If you’re doing Pilates because you’d love a leaner, stronger-looking waistline, there’s good news: Pilates can absolutely be a valuable part of getting there.
Regular Pilates can strengthen and condition your body, build a stronger core and support improvements in overall body composition. Research into Pilates and body composition has also produced some encouraging findings, particularly when Pilates is practised consistently over time.
And the benefits aren’t limited to what happens on the scales.
Pilates places a strong emphasis on strength and control through the trunk and pelvis. As you progress, you may begin to feel stronger and more supported through your middle while also improving the way you move and control your body.
For many women, that’s an important distinction.
The goal doesn’t necessarily have to be simply losing weight. You may want a firmer-looking waist, better muscle definition, more strength and a body that continues to move well as you get older.
Pilates can fit beautifully into that picture.
Better still, it’s a form of exercise many women genuinely enjoy doing. And finding movement you actually want to come back to week after week can make consistency considerably easier.
So if belly fat is an area you’d like to reduce, don’t dismiss Pilates because it isn’t traditional cardio.
Let’s look at what Pilates can realistically do for your waistline — and what the science actually tells us.
Does Pilates Burn Belly Fat? The Quick Answer
Pilates can support a routine designed to reduce overall body fat, including abdominal fat, while strengthening the muscles underneath your midsection.
Pilates can help you:
- build a stronger core
- strengthen and condition your whole body
- improve muscular control
- increase your overall physical activity
- support improvements in body composition
- improve posture and body awareness
- develop an exercise routine you’re more likely to maintain
There is, however, an important distinction between strengthening your stomach muscles and specifically burning the fat sitting over those muscles.
We’ll come to that shortly.
First, let’s look at the encouraging part.
Can Pilates Actually Change Your Body Composition?
There is some promising research here.
A 2021 meta-analysis examined 11 randomised controlled trials involving 393 adults with overweight or obesity.
The researchers found Pilates interventions were associated with reductions in body weight, BMI and body-fat percentage. They also found that effects on body weight and BMI appeared greater in interventions lasting longer than 10 weeks.
That’s encouraging, but it doesn’t mean everyone who starts Pilates will automatically lose weight or body fat.
The authors also noted limitations in the available research, and other reviews haven’t found Pilates superior to other forms of exercise for changing body composition.
For example, a systematic review and meta-analysis of Mat Pilates found it was not superior to traditional exercise or control conditions for measures including BMI, lean mass, body-fat percentage and abdominal circumference.
Other systematic reviews have similarly concluded that the evidence around Pilates and body composition remains mixed, with some studies showing improvements but limitations in the overall quality of the available research.
So rather than promising that Pilates will magically melt fat away, a much more useful interpretation is:
Pilates can be a valuable part of a sustainable exercise routine that supports body-composition goals.
And sustainability matters enormously.
Why Pilates Can Be So Appealing When You Want a Leaner Waist
There’s more to changing the appearance of your midsection than simply watching the number on the scales.
Pilates challenges the muscles responsible for controlling and supporting your trunk while your arms and legs move.
Over time, developing better strength and control through your middle can make your body feel stronger and more supported.
You may also notice changes in the way you carry yourself.
That’s one reason Pilates can be so satisfying: progress isn’t limited to a number on the scales.
You start noticing that movements you once struggled with feel easier.
Your balance improves.
Your control improves.
You can progress exercises.
Your body feels stronger.
And sometimes that’s when exercise stops feeling like something you’re doing to lose weight and starts becoming something you do because you genuinely like how it makes you feel.
But Can Pilates Target Belly Fat Specifically?
Here’s the important scientific distinction.
You can target muscles. You can’t reliably tell your body exactly where you want it to remove stored fat.
Pilates can absolutely challenge your abdominal muscles and the deeper muscles involved in stabilising your trunk and pelvis.
But working those muscles doesn’t mean your body automatically takes fat from the area directly above them.
Where women store fat — and where we tend to lose it first — varies considerably between individuals and is influenced by factors including genetics, age and hormonal changes.
So doing hundreds of abdominal exercises isn’t necessary.
What we’re really interested in is reducing overall body fat while developing a stronger body underneath it.
And that’s much better news than it might initially sound.
Can Exercise Reduce Abdominal Fat?
Yes.
Although we can’t simply choose the precise location from which our body removes fat, exercise can contribute to reductions in abdominal fat as part of broader changes in body composition.
Research examining exercise interventions has found that regular exercise can reduce both visceral abdominal fat — the deeper fat surrounding the organs — and subcutaneous abdominal fat, which is the fat stored underneath the skin.
So the message isn’t:
“There’s nothing you can do about belly fat.”
Far from it.
The more accurate message is:
Think about your whole body rather than trying to force fat loss from one particular spot.
Pilates can be one part of that strategy.
