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What Is Piloxing? The Answer to Workout Boredom

BY: Sarah Gorr |Jan 31, 2019

Piloxing is not a pillbox hat–stacking competition and (much to my dismay) neither is it a pillow-based fight club. So what is Piloxing? It’s actually one of the latest fitness crazes to gain traction, and for good reason. Piloxing combines the flexibility and control of movement encouraged by Pilates with the sweat-breaking strength-building of boxing. To understand the practice, let’s take a look at how it came to be.

The History of Piloxing

Viveca Jensen is a former jazz dancer and Pilates instructor living in Los Angeles who was struck with an interesting idea in 2009. She wanted to empower people through fitness, and she figured the best way to do that was to make fitness fun. Specifically, she wanted fitness to be something that did more than make you look sexy; she thought it should be something that could make you feel sexy—and we’re not just talking about results. She designed a series of moves that intertwined Pilates and dance in such a way that she hoped her students would start feeling better about themselves the second they started class. But she also know they’d need to work up a serious sweat.

Enter the final piece of the Piloxing puzzle: boxing! That means inbetween slick moves, students work on throwing punches. Jabs and uppercuts take the workout from something more akin to Zumba to a whole other level.

What’s a Piloxing Workout Like?

High energy is the name of the game in Piloxing class. You can expect to start out with a warm-up, but after that you’ll likely roll right into boxing moves, integrating quick hits while wearing a pair lightly weighted gloves for even more resistance. After a bit, your footwork will start to come into play, helping you work up a proper sweat.

Afterward, it’s on to standing Pilates, where you’ll slow things down a bit while concentrating more on balance and core work. You might end on the floor, but not for a rest—for ab work! A quick cooldown helps your heart rate return to normal.

All the while you can expect plenty of the following:

Thumping, energetic music
Moves plucked from hip-hop, salsa, and ballet
Fist bumps
Plenty of supportive hollering! (This is a supportive community environment, after all)

Benefits of Piloxing

Piloxing promises fun, fitness, and community, of course, but what specifically should you expect from a class? Here’s a rundown of what Jensen aims for:

Burn up to 1,200 calories
Improve balance, posture, and cardiovascular activity
Strengthen and lengthen muscles
Muscle toning without bulking

So what is Piloxing? Maybe the real answer is just what your exercise routine has been missing. If that sounds pretty good to you, why not search for a class nearby?

Look for a Piloxing class near you.