How often to do Pilates?

I just picked up a Pilates dvd. Now my question is.. how often would be recommended to do this? I wouldn't mind doing it every day but I don't want to overdo it. Thanks!

I'm already doing 2-3 sessions of weight training a week, so I do some pilate moves once a week, usually in the weekends...I don't think you can do it everyday? You can do cardio everyday though...if it doesn't burn you out that is.

EDIT: just checked, you can do pilates everyday if you want, as long as you vary the kind of exercises you do...I prefer normal cardio (treadmill/elliