← All guides

Fuelling & performance nutrition for Pilates

An honest, evidence-based guide to eating around Pilates, on the mat or on the reformer. The headline is reassuringly simple: a Pilates session is a light-to-moderate effort with a modest energy cost, so your normal, everyday meals already provide all the fuel it needs. This covers what a session actually costs in energy, how to time food around a morning or evening class, hydration (heated rooms included), the protein that supports the strength-endurance Pilates builds, where Pilates sits in a fat-loss plan, a short note on pregnancy and the months after birth, and how Strathlon accounts for your sessions. Practical, grounded in published consensus, and careful to keep the numbers honest.

Here's the short answer to "how should I fuel for Pilates?": eat your normal balanced meals, drink to thirst, and make sure the day as a whole contains enough protein. A typical session sits in the light-to-moderate intensity range, so a pre-class snack, sports drink or recovery shake is optional; have something small before an early class if you simply feel better with it. Pilates earns its place through strength-endurance, trunk control, mobility and body control, with spring resistance on the reformer. Its energy cost is modest, and a sensible eating plan reflects that. Everything below is the detail behind that sentence, and where each number comes from.

Pair this with the Pilates strength and conditioning guide for the training side: the heavier strength work, aerobic fitness and injury-resilience that sit alongside your Pilates week.

On this page

  1. What a Pilates session actually costs
  2. Your everyday meals fuel a Pilates class
  3. Eating around a morning or evening class
  4. Hydration, heated rooms included
  5. Protein for strength-endurance and recovery
  6. Pilates within fat loss: the honest energy maths
  7. Pregnancy and after birth
  8. Where Strathlon fits
  9. Common questions
  10. Takeaways
  11. References

A framing note before the numbers. The research on Pilates itself is small, and people differ: body size, class pace, rest between exercises, room temperature and your own health all change the picture. So this is written as can, tends to and around, the language of likelihood, and every specific figure is a population-level guide drawn from published research, with a numbered source. It's general education; medical or dietary advice and a personalised plan come from a qualified professional.

What a Pilates session actually costs

Researchers describe the energy cost of an activity in METs (metabolic equivalents: one MET is roughly the energy your body uses sitting quietly, about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour). An activity rated at 3 METs uses about three times your resting rate. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference for these values, groups activities into bands: light at 1.6–2.9 METs, moderate at 3.0–5.9 METs and vigorous at 6.0 METs and above.[1]

The Compendium lists two Pilates entries: “Pilates, traditional, mat” at 1.8 METs and “Pilates, general” at 2.8 METs, both in the light band.[2] For a sense of scale, the same Compendium puts a slow, level walk (2.0–2.4 mph) at 2.8 METs, walking the dog at 3.0 and a moderate-pace walk (2.8–3.4 mph) at 3.8.[2] One honest caveat: the adult Compendium values describe adults aged 19 to 59, and a separate compendium covers older adults.[1]

Direct measurements tell a similar story. In a laboratory study of 18 healthy young women, each of whom performed a 15-exercise session on the reformer and another on the mat, energy expenditure averaged about 2.6 kcal a minute on the reformer and 1.9 kcal a minute on the mat. Oxygen uptake was higher on the reformer, and in both sessions blood lactate, heart rate and blood pressure stayed close to resting values, with any rise too small to be statistically significant.[3] The authors concluded that both sessions placed low stress on the heart and lungs, with the reformer session the more demanding of the two.

The most complete summary so far is a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of earlier studies) covering six studies. It estimated that a typical Pilates session averages around 3.7 METs, with a 95% confidence interval (the range the true average probably sits in) of 3.1–4.3. When the authors set aside the two studies at high risk of bias, the estimate fell to around 3.0 METs (2.3–3.6), which they regard as the most reliable figure available, and they rate the certainty of the whole evidence base as low to very low.[4] Their overall conclusion: Pilates appears to sit at light-to-moderate intensity.

The same review points at the main dial: rest. Protocols with rests of 60 seconds or less between sets and exercises averaged about 3.4 METs, while those with longer rests averaged about 2.0.[4] In practice, a brisk, flowing class tends to cost more than a slower class with longer set-ups, and a reformer class somewhat more than a mat class. All of them still sit in the light-to-moderate range.

