Which Comes First.....Pilates or Cardio?
Should you do cardio or Pilates first?
Well, it depends on your goals. If you're training for a 5K or marathon, do your run first for maximum performance. If you want to increase your strength and mobility, do Pilates first when your muscles aren't fatigued from the run.
You possibly can gain more strengthening and toning benefits from doing Pilates before running. If you exhaust your muscles doing cardio, you are not going to be able to use the heavier springs on the reformer or do as many reps and therefore won't see the resistance training results as quickly.
But, some people really do enjoy doing their run first because they think it warms up their muscles and joints.
Soooooo, you do you! There really is not a right or wrong answer. Try it both ways and see if you prefer one way or the other. Either way, everyone should be doing cardio and strength training every week. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that a strength training program (such as Pilates) should be performed a minimum of two days each week. They also recommend all healthy adults aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.