How many calories does pilates burn?

At 2.8 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 98 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.

What is the MET value for pilates?

2.8 METs, listed under Compendium code 02105. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.

Should I subtract my resting metabolism?

If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for pilates leaves about 64 per cent of the gross total.

Why does body weight change the answer?

A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.

How accurate is this figure?

It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.

Calories burned pilates

Energy used during pilates, computed from its metabolic equivalent of 2.8. The table below covers common weights and durations if you would rather not enter anything.

Result

These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.

The MET value and where it comes from

MET value: 2.8
Compendium code: 02105
Listed as: Pilates, general
Category: Gym and studio

At 2.8 METs, pilates is toward the light end relative to the full range of activities the Compendium lists, which runs from 1.0 for sitting quietly to above 20 for elite competition.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 2.8 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (2.8 − 1) × weight × hours

Source: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. "2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities." Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(1), 2024, pp. 6–12. MET values are population averages; roughly 18% of Compendium entries are estimated rather than measured.

Gross and net differ by roughly one MET per hour. For pilates at 2.8 METs, that means about 64 per cent of the total is genuinely attributable to the activity.

Accuracy is limited by what a MET value can represent. It is one number standing in for everyone doing pilates, and real cost shifts with how hard you work, how efficient you are, and the conditions.

Calories burned by body weight and duration

Gross energy in kilocalories. Read across from your weight and down from your duration. A 70 kg person uses about 196 kcal an hour, of which roughly 126 is above what resting would have cost.

Calories burned by body weight and duration
Body weight	15 min	20 min	30 min	45 min	60 min	90 min
55 kg	39	51	77	116	154	231
65 kg	46	61	91	137	182	273
75 kg	53	70	105	158	210	315
85 kg	59	79	119	178	238	357
95 kg	67	89	133	200	266	399
110 kg	77	103	154	231	308	462

Compared with related activities

Energy used per thirty minutes at 70 kg, so the activities are directly comparable.

Comparison with related activities
Activity	METs	kcal / 30 min
Pilates	2.8	98
Yoga	2.3	81
Power yoga	4	140
Water aerobics	5.3	186
Tai chi	3.3	116
Stationary cycling	6.8	238

Questions

How many calories does pilates burn?: At 2.8 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 98 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.
What is the MET value for pilates?: 2.8 METs, listed under Compendium code 02105. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.
Should I subtract my resting metabolism?: If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for pilates leaves about 64 per cent of the gross total.
Why does body weight change the answer?: A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.
How accurate is this figure?: It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.