Common misconception → correct it. "Pilates burns as much as a run or a spin class." The measured figures place it much lower: for most sessions, somewhere between a slow walk and a moderate-pace walk, with the meta-analysis landing at around 3.0–3.7 METs.[4] Part of that figure is energy you would have used anyway, because the first MET is simply your resting rate.[1] That is simply context: the benefits of Pilates lie in strength-endurance, control and mobility, and its fuelling needs are correspondingly modest.

Your everyday meals fuel a Pilates class

Your body runs on a blend of fat and carbohydrate. Carbohydrate, stored as glycogen in muscle and liver, is the fast fuel that hard, sustained efforts lean on, and most of the machinery of sports nutrition (carbohydrate targets per hour, gels, sports drinks, carb-loading) exists to stop that limited store running low during long or intense exercise. A Pilates class asks far less of it. At light-to-moderate intensity, over 45 to 60 minutes and with pauses between exercises, you draw a modest amount of energy from a mix of fuels, and your last ordinary meal has it covered.

The published guidance makes the same point from the other direction. Advice on taking carbohydrate during exercise is written for sustained high-intensity and longer efforts: around 30–60 g an hour for longer sports, rising to as much as 90 g an hour for events beyond two and a half hours.[5] Advice on a carbohydrate-rich meal or snacks beforehand (roughly 1–4 g per kilogram of body weight in the hours before) is aimed at higher-intensity exercise lasting more than about 90 minutes.[6] A Pilates class sits well outside both. So the honest fuelling plan for Pilates is your everyday eating: balanced meals built around vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, a protein source and some healthy fats.

Common misconception → correct it. "I need an energy bar or a sports drink to get through class." The carbohydrate-during-exercise guidance is written for sustained high-intensity or long efforts,[5] and a Pilates class is a lighter, shorter effort. If you ever feel shaky or light-headed in class, look first at how long it has been since you last ate, and keep a small snack for before class on those days.

Eating around a morning or evening class

Because the energy demand is modest, timing is mostly about comfort. And Pilates has a comfort issue of its own, compared with a walk or a bike ride: you spend much of the class lying on your back or front, rolling through the spine, curling the trunk, and on the reformer sometimes tipping your legs overhead. A large meal shortly beforehand can make all of that feel heavy or unsettled.

  • Early-morning class, before breakfast. Many people are perfectly comfortable doing Pilates on an empty stomach after an overnight fast, and at this intensity, eating first is simply a matter of preference. If you tend to feel light-headed, shaky or flat, a small, easy snack shortly beforehand (half a banana, a slice of toast, a small pot of yoghurt) usually settles it. Have breakfast afterwards.
  • Evening class. If lunch was a long time ago, a small afternoon snack helps you arrive comfortable. Have your evening meal afterwards; your earlier meals already “fuel” the class.
  • After a big meal. Many people find that a longer gap after a large meal makes rolling, inverting and lying face-down far more comfortable. Experiment with what suits your stomach, and keep anything close to class small and plain.

After class, you can take your time. The idea of a narrow “anabolic window” in which you must eat within minutes has been examined closely, and the evidence suggests that daily totals and sensible meal spacing matter far more than racing to eat after a session.[7] The International Society of Sports Nutrition notes that the muscle-building effect of exercise lasts at least 24 hours, and that protein taken before or after a session both bring benefits.[8] Your next normal meal, with a good portion of protein in it, is the recovery plan.

Situation Food Fluid Notes
Mat or reformer class, eaten normally that day Normal meals To thirst Your normal meals cover it entirely.
Early class before breakfast Optional small snack A glass of water on waking Only if you feel flat or light-headed on an empty stomach. Breakfast afterwards.
Class after a long gap since your last meal A light snack beforehand To thirst Keeps you comfortable and steady through rolling and inverted work.
Class in a heated room Normal meals Start hydrated, sip during, drink after Salty food or an electrolyte drink can help if you sweat heavily.
Pilates plus harder training the same day Normal meals To thirst Fuel the harder session. Spread protein across the day.

