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Whether you are new to physical activity or are looking to spice up your regimen, you know there are a lot of fitness options to choose from. So much so, it can be overwhelming to learn all the class names on the calendar at your local gym.
Pilates and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) are two well-known fitness programs that many people try. They share both similarities and differences, offering advantages and drawbacks.
In this article, you will learn what Pilates and HIIT are, their impact and intensity, fat-burning capacity, and ability to help you build strength. You can also discover which approach is best for you. If you are searching for something new and are unsure what to try, read on and discover more.
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Pilates
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a fitness system developed over 100 years ago by Joseph Pilates. It emphasizes breath, core engagement, strengthening, and mobilizing the entire body. It can be performed in a chair or on a mat, but most often it is done on a reformer machine, invented by Pilates himself. Reformer classes are typically small-group classes, allowing the instructor to provide individualized attention to each student.
Impact
Pilates is a low-impact exercise, so it does not aggravate the joints. People with injuries, in rehab, or experiencing inflammatory joint issues often find Pilates to be very helpful. It can even aid in their mobility and healing.
Mind Body
A central component of Pilates is “lateral breathing.” The slow controlled breath helps to engage the entire core and torso during every movement you perform. This breathing practice facilitates a mind-body connection, bringing calm and focus to your day.
Fat Burning
There are several benefits to Pilates, but fat burning is not one of them compared to other exercises. However, research shows that Pilates can burn fat via stimulus, increased metabolism, and co-factors, such as boosting mood and increasing energy — it just won’t burn as much as HIIT.
Intensity Level
Generally, Pilates is considered low to moderate intensity. It is not fast-moving, but you can increase or decrease the intensity by scaling the movements and adjusting the tension on the reformer.
Strength Training
Pilates does not require heavy weight lifting, so it is not always thought of as a strength training exercise. Yet, Pilates is very focused on building core strength and stabilizer muscles through the use of body weight exercises and resistance bands. People who do Pilates regularly experience more tone and lean muscle development.
High-Intensity Interval training (HIIT)
What is HIIT?
HIIT became well-known in the 2010s. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) named it the top fitness trend in 2014. It continues to be one of the most popular forms of exercise for its strength-building and ability to burn fat. HIIT combines quick bursts of high-intensity exercises for short periods of time, often with brief intervals of rest. Common exercises include kettlebell swings, burpees, squats, rowing, lunges, overhead presses, and more.
Impact
Although you can scale or augment movements, HIIT tends to be high intensity and high impact. Common movements include jump rope, box jumps, burpees, and mountain climbers — all high-impact exercises that require strong, resilient joints.
Mind Body
All exercise improves people’s moods and lessens stress and anxiety, HIIT included. However, it does not emphasize the mind-body connection the way that Yoga or Pilates does.
Fat Burning
HIIT excels at helping people burn fat. The intense burst of exercise, alternating with rest, gets your metabolism activated, and it lasts long after the workout is over. HIIT also increases muscle mass, which further ramps up fat-burning capacity.
Intensity Level
Well, it is all in the name; HIIT is high-intensity. It is a myth that HIIT is just for young people. People of all ages and skill levels can participate in scaled HIIT workouts. Yet, similar to impact, you can adjust the intensity according to ability, to a degree. People may choose box step-ups over box jumps, stepping in and out of burpees as opposed to jumping, and rowing over running.
Strength Training
Attending HIIT classes is a great way to boost strength. Most HIIT classes use a combination of body weight movements, such as situps, pushups, and pullups, and weighted movements, including kettlebell, dumbbell, and barbell lifting.
Who is Pilates best for?
Pilates is beneficial for everyone — the young and the old, the experienced athlete and the novice, and everyone in between. There are numerous advantages to developing a consistent Pilates practice, including increased flexibility, more strength, and better posture. Pilates even improves your mental health, making it a great program for people who experience stress, depression, or anxiety.
If you want to burn more fat or build more endurance, adding weight lifting and/or HIIT classes is a perfect choice.
Who is HIIT best for?
There is a reason that HIIT rose to the top of fitness trends. It efficiently builds strength and burns fat like no other form of exercise. HIIT classes target the entire body. Classes vary from one to the next, so you are always experiencing new stimuli.
HIIT is great for cross-training. People find that when they attend HIIT classes, strength and stamina cross over into the other sports they play.
HIIT is great for most people, as mentioned before, it is scalable for people who do not want to or cannot go “all out.” However, constant HIIT can lead to burnout and fatigue, and even injury. It is best combined with lower-intensity movements such as yoga, walking, cycling, and/or Pilates.
Who would benefit from both?
In this day and age, when so many people are sedentary, a combination of Pilates and HIIT is ideal. These two different, but complementary programs can give you just what you need — strength and increased metabolism from HIIT and balance, flexibility, and calm from Pilates.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends adults do 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity, or a combination of the two. In addition, you need to complete two days of strength-building exercises per week.
By alternating HIIT with Pilates, you are targeting these instructions with the added bonus of mobility and mind-body training, making them a dynamic duo.
The Paseo Club in Santa Clarita offers over 50 fitness classes every week, including Pilates and HIIT classes. When you are a member, you can choose any class you want, so you have plenty of options. Other popular fitness classes are cycling, yoga, and weight training. You also have access to tennis, pickleball, and swimming.
If you live in the Santa Clarita Valley and want to learn more, schedule a tour with one of our team members. You can also join our community today by signing up online. It takes only seconds and grants you instant access to all eight acres of the club.
The Paseo Club is your home away from home. We can’t wait to see you!
