Hey there!

I currently take Pilates 3x's a week for an hour per workout. Although it's a great workout and i'm noticing great results, should i also incorporate some cardio training as well? I play tennis 1-2x's a week, but wondered if i should use my Precor Ellitpical 3x's week (30 mins a pop) for optimum benefits. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in Advance! :)

Cardio is a great way to burn calories and tone muscles. I don't think that any exercise program would suggest that you not do cardio to get in healthy shape unless the goal was strict muscle development.

The elliptical machine is a great way of getting a more full body work out than either cycling or rowing for sure. It isn't the same thing as cross country skiing, but really, who can go do that in May usually anyway?

How do you find Pilates? I've been considering doing some classes to help with core strength.

I think adding in cardio would be a great idea! In the past I would do pilates at home (a dvd) and then run outside or on the elliptical and it was a great combination. I loved how pilates would work my core very well and I'd burn lots of calories with the cardio. I'd love to do another pilates class at the gym instead of dvd, but it seems like they only have them at times I can't go at my gym (I take night classes and don't get home until 10pm and have things to do all day). I wish I could find more classes that are pilates with the pilates ball. I thought it was a lot of fun!

Thanks for the input! That's what i'd been doing, but wondered if it was too much since i play tennis, too. I'll just keep on keeping on and see how things develope.

To answer your question Tur --I take Pilates at a Pilates Studio here in town called The Pilates Center. It's not a 'gym' per se -- it's strictly Pilates, and we workout on the reformers and tower equipment, often with the resistence rings. The instructors are great, and the workouts are challenging yet fun. i feel really lucky that our town has such a place and i'm not limited to Pilates on the floor at home, or at the regular gym. I've tried both, and they're just not the same for me. Having that 'personal trainer' (our classes are no more than 3-4 ladies at at time per instructor) has made a world of differnce for me.

k, i have tennis tonight, so i won't do my Elliptical before Pilates, but will continue to do it on days when i'm doing nothing else cardio. Thanks for the input, folks! I appreciate it!

BeckyJean:)