I get asked quite regularly: 'how often should I do Pilates?' I think that it depends on what kind of results you are looking for. In a nutshell, Pilates can be practiced every day.
Joseph Pilates recommended doing his discipline 3 times a week. With Joe you had to sign up to come to his Contrology gymnasium 3 times weekly for a duration of 3 months. The guy meant business! Joe Pilates knew that to achieving consistent results would require significant work and dedication.
I completely agree with Joseph, 3 times a week for any decent exercise routine is a great recommendation. Enter real life. How often you should do Pilates is really up to you, your commitments & priorities. If you are very active, then 1-2 Pilates sessions a week will enhance what you are already doing.
One session per week consistently for maintenance, alongside other activities, is great. One session will aid recovery from a specific injury, it will help & educate you in further prevention of injuries. You will get great stress relief, but may not produce fast results. Flexibility & strength will improve incrementally, layer by layer.
Two sessions per week consistently will give you subsequent big changes in strength, stability, mobility, flexibility - it will aid performance. Two sessions per week will also help you tackle specific injuries & movement restrictions better - deeper more profound work.
Three sessions per week consistently - here the Pilates promise comes to life - optimal Pilates results - you get a transformed body! I am not promising a whole new surgically enhanced you. We are talking about visible changes in how you carry yourself and how your clothes sit on you. It will carry over into performing daily tasks and activities with more efficiency. You will notice significant improvements in posture, mobility, strength and flexibility. Additional benefits include improved mental concentration & control.
At the end of the day it is totally up to you how often you practice and knowing the reason you are practicing Pilates and the results you are after may help you decide this. It will always depend on your lifestyle, where your body is currently at what is realistic for you.
I'd be lying if I said I did my own Pilates practice everyday, however my belief is that a consistent practice is my best practice. If I don't have time to do a full practice I'll fit in what I can even if that's only 10 minutes!
I hope this helps for anyone wondering how often they should do Pilates - I'm always here if you have any questions!
Nicole x