Do you lose weight

[bruceH]

Can you lose weight by doing yoga and/or pilates? Is one better than the other if weight loss (and not just toning and increased flexibility) are my goals?

[Beth]

It's definitely good exercise, but not as good for fat burning as cardio.

[Ron]

Nah, not really. Do these exercises because they are good for you - for flexibility, increasing stamina and strength, and toning and because they are good for the mind. They can complement other weight loss efforts.

It's like anne said, they're good for you but they're not really designed to help you burn fat. They can help you as part of a total weight loss strategy, but beyond that they don't do much for weight loss on their own.

[anne]

Nah, not really. Do these exercises because they are good for you - for flexibility, increasing stamina and strength, and toning and because they are good for the mind. They can complement other weight loss efforts.

[char]

You can but not much. It really is the more intense and rapid stuff like cardio - stuff that gets your heart-rate up and going for a good 20 minutes or more - that really helps you to shed the fat.

[kellykatt]

It's possible to lose weight, as you will burn calories and fat doing these exercises, especially Pilates. However, they aren't cardio-based exercises so you're not like likely to burn as much fat as you would if you were to engage in an aerobic exercise like speed walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, running, etc.