 mph). Heart rate was similar to the faster walk, so Pilates can feel harder than it burns.

Can Pilates help you lose weight?

In trials, yes. A meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in 393 adults with overweight or obesity found Pilates cut weight by about 2.4 kg, BMI by 1.2, and body fat by 4.2 percentage points. Waist size and lean mass did not change.

Is Pilates good for back pain?

It ranked first. A network meta-analysis of 118 trials with 9,710 people with chronic low back pain found Pilates was the most likely exercise to reduce both pain and disability.

How can I burn more calories in Pilates?

Shorten the rests. A 2026 meta-analysis found sessions with rests of 60 seconds or less between exercises ran at higher intensity. Its pooled average was 3.7 MET, although the most reliable studies put a typical class nearer 3.0 MET.

Pilates Calories | Free Online Tool | Body Health Calculator

Enter your details

Results

Calories burned116 kcal

Net calories (above resting)51 kcalWhat the session added beyond sitting still for the same time.

Calories per hour139 kcal/h

MET value1.8 (light)

Minutes to burn 100 kcal43 min

Weekly calories347 kcal over 3 sessions

Weekly activity target150 min light activityLight activity does not count toward the 150 min/week moderate target.

How many calories does Pilates burn?

A 155 lb person burns about 127 calories in an hour of mat Pilates, 176 in an hour on the reformer, and 197 in a general studio class. A 50-minute general class burns about 164.

The mat and general figures come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which rates mat Pilates at 1.8 MET and general Pilates at 2.8. The reformer figure of 2.5 MET comes from a lab study that measured apparatus sessions directly.

[1][2]

Pilates calories by format and body weight

Each value is a 60-minute total. For a 50-minute class, multiply by 0.83.

Calories burned in 60 minutes of Pilates

Format	MET	125 lb	155 lb	185 lb
Mat Pilates	1.8	102	127	151
Reformer or apparatus	2.5	142	176	210
General studio class	2.8	159	197	235
Fast-paced, short rests	3.7	210	260	310

[1][2][4]

What lab studies measured

In a study of 18 young women averaging 61 kg, a reformer session of 15 exercises burned 2.59 kcal per minute and a mat session of 15 exercises burned 1.93. Neither session raised heart rate, blood pressure, or blood lactate above resting levels.

A 2026 meta-analysis of 6 studies put a typical Pilates session at 3.7 MET on average.

When the authors dropped two studies at high risk of bias, the estimate fell to 3.0 MET and 2.9 kcal per minute, which they called the most reliable figure so far. Sessions with rests of 60 seconds or less between exercises ran at higher intensity.

[2][4]

Pilates compared with walking

Thirty-one healthy young adults did a Pilates session and walked on a treadmill at 3.2 km/h (2 mph) and 4.8 km/h (3 mph). Oxygen use and calories during Pilates matched the slow walk and fell below the faster one. Heart rate during Pilates was higher than the slow walk and similar to the faster walk. That gap explains why Pilates can feel harder than it burns. The authors concluded that a Pilates session may not be intense enough to build aerobic fitness, but it may help flexibility, core strength, and posture.

[3]

How the calculator works

Calories = MET × body weight in kg × hours. A MET is the energy cost of an activity as a multiple of resting burn, which is about 1 kcal per kg per hour.

Net calories subtract that resting burn to show what the class added.

Worked example: a 150 lb person (68.0 kg) takes a 50-minute general studio class. Calories = 2.8 × 68.0 × 0.833 = about 159 kcal, and net calories are about 102 kcal.

[1]

How to use this calculator

Choose mat for a class on the floor with no equipment, and reformer for a class on the machine. A studio class that moves between the mat, reformer, and other apparatus fits general. Choose fast-paced only when the class moves from exercise to exercise with rests of a minute or less.

Enter the whole class. Short pauses to set springs or change position are part of each MET value.

Video: Pilates for Beginners - Beginner Pilates Mat Exercises (Jessica Valant). Embedded from YouTube for education; we do not own this content.

Does Pilates count toward the weekly target?