Can Pilates Make Your Stomach Look Flatter?
Potentially, yes — but there are a few different things happening here.
Reducing overall body fat can obviously affect your waistline.
But Pilates also develops the muscles around your trunk and places considerable emphasis on body control.
That’s important because fat loss and abdominal strength aren’t the same thing.
Someone can become substantially stronger through their core without losing a large amount of weight.
Likewise, losing weight doesn’t automatically give someone a strong core.
When Pilates is part of a broader exercise and nutrition routine, you have the opportunity to work on both sides of the equation: improving body composition while building a stronger body.
What About the Deep Core?
You’ve probably heard Pilates instructors talk about the deep core.
Your core is much more than the visible “six-pack” muscles at the front of your stomach.
A coordinated system of muscles contributes to trunk and spinal control, including abdominal muscles, back muscles, the diaphragm and pelvic floor.
Pilates frequently challenges this system by asking you to maintain control of your trunk while moving your limbs or changing your position.
This is one reason Pilates can feel surprisingly challenging even when the movements look relatively simple.
And no — you don’t need to perform hundreds of crunches to develop a strong middle.
What We See in the Studio
One of the things we love about Pilates at Bodi Boutique is that women often begin noticing progress that has nothing to do with the scales.
An exercise that initially felt almost impossible suddenly becomes achievable.
They can control a movement they previously rushed through.
They progress to a harder variation.
They feel stronger.
And they start to understand their own body better.
For someone who has spent years starting and stopping exercise programs, that can be incredibly valuable.
Because ultimately, the exercise you continue doing has a much greater opportunity to change your fitness than the “perfect” workout you abandon after three weeks.
Is Reformer Pilates Good for Belly Fat?
Reformer Pilates can be an excellent addition to a body-composition program.
The Reformer uses springs and a moving carriage to provide both resistance and assistance, which gives instructors considerable flexibility in how exercises are programmed and progressed.
And despite its reputation as a “core workout”, Reformer Pilates doesn’t need to be abdominal exercise for an entire class.
Depending on the session, you may work your:
- legs
- glutes
- back
- arms
- shoulders
- abdominal muscles
- deeper trunk muscles
That full-body approach is exactly what we want.
Rather than chasing one troublesome body part, you’re developing a stronger, more capable body overall.
If you’re new to Pilates, you can learn more about our Pilates and Reformer Pilates classes in Millmerran here.
Mat Pilates or Reformer Pilates for a Flatter Stomach?
You don’t necessarily need to choose one.
Both can challenge your core and contribute to your overall exercise routine.
Mat Pilates primarily uses your body weight along with equipment such as bands, balls or rings depending on the class.
Reformer Pilates gives us the additional versatility of spring resistance and the moving carriage.
Some women simply love the Reformer experience, and that matters.
If Reformer is the class you look forward to attending every week, consistency becomes much easier.
And if you enjoy Mat Pilates as well, there is absolutely room for both.
How Often Should You Do Pilates to Reduce Belly Fat?
For many women, two to three Pilates or Reformer sessions per week can be a realistic place to start.
But don’t interpret that as a magic formula.
Your overall week matters more than trying to find the perfect number of Pilates sessions.
Australia’s current 24-hour movement guidelines recommend that adults undertake a variety of physical activity, including 30 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous activity on most days, muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week, functional activities targeting mobility, balance and coordination on at least three days per week, and several hours of light physical activity each day.
So rather than thinking:
Pilates OR walking OR strength training OR cardio
think:
How can these work together?
What Does a Good Week Look Like?
There isn’t one perfect routine for every woman.
But if reducing body fat while becoming stronger is your goal, your week might include:
2–3 Pilates or Reformer sessions
alongside:
regular walking or other cardiovascular activity
plus:
appropriate resistance or strength training
and plenty of:
general day-to-day movement.
If you’re starting from very little exercise, you don’t need to suddenly train every day.
Two regular sessions that become part of your normal week can be a much better starting point than an ambitious seven-day program you can’t sustain.
Those categories can overlap too. Some Pilates workouts incorporate additional resistance using dumbbells or other small equipment. If that interests you, our guide to Pilates with weights explains what adding weights can — and cannot — change about a Pilates workout.
Do You Need Cardio as Well as Pilates?
Cardiovascular exercise can certainly complement Pilates.
Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing or group fitness can all contribute to your overall physical activity.
And cardio doesn’t need to mean spending miserable hours on a treadmill.
Choose something you enjoy.
A brisk walk you happily repeat several times a week is useful.
So is a fitness class you look forward to.
If you prefer exercising with other people, you can also explore our small-group fitness classes in Millmerran.
Group Fitness Classes at Bodi Boutique
What About Strength Training?
