Is Pilates Enough Exercise? (Here’s the Truth)
Quick Answer: Is Pilates Enough Exercise?
No. Pilates builds strength and mobility, but it doesn’t count as cardio for most people. Science proves you need sustained, moderate to vigorous cardio several times a week to strengthen your heart and add healthy years to your life.
The History (and the Hype)
Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. When he brought it to New York in 1926, it quickly caught on with elite dancers. They used it to recover from injuries, refine technique, and build control — which is how it became known as the “dancer’s workout.”
Here’s the problem: somewhere along the way, Pilates got marketed as the key to a dancer’s body. But Pilates doesn’t create a dancer’s body — dancing does. What Pilates really offers is rehab, posture, and core strength. Valuable, yes. But it’s not the foundation of long-term health.
The same is true for other low-intensity methods. Is Yoga Enough Exercise? and Is Barre Cardio? both show why you still need sustained cardio.
And it’s expensive. Why would you base your entire health strategy on a boutique class that doesn’t deliver the one non-negotiable: cardio?
Why Cardio Comes First
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, known as the “Father of Aerobics,” proved in 1968 what decades of research have confirmed since: cardio is king. Through the Cooper Institute, he’s tracked over 115,000 people for more than 50 years — one of the largest ongoing fitness studies in the world.
The findings? Sustained, heart-pumping exercise doesn’t just make you fit. It:
- Lowers inflammation
- Boosts mood and energy
- Improves mental health and stress management
- Protects against disease
- Adds 8.9 years of healthy life expectancy
No amount of slow core work can touch that.
Does Pilates Count as Cardio?
For 95% of people — no. Most Pilates classes never raise your heart rate into the aerobic zone (60–85% of max) for long enough to deliver cardiovascular benefits. That’s the truth the industry won’t tell you.
Sure, a fast-paced Reformer session with a jumpboard might nudge your heart rate higher, but that’s the exception. If you’re not an injured dancer rehabbing in a studio, Pilates should be considered supplemental — not your main workout.
The Heart Health Gap
You can have:
- A strong core
- Great posture
- Defined muscles
…and still have an undertrained cardiovascular system.
That matters because:
- Heart disease is the #1 cause of death worldwide — in the U.S., someone dies from it every 34 minutes.
- Heart attacks among adults aged 18–44 are up 66% since 2019.
- Cardiovascular fitness is your body’s main defense — not ab definition.
How Cardio Actually Works
When you do moderate to vigorous cardio, your body changes in ways Pilates simply can’t replicate:
- Your heart gets stronger and pumps more efficiently.
- Your lungs deliver more oxygen to working muscles.
- Your cells grow more mitochondria (your energy engines).
- Circulation improves and blood pressure lowers.
- Inflammation drops, disease risk falls, and your immune system strengthens.
These are the adaptations that extend your life. And they only come from sustained cardio.
The Smart Play: Keep Pilates, Add Cardio
Pilates has its place: posture, strength, mobility, injury prevention. But it’s not enough exercise on its own.
Cardio is the foundation. Pilates is the accessory. Together, you’ve got a balanced routine. But if you had to pick one, the science is clear: cardio comes first.
Why HupSix Fills the Gap
If you want the cardio benefits but hate treadmills, bikes, or endless machines, HupSix gives you what Pilates doesn’t.
Most HupSix users in class one record about 13 minutes moderate and 15 vigorous. By CDC and ACSM standards, vigorous counts double — so that’s the equivalent of 43 minutes of cardio in just 30 minutes.
That means you’re not only covering your heart-health requirements, you’re also saving time and money compared to paying for classes that don’t deliver the cardio your body actually needs.
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Fast-paced: 30 minutes of structured cardio in a learn, practice, execute format
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Music-driven: Original rock keeps you locked in and engaged
- Full-body: Builds strength, coordination, agility, and reaction time — while your heart does the work
It’s treadmill-level cardio — without the treadmill. Check out this post - Cardio That Works: The Science Behind The HupSix
Bottom Line
Pilates is great for strength and mobility — but it’s not the foundation of health. If you want to protect your heart, extend your life, and feel the difference every day, you need cardio. Period.
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