Hydration, heated rooms included

In an ordinary studio, sweating during Pilates tends to be light, and drinking to thirst before, during and after is plenty. Bring a bottle if you like to sip between exercises. For everyday intake, NHS guidance based on the UK Eatwell Guide suggests around 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, aiming for pale yellow urine, with more needed in a hot environment, during long periods of activity, and in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.[9]

Heated rooms change the sweating side of the picture. Some studios deliberately warm the room, and the extra sweat in those classes comes from the heat of the room on top of the work itself. The American College of Sports Medicine's position on fluid replacement frames the goal as starting exercise well hydrated and avoiding a water deficit of more than about 2% of body weight. Because sweat rates vary widely between people, it recommends an individual approach, and you can estimate your own losses by weighing yourself before and after a session.[10] For a heated class, that comes down to three simple habits: arrive well hydrated, sip during the class, and drink afterwards. If you sweat heavily, salty food at your next meal or an electrolyte drink can help you hold on to the fluid, and the same position stand notes that drinks containing electrolytes and carbohydrate can offer benefits over water alone in some circumstances.[10]

Drinking far beyond your losses carries its own risk. The international consensus on exercise-associated hyponatraemia (a dangerous dilution of the blood's sodium) names sustained drinking in volumes greater than your sweat and other losses as its single most important risk factor.[11] That is rare in a class setting, but it's a good reason to drink to thirst and keep what you drink in line with what you lose.

Common misconception → correct it. "A heated class must burn far more, because I sweat so much." Sweat is your cooling system at work, and most of the weight it takes off is water, which returns as soon as you rehydrate. Judge a heated class by how it trains you, and treat the drop on the scales afterwards as fluid to replace.

Protein for strength-endurance and recovery

If one nutrient deserves attention from a Pilates regular, it's protein. Pilates is muscular work: holding positions, controlling slow movements and pushing or pulling against springs all load your muscles, and the NHS lists Pilates among the activities that count towards its guideline of strengthening work on at least two days a week.[12] Muscle adapts to that work using the protein you eat across the day.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand describes a daily intake of 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight as sufficient for most exercising people who want to build or maintain muscle, with around 0.25 g per kilogram, or 20–40 g, per serving, spread evenly every three to four hours.[8] For a 65 kg person, that works out at roughly 90–130 g a day: eggs or yoghurt at breakfast, fish, chicken, tofu or beans at lunch and dinner, and a protein-containing snack such as milk or cheese.

Most people can get there from ordinary food; protein shakes are simply a convenience for busy days.[8] If you are also lifting weights and eating in a calorie deficit to lose fat, the position stand notes that higher intakes, around 2.3–3.1 g per kilogram a day, may help resistance-trained people hold on to lean mass.[8] For most people doing Pilates two or three times a week, the lower end of the 1.4–2.0 g range, eaten consistently across the day, is a reasonable place to start. Our protein guide goes further.

Common misconception → correct it. "Protein only matters if you lift heavy weights." Any regular muscular training uses protein for repair and adaptation, and Pilates counts as strengthening work.[12] Spreading protein across your meals supports the strength-endurance your classes build, whatever else your week contains.

Pilates within fat loss: the honest energy maths

Pilates can be a valuable part of a fat-loss plan, and it helps to be clear about how. Its direct energy cost is modest: light-to-moderate on the MET scale, with the first MET of every minute being energy you'd have used sitting still.[1][4] So a class adds a real but small amount to your day's energy expenditure.

The trial evidence fits that picture. A 2021 meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials, with 393 adults with overweight or obesity, found that Pilates programmes produced average reductions of about 2.4 kg in body weight, 1.2 points of BMI and 4.2 percentage points of body fat compared with control groups, while waist circumference and lean body mass stayed statistically similar between the groups. The trials were small and varied, and the authors called for larger, better-designed studies.[13] Read honestly, that's a modest average effect from a modest evidence base.

Where Pilates helps most is in the things that make fat loss sustainable: it's low-impact, many people enjoy it, it builds strength-endurance and body control, and it's easy to keep doing week after week. What you eat tends to do most of the work on the scales, and overall activity matters too: the World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week for adults, plus muscle-strengthening on two or more days.[14] Pilates contributes to the strengthening part, and a brisk, flowing session can edge into moderate intensity; walking, cycling or swimming covers the rest. Our fat-loss fundamentals guide lays out how the pieces fit together.