Strength becomes increasingly important when we’re thinking beyond simply getting smaller.
For women in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, maintaining physical capability and muscle strength is an important part of the bigger health picture.
Depending on how your Pilates sessions are programmed and your individual goals, additional progressive resistance training may also be appropriate.
That’s why we don’t believe in looking for one “perfect” exercise.
Pilates can be an excellent part of the puzzle without needing to be the entire puzzle.
Does Nutrition Matter for Losing Belly Fat?
Yes.
If reducing body fat is the goal, your overall eating pattern matters too.
You don’t need to view this as a choice between diet or exercise.
They work together.
And it doesn’t automatically mean following an extreme diet.
For most people, a sustainable approach to body composition means considering nutrition alongside exercise, everyday activity, sleep and recovery.
Pilates can’t compensate indefinitely for consuming more energy than your body needs.
But equally, an aggressive diet combined with exercise you hate isn’t necessarily a good recipe for maintaining your results.
We’re looking for something you can actually live with.
What About Belly Fat During Perimenopause and Menopause?
If your body seems to be changing through your 40s or 50s, you’re certainly not alone.
Changes associated with menopause can affect body composition and fat distribution, and some women may notice more fat accumulating around the abdominal region than previously.
That doesn’t mean exercise has suddenly stopped being worthwhile.
It makes looking after your strength, fitness and overall health particularly valuable.
And this is another reason we like Pilates as part of the bigger picture.
Rather than punishing your body because it has changed, focus on what you can influence: staying active, maintaining your strength, eating well, recovering properly and choosing exercise you’re happy to continue.
Is Pilates Good for Women Over 40 Trying to Lose Belly Fat?
It certainly can be.
Pilates offers a form of exercise that can be progressively adapted as your ability improves while developing strength, control and confidence.
But we’d encourage you to think beyond the single goal of becoming smaller.
A strong 40-, 50- or 60-year-old body is valuable.
Being able to move well is valuable.
Maintaining the confidence to exercise is valuable.
And enjoying what you’re doing makes all of that much easier to sustain.
How Long Does Pilates Take to Change Your Body?
There’s no responsible universal answer to this because everyone starts from a different place.
Your starting fitness, training frequency, nutrition, other physical activity and individual physiology all influence what happens.
You may notice improvements in strength, control and exercise ability before you notice dramatic visual changes.
And that’s progress.
Interestingly, in the Pilates meta-analysis discussed earlier, effects on body weight and BMI appeared more evident in interventions lasting longer than 10 weeks.
That doesn’t mean there’s a guaranteed “10-week Pilates transformation.”
It simply reinforces the value of giving your body enough time to adapt instead of constantly starting again.
Will Pilates Give Me a Flat Stomach?
Nobody can responsibly promise that.
Our bodies are different.
Genetics, natural body shape, age, fat distribution and overall body composition all affect what someone’s stomach looks like.
And a perfectly flat stomach isn’t a prerequisite for being strong, fit or attractive.
A much more useful goal is:
Build a strong body, develop a strong core, improve your fitness and work toward a body composition you feel comfortable maintaining.
If that also results in a leaner-looking waistline — fantastic.
So, Does Pilates Burn Belly Fat?
Pilates can absolutely have a place in a routine designed to reduce belly fat and create a stronger, more defined-looking midsection.
It strengthens your core and other muscles throughout the body, adds meaningful physical activity to your week and can support improvements in overall body composition.
What it can’t do is instruct your body to remove fat exclusively from your stomach.
But we don’t need it to.
When your overall body composition changes, your abdominal area can change too — while Pilates helps you build a stronger body underneath.
And perhaps the biggest advantage is that Pilates can become something you genuinely look forward to doing.
Because the goal isn’t simply finding the workout that promises the quickest result.
It’s finding movement that helps you Move Well. Look Well. Feel Well. — and that you’re happy to keep doing.
Ready to Try Pilates in Millmerran?
At Bodi Boutique, we offer small-group Pilates and Reformer Pilates in Millmerran, with options for different experience levels.
Whether you’d like to become stronger, improve your fitness, work toward body-composition goals or simply find a form of exercise you enjoy, we’ll help you find an appropriate place to begin.
Explore Pilates & Reformer Pilates at Bodi Boutique
And if weight loss is one of your goals, read our complete guide:
Is Pilates Good for Weight Loss? Yes — Here’s How It Can Help
About the Author
Jazz — Bodi Boutique
Jazz is a qualified fitness and Pilates instructor and the owner of Bodi Boutique, a small-group fitness, Pilates, Reformer Pilates and wellness studio in Millmerran, Queensland.
Through Bodi Boutique, Jazz works with women across different ages, fitness levels and exercise backgrounds, with a focus on making movement approachable, progressive and enjoyable.
Learn more about Bodi Boutique
