Hot Pilates: what it is, and why we heat with infrared instead of air conditioning

Hot Pilates combines mat pilates — exercise on a mat using your own body weight — with a heated room. The principles remain the same as in classical pilates: working with the deep core muscles, precision, movement control and conscious breathing. What changes is the pace and the environment.

Compared with a calm mat class, Hot Pilates is more energetic and its structure is closer to interval training. It uses light weights, resistance bands and a Pilates ring. The impact on the joints remains low, but the intensity is high — which is why this format is described as a low-impact yet demanding workout.

Worldwide, heated pilates classes are most commonly held at temperatures of 35 to 40 °C. At NOON STUDIO, we work within a range of 38 to 40 °C.

This is the essential difference between our studio and most heated rooms.

Conventional heated studios warm the air — using hot-air fans or air conditioning set to maximum heat. The warm air must be circulated constantly around the room to keep the temperature even. The result is often a feeling of stuffiness, draughts from the ventilation and dust being stirred up.

Infrared panels work differently. They do not heat the air, but emit infrared heat that warms the body and the surfaces in the room directly. You can picture the difference through an everyday example: on an overcast winter day, it is just as cold outside as on a sunny one, yet the moment sunlight falls on you, you feel warmth immediately. Not because the air has warmed up, but because the radiation has warmed you.

In practice, this means four things:

• you feel warmth on your skin from the first minute, without waiting for the room to “warm up"
• the air remains pleasant to breathe, without a feeling of stuffiness
• no draughts and no ventilation noise, so the class remains quiet
• the temperature is even throughout the room — there is no difference between a mat by the door and one by the window

Warm muscles and joints move more easily. Your range of movement is greater from the first few minutes than in an unheated room, so you do not need to work through a long warm-up before stretching. This is precisely why heated classes are popular for mobility work.

Heat also raises your heart rate, and exercise feels subjectively more demanding than the same sequence at a normal temperature. You sweat considerably more.

At the same time, it is important to be honest: heated workouts using infrared heat are a relatively new format, and targeted research specifically into them is still limited. That is why you will not find promises about detoxification or a specific number of calories burnt on our website. What we can describe reliably is the experience itself: a greater range of movement, higher intensity and the feeling of a well-stretched body after class.

The class lasts 50 minutes, with a maximum of six clients in the room. The small group is intentional — the instructor can see everyone and correct technique throughout, which matters even more at a brisker pace than in a calm class.

The room is preheated before you arrive, so you step into a prepared environment. The class starts with gentler preparation and breathing, continues with blocks for the core, legs and upper limbs, and finishes with stretching and a calm-down.

We provide mats and grip socks at the studio. You bring a towel, a large bottle of water and clothing that feels comfortable in the heat.

Hot Pilates is suitable for anyone who is in good health and tolerates heat well. Pilates experience is not a requirement, although if you are starting entirely from scratch, we recommend taking a few Mat Pilates classes at a normal temperature first — you will learn the basic principles and technique without having to cope with the heat at the same time.

However, Hot Pilates is not for everyone. If you are pregnant, being treated for a cardiovascular condition, have low blood pressure or find heat difficult to tolerate, consult your doctor before your first class. The same applies if you take medication that affects blood pressure or temperature regulation.

You never have to complete everything in class. At any point, you can slow down, skip an exercise or simply sit down and breathe for a while. On your first visit, this is not a failure but a sensible approach.

• Drink regularly throughout the day, not just immediately before class. If you finish half a litre five minutes before the start, your body will not have time to respond.
• Do not eat immediately before class. Ideally, have a lighter meal two to three hours beforehand.
• Wear close-fitting, breathable clothing. A loose T-shirt gets in the way more than it helps in the heat.
• Arrive a little earlier, so you can get used to the room temperature before the class begins.
• Allow for the fact that your body takes several classes to get used to the heat. The first is usually the most demanding and does not tell you how well the format will suit you.

If you are deciding where to begin, a simple distinction can help:

• Mat Pilates is the best introduction to the method. You learn the principles and technique at a calm pace, without additional variables.
• Reformer Pilates uses a machine with springs that provides both resistance and support. It allows more precise muscle work and is excellent if you want to tailor exercise closely to your body.
• Hot Pilates is a more dynamic format for those who already have experience of movement and want higher intensity and a greater range of movement.

You can find a more detailed comparison of the first two formats in our article on the difference between Reformer and Mat Pilates.

Hot Pilates is not simply pilates in a warmer room. A change of environment changes the pace of the class, your range of movement and how you experience exercise. And the way the room is heated determines whether the warmth feels pleasant or stuffy.

At NOON STUDIO, we are opening the region's first infrared Hot Pilates studio on 2 November 2026. If the format interests you, leave us your contact details and we will be in touch with you among the first when we launch the timetable.