Two traps are worth naming. One is treating a class as permission for a large treat, which can easily outweigh what the session used. The other runs the opposite way: several classes a week on top of other training, with restrictive eating, can leave you eating too little for the exercise you do. The International Olympic Committee's consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport describes the health and performance problems that follow, in women and men alike.[15] If you train often and feel persistently drained, talk to a GP or registered dietitian. Our energy availability guide covers this in more depth.

Common misconception → correct it. "I can feel the burn, so it must be burning a lot." The burn in your abdominals or glutes during a long hold mostly reflects local fatigue in a small group of hard-working muscles. Whole-body energy use depends on how much muscle is working and how continuously, which is why the measured costs of Pilates stay light-to-moderate however much a set stings.[3][4]

Pregnancy and after birth

If you are pregnant or have recently given birth, here is a short, careful note. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises that, in the absence of obstetric or medical complications, physical activity in pregnancy is safe and desirable, with at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during pregnancy and after birth. It also advises staying well hydrated, avoiding high heat and humidity, and avoiding long periods lying flat on your back, because after about 20 weeks that position can reduce blood flow back to the heart.[16] NHS guidance is similar: avoid lying flat on your back for long periods, particularly after 16 weeks; drink plenty of fluids; avoid strenuous exercise in hot weather; and make sure your class teacher is properly qualified and knows you are pregnant and how many weeks along you are.[17] Taken together, that points to unheated classes while you are pregnant.

On the food side, the NHS is clear that you can set aside the idea of “eating for 2”, even if you are expecting twins or triplets.[18] Your midwife or doctor is the right person to guide your intake. After birth, ACOG notes that exercise can be resumed gradually as soon as it is medically safe, depending on the type of delivery and any complications, and that pelvic floor exercises can begin in the immediate postnatal period.[16] Get individual clearance from your midwife, GP or obstetrician before starting or returning to classes, and keep the eating side simple: normal, balanced meals.

Where Strathlon fits

Where Strathlon fits. Strathlon treats Pilates as a sport in its own right. Pick it from the main sports list (it sits under Gymnastics & Fitness, and searching for “Pilates” or “reformer” finds it), then choose your session type: Mat Pilates or Reformer Pilates, each 45 minutes by default. Every Pilates session is a practice session, so your scheduled sessions sit on the days you choose. On the Nutrition tab, a day with a Pilates session is filed under the Sport Training target type, alongside Training and Rest. Each session adds a modest, conservatively estimated amount of energy to that day's calorie allowance, based on the published energy cost of Pilates and scaled to your body weight: the same light-to-moderate picture this guide describes. For a one-off class, log it with + Add activity on the Plan tab. If you record a Pilates workout on Apple Watch, or in any app that saves a Pilates workout to Apple Health, Strathlon matches it to that day's planned Pilates session once you have allowed it to read workouts from Apple Health. Pilates also still appears under Gym classes, and logging it either way is fine.

Common questions

Do I need to eat before a Pilates class?

Usually, your normal meals are all you need. A typical Pilates session is light-to-moderate in intensity and lasts around 45 to 60 minutes, so they already cover it.[4] If you're training first thing and feel shaky or flat on an empty stomach, a small, easy snack beforehand, such as half a banana or a slice of toast, usually helps. Keep anything you eat close to class light, because lying down, rolling and curling the trunk feel uncomfortable on a full stomach.

Is it fine to do Pilates on an empty stomach in the morning?

For most healthy people, yes. At this intensity, eating beforehand is simply personal preference, and many people are comfortable after an overnight fast. If you feel light-headed, dizzy or weak, eat something small beforehand next time and have breakfast afterwards. If you have diabetes or another condition that affects your blood sugar, follow the advice of your own care team.

What should I eat after Pilates?

Your next normal meal, with a good portion of protein in it. You can take your time: the muscle-building effect of exercise lasts at least a day, and daily totals matter more than precise timing.[8][7] A breakfast with eggs or yoghurt, or a lunch or dinner with fish, chicken, tofu or beans, covers it. A recovery shake is optional.

