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Doing pilates in a room heated to 35 degrees is the fitness trend of the moment. Called “Hot Pilates”, this version burns more calories than a classic pilates session. This new fitness concept has already conquered TikTok.
Everyone knows pilates. This gentle gymnastics which combines muscle strengthening and breathing is known to improve strength, endurance and flexibility. Having become a must-have in the fitness world, it helps to gently tone the silhouette. Over the years, many variations of pilates have been born such as Pilates Power or Stot Pilates.
“Hot Pilates” invented in 2009 is experiencing a resurgence in popularity
But the latest one which is very successful is “Hot Pilates”. Its principle is simple: classic pilates exercises carried out in a room heated to between 32 and 35 degrees, with a humidity level higher than the A bearable heat, rest assured, which would have the effect of evacuating toxins from your body and burning calories more easily.
On TikTok, the hashtag “heated pilates” has eight million views. In many videos, young women show their pilates session in rooms equipped with infrared lamps, which have the role of diffusing heat. They testify to the virtues of this sporting routine, ensuring that it helps them to better sculpt their body.
Hot Pilates is not entirely new. It was developed by professional athlete Gabriella Walters in 2009, who founded the first studio dedicated to this practice in the United States. But since this summer, Hot Pilates has experienced a resurgence in popularity in the fitness world, particularly on social networks.
More effective than a classic session?
“We’ve seen a rise in the popularity of classes and workouts that people can’t easily replicate at home, and Hot Pilates definitely falls into that category“, Abigail McLachlan, a Pilates instructor in London, told Marie Claire UK. “The heat offers something new compared to more traditional Pilates classes and people are often drawn to new and challenging workout routines“.
In the opinion of teachers who practice and teach Hot Pilates, this form represents, as Abigail McLachlan says, “a bigger challenge” note that its traditional version. “It is more focused on developing strength and endurance“, would play more on endurance and therefore stimulate concentration and mental strength. “When you’re hot, you tend to focus more on how your body feels, which is ideal for the mindfulness elements of pilates practice“, explains Eloise Skinner, another British yoga teacher. For people who experience muscle pain on a daily basis, heat will help relax the muscles and make certain positions easier.
Hot Pilates would also be more effective than a classic pilates session. Practicing it in a heated room would push the body to its limits. The latter will expend more energy to carry out this effort and to regulate its internal temperature, which allows it to burn more calories. However, no scientific study currently validates this assertion. “Some studies of hot yoga versus thermo-neutral yoga have shown similar results for both groups“, declared to Women’s Health Dr. Elizabeth Barchi, sports medicine specialist at NYU Langone Sports Health.
To experience the effects of Hot Pilates, it is recommended to practice it one to three times a week, with sessions of around twenty minutes, depending on your time and motivation. This sport is not recommended for people who suffer from heart problems.