Is Pilates Strength Training? Our Honest Answer (Especially If You're in Perimenopause or Menopause)

Written By Holly Swanson

Over the last couple of years, we’re hearing more from women in their late 30s, 40s and 50s who are coming in saying some version of the same thing: "My doctor told me I need to strength train," or "I read that I need to build muscle now because of perimenopause, so I'm here."

We love that you're here. And today, we're going to give you the honest answer of what Pilates can and cannot do for you, because some of what's being marketed to women right now is confusing and potentially misleading.  

Is Pilates strength training?

Yes, Pilates is a form of resistance training, and you will get stronger doing it. The Reformer's springs provide adjustable resistance, and exercises load your muscles through controlled ranges of motion. Clients who come consistently (~2 to 3 times a week) reliably build noticeable strength, especially in the deep core, glutes, and stabilizing muscles that most gym routines miss.

But we want to be precise here: Pilates builds real strength, but it is not a replacement for progressively heavy lifting. If your doctor told you to strength train for bone density and muscle mass, they most likely meant lifting progressively heavier loads over time. The Reformer's springs have a ceiling; a barbell doesn't. The best way we can put it is that Pilates is strength training, and for most women in midlife it works best alongside heavier lifting, not instead of it.

Will Pilates help you lose weight?

Not directly, and we'd rather tell you that upfront than let you find out three months in. Weight is driven mostly by overall energy balance, and a Pilates class is not a big calorie burn compared to cardio or lifting heavy weights. Anyone who sells Pilates as a weight loss program is overselling it.

What Pilates does change is your body composition and how you carry yourself: more muscle, better posture, more ease in movement. Many clients tell us they feel visibly different long before any number on a scale moves (and for plenty of them, it never does, and they stop caring). It also makes it more comfortable and safe to move into other forms of exercise when you’ve been working to stabilize your core, muscles, and joints. So in that context, it can support weight loss efforts. But if weight loss is your primary goal, the bigger levers are nutrition and overall activity, and we'd be doing you a disservice to tell you otherwise.

Can Pilates fix perimenopause or menopause symptoms?

Not exactly. The hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen chief among them, are going to happen regardless of what you do on a Reformer. Estrogen decline affects muscle mass, bone density, sleep, and how your body stores fat, and things like core strength and mobility doesn't stop that process. If symptoms are disrupting your life, that's a conversation for your doctor, and treatments exist that are worth asking about.

Here's what's also true: movement is one of the most effective tools you have for managing this transition, even though it can't reverse it. Research shows postmenopausal women lose lean mass at roughly 0.6% per year, and women with low muscle mass have about twice the risk of falling and nearly three times the risk of fracture compared to women who've preserved their muscle. So while we cannot change your hormones, we can protect strength, bone, and balance while your hormones change. And sticking with regular movement will support other healthy habits that can ease symptoms. 

What does Pilates actually do?

Here's what it does well, and why we've built two studios around it:

  • Deep, functional core strength. Not just to give you abs, but the whole system that stabilizes your spine and pelvis. This is the foundation for every other kind of movement, and it's what most people are missing when they only do cardio or weight training.

  • Balance and control. Pilates trains your body to move with precision, which matters more every decade. Falls are the thing the fracture statistics above are really about, and balance work is fall prevention.

  • Mobility and joint health. Strength through a full range of motion, so you're not just strong but strong in the positions life actually puts you in. Taking groceries from the car into the house, picking up your kids (or grandkids), lifting something from the top shelf in your garage.

  • Pelvic floor awareness. You’ll rarely hear this spoken about in a regular, commercial gym, but it’s important for everyone, not just those who were recently pregnant or having children.

  • Low-impact loading. Challenging work that's kind to knees, hips, and backs, which makes it sustainable on the days heavier training isn't appealing (or isn't wise).

  • Body awareness. Our clients consistently say Pilates taught them to feel what their body is doing. That awareness carries into everything else you do, including lifting safely.

  • Movement pattern training. Pilates is very good at training proper movement patterns and allowing the body to reinforce those again load. So when you do lift heavy, you do it with better patterns. 

How Pilates supports every other kind of movement

This is the part we care most about. We don't think of Pilates as competing with lifting, running, tennis, or anything else you love. We think of it as the base layer underneath all of them.

If you lift, Pilates improves the trunk stability and control that keep your squat and deadlift form as loads get heavier. If you run, it strengthens the hips and core that keep your stride efficient. If you play tennis, golf, or pickleball, rotational control is at the core of Pilates philosophy. And if your main sport is life (carrying groceries up a walk-up, lifting a grandchild, shoveling a Chicago sidewalk in February), Pilates supports those patterns, too.

So when clients ask us "should I do Pilates or lift weights?", our answer is usually both, if you can. A realistic midlife week might look like 2 Pilates sessions, 2 strength sessions, and walking most days.Consistency matters more than any perfect formula, so the best plan is the one you'll still be doing in a year.

Common questions

"Is the Reformer enough resistance to build muscle?" It depends on where you start from. If you’ve never exercised or done any kind of resistance training, then yes. But as you progress the intention of Pilates changes to become more about what we talked about above. For anything beyond the initial muscle and bone building, you’ll want to be able to load progressively heavier. 

"Does Pilates improve bone density?" The evidence is modest. Pilates can help maintain bone through resistance and weight-bearing positions, but heavy loading and impact are the stronger stimuli for building bone. If osteoporosis or osteopenia is part of your picture, your doctor's guidance comes first.

"What about 'menopause belly'?" Changing fat storage patterns are hormonal, and no core exercise spot-reduces fat. What Pilates will do is strengthen and support your core underneath. If this is a trouble spot for you, we recommend seeking the advice of your doctor. 

"I've never lifted a weight in my life. Where do I start?" Starting with Pilates is a good on-ramp: you'll build the control, core strength, and body awareness that make lifting safer and less intimidating later. Plenty of our clients started at Core and added lifting six months in.

Getting Started at Core Chicago

If you're rethinking how you train in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond, we'd love to be part of your routine.

If you want individual attention first: Our Privates Intro Package ($295) includes three one-on-one sessions, which is the right call if you have injuries, osteoporosis concerns, or just want a foundation built around your body.

If you want to try both: Our Privates/Group Combo ($255) includes two private sessions and two group classes.

If you're ready to jump into classes: Our Intro Week Membership ($110) gives you unlimited classes for your first week (one per day) at both our Lincoln Park and Lakeview locations, with a max of 5 people per class.

Book Your First Session

View Our Full Schedule |Learn More About Our Intro Packages

Core Chicago Pilates Locations: Lincoln Park: 2549 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 | Lakeview: 3000 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Questions? Email: info@corechicagopilates.com | Call or text: 773-296-9660

Resources

Holly Swanson
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