How much protein should I eat if I do Pilates regularly?

The International Society of Sports Nutrition describes 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day as sufficient for most exercising people, spread across meals at around 20–40 g per serving.[8] For many Pilates regulars, the lower end of that range, eaten consistently, is a reasonable place to start. Higher intakes may help if you are also lifting weights and eating in a calorie deficit.

How many calories does Pilates burn, and will it help me lose weight?

Fewer than many people expect. Pilates sits in the light-to-moderate intensity range, roughly between a slow walk and a moderate-pace walk, and the exact cost depends on your body weight, the pace of the class and how much rest there is between exercises; reformer classes tend to cost somewhat more than mat classes.[2][3][4] Pilates can support fat loss by adding activity, building strength-endurance and being easy to stick with, while what you eat tends to do most of the work on the scales.

How much should I drink in a heated class?

Arrive well hydrated, sip during the class and drink afterwards. Sweat rates vary a lot between people, so the right amount is individual; a practical guide from sports-medicine guidance is to avoid losing more than about 2% of your body weight as sweat.[10] If you sweat heavily, salty food or an electrolyte drink afterwards helps you hold on to the fluid. Drinking roughly what you lose is plenty, and if you are pregnant, choose an unheated class.

Takeaways

  • Pilates is light-to-moderate work. The Compendium rates it at 1.8–2.8 METs, and the best meta-analysis estimate is around 3.0–3.7 METs: roughly between a slow and a moderate-pace walk.[2][4]
  • Normal meals cover a class. Gels, sports drinks and pre-workout products are optional. A small snack before an early class is optional, for comfort.
  • Time food for comfort. Rolling, curling and inverted work feel better with a good gap after a big meal. Eat your next normal meal afterwards.
  • Drink to thirst, more in heated rooms. Start hydrated, sip during, aim to keep losses under about 2% of body weight, and add salt or electrolytes if you sweat heavily.[10]
  • Protein is the nutrient that matters. Around 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day, spread across meals at 20–40 g per serving, supports the strength-endurance Pilates builds.[8]
  • Be honest about the energy maths. Pilates supports fat loss through consistency, strength and activity. What you eat does most of the work on the scales.
  • Pregnant? Keep it cool and cleared. Get individual clearance, avoid long spells lying flat on your back and heated rooms, and eat normally.[16][17]
  • Let the app do the bookkeeping. Strathlon adds a modest, conservative energy allowance on Pilates days and matches recorded Pilates workouts to your plan.

If you remember one thing, make it this: the best fuelling strategy for Pilates is your everyday eating, done well. Eat balanced meals with enough protein, drink to thirst, take care in a heated room, and let the real benefits of Pilates (strength-endurance, control, mobility and a habit you can keep) do their work. Strathlon's job is honest bookkeeping: a modest, conservative allowance on the days you practise.

References

Numbered sources for the specific figures, effect sizes and named studies above. Where a claim reflects agreed guidance rather than a single trial, the citation is to the position stand or consensus statement of the body concerned, with the country or international remit named. The research on the energy cost of Pilates is small and its certainty is low, which is why this guide quotes ranges and the authors' own caveats alongside the averages.