Adults should get 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, and moderate starts at 3 MET.

Mat, reformer, and general classes fall below that line, so the calculator counts them as light activity. Only a fast-paced class with short rests reaches the moderate range.

Pairing Pilates with brisk walking or cycling covers the aerobic side.

[8]

What Pilates does for weight and back pain

A 2021 meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in 393 adults with overweight or obesity found Pilates cut body weight by about 2.4 kg, BMI by 1.2, and body fat by 4.2 percentage points. Waist size and lean mass did not change. For chronic low back pain, a network meta-analysis of 118 trials with 9,710 people ranked Pilates as the exercise most likely to reduce both pain and disability. A second network meta-analysis of 75 trials found Pilates, yoga, tai chi, and sling exercise all eased pain more than conventional rehabilitation.

[5][6][7]

How it works

Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × hours. Mat (1.8 MET) and general (2.8 MET) use 2024 Adult Compendium codes 02103 and 02105. Reformer (2.5 MET) comes from a lab study that measured apparatus sessions, and fast-paced (3.7 MET) is the pooled average from a 2026 meta-analysis. Net calories remove 1 kcal per kg per hour of resting burn.

Practical tips

Enter the whole class, short pauses included.
The reformer burns about a third more per minute than the mat.
Shorter rests between exercises raise the burn.
Most Pilates counts as light activity, so add brisk walking or cycling for the weekly target.
For chronic back pain, Pilates ranked first in a review of 118 trials.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does an hour of Pilates burn?For a 155 lb (70 kg) person: about 127 kcal on the mat, 176 kcal on the reformer, 197 kcal in a general studio class, and 260 kcal in a fast-paced class with short rests. At 125 lb the mat figure is about 102 kcal and at 185 lb about 151 kcal.
Does reformer Pilates burn more than mat Pilates?Yes, a little. In a study of 18 women, an apparatus session burned 2.59 kcal per minute and a mat session 1.93. Neither raised heart rate, blood pressure, or blood lactate above resting levels.
Is Pilates cardio?Not by energy cost. In a study of 31 healthy young adults, oxygen use during a Pilates session matched walking at 3.2 km/h (2 mph) and fell below walking at 4.8 km/h (3 mph). Heart rate was similar to the faster walk, so Pilates can feel harder than it burns.
Can Pilates help you lose weight?In trials, yes. A meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in 393 adults with overweight or obesity found Pilates cut weight by about 2.4 kg, BMI by 1.2, and body fat by 4.2 percentage points. Waist size and lean mass did not change.
Is Pilates good for back pain?It ranked first. A network meta-analysis of 118 trials with 9,710 people with chronic low back pain found Pilates was the most likely exercise to reduce both pain and disability.
How can I burn more calories in Pilates?Shorten the rests. A 2026 meta-analysis found sessions with rests of 60 seconds or less between exercises ran at higher intensity. Its pooled average was 3.7 MET, although the most reliable studies put a typical class nearer 3.0 MET.

Related calculators

References

Herrmann SD, et al. J Sport Health Sci 2024. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities
de Souza Andrade L, et al. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2021. What is the exercise intensity of Pilates? An analysis of the energy expenditure, blood lactate, and intensity of apparatus and mat Pilates sessions
Gultekin SC, et al. Ir J Med Sci 2024. Cardiorespiratory responses: Pilates compared to different walking speeds in healthy adults
Vitor GBB, et al. Syst Rev 2026. Metabolic intensity and energy cost of Pilates exercises: an exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis of limited and heterogeneous evidence
Wang Y, et al. Front Physiol 2021. Pilates for Overweight or Obesity: A Meta-Analysis
Fernández-Rodríguez R, et al. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022. Best Exercise Options for Reducing Pain and Disability in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: Pilates, Strength, Core-Based, and Mind-Body. A Network Meta-analysis
Li Y, et al. Front Public Health 2023. Exercise intervention for patients with chronic low back pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition

Medical disclaimer: These calculators provide estimates for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a healthcare provider before changing your diet or exercise program.