  1. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, Barreira TV, Hastert M, Kracht CL, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2024;13(1):6–12. The source for the definition of a MET, the intensity bands, and the age range the adult values cover. PubMed 38242596 · PMC10818145 full text
  2. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: Conditioning exercise and Walking codes. The Compendium website entries for “Pilates, traditional, mat” (code 02103, 1.8 METs) and “Pilates, general” (code 02105, 2.8 METs), and the walking codes used for comparison. Compendium: conditioning exercise · Compendium: walking
  3. de Souza Andrade L, da Silva Almeida I, Mochizuki L, Sousa CV, Falk Neto JH, Kennedy MD, et al. What is the exercise intensity of Pilates? An analysis of the energy expenditure, blood lactate, and intensity of apparatus and mat Pilates sessions. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2021;26:36–42. Reformer and mat sessions measured in 18 healthy young women: the source for the energy costs and low cardiovascular stress. PubMed 33992270 · DOI 10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.12.007
  4. Vitor GBB, de Oliveira LC, Pessôa RAG, Aguiar AF, de Oliveira RG. Metabolic intensity and energy cost of Pilates exercises: an exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis of limited and heterogeneous evidence. Systematic Reviews. 2026;15(1):42. The source for the average MET values, their uncertainty, and the effect of rest intervals. PubMed 41495794 · PMC12869938 full text
  5. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S17–27. The source for the carbohydrate-during-exercise rates and the sessions they apply to. PubMed 21660838
  6. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, Stout JR, Campbell B, Wilborn CD, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:33. International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN, United States) position stand on nutrient timing, the source for the pre-exercise carbohydrate guidance and the sessions it is aimed at. PubMed 28919842 · PMC5596471 full text
  7. Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013;10(1):5. Aragon and Schoenfeld on the post-exercise anabolic window, the source for daily totals mattering more than racing to eat after a session. PubMed 23360586 · PMC3577439 full text
  8. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20. ISSN position stand on protein and exercise, the source for the daily protein range, the per-serving amount and spacing, the timing flexibility, and the higher range during a calorie deficit. PubMed 28642676 · PMC5477153 full text
  9. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Water, drinks and hydration. NHS guidance on daily fluid intake, the source for the 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day and the situations that call for more. NHS Live Well
  10. Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2007;39(2):377–90. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, United States) position stand on exercise and fluid replacement, the source for the under-2% body-weight guideline, individual sweat rates and electrolyte drinks. PubMed 17277604
  11. Hew-Butler T, Rosner MH, Fowkes-Godek S, Dugas JP, Hoffman MD, Lewis DP, et al. Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2015;25(4):303–20. Third international consensus statement on exercise-associated hyponatraemia, the source for drinking beyond losses being its single most important risk factor. PubMed 26102445
  12. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. NHS physical activity guidance for adults, the source for the weekly aerobic and strengthening targets and for Pilates being listed among muscle-strengthening activities. NHS physical activity guidelines
  13. Wang Y, Chen Z, Wu Z, Ye X, Xu X. Pilates for Overweight or Obesity: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Physiology. 2021;12:643455. Meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials of Pilates in adults with overweight or obesity, the source for the body-weight, BMI, body-fat, waist and lean-mass results. PubMed 33776797 · PMC7992419 full text
  14. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(24):1451–1462. World Health Organization (WHO, international) guidelines, the source for the 150–300 minute aerobic range, muscle-strengthening on two or more days a week, and the extra balance and strength work advised for older adults. PubMed 33239350 · PMC7719906 full text
  15. Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, Burke LM, Constantini N, Hackney AC, et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023;57(17):1073–1097. The 2023 IOC consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, the source for the effects of eating too little for the exercise you do. PubMed 37752011
  16. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, United States). Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2020;135(4):e178–e188. ACOG guidance on exercise in pregnancy and after birth, the source for the 150-minute target, hydration and heat advice, lying on the back after 20 weeks, and returning to exercise after birth. PubMed 32217980 · ACOG Committee Opinion 804
  17. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Exercise in pregnancy. NHS guidance on exercise in pregnancy, the source for avoiding lying flat on your back after 16 weeks, avoiding strenuous exercise in hot weather, and telling your class teacher you are pregnant. NHS: exercise in pregnancy
  18. National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom). Have a healthy diet in pregnancy. NHS guidance on eating in pregnancy, the source for setting aside the idea of “eating for 2”. NHS: healthy diet in pregnancy

This is general educational information. For medical, dietary or coaching advice, speak to a qualified professional. The figures here are drawn from published research and framed as population-level guides: individual needs vary with body size, class pace, room temperature and health status, and are best personalised with a qualified professional. Anyone with a health condition, who is pregnant or postpartum, or who has a history of disordered eating should consult a physician, midwife or registered dietitian before making changes. See our Terms for more.

← All guides · Pilates strength and conditioning · Fuelling for gym classes · Eating for results · Fat-loss fundamentals · Hydration and electrolytes · Understanding your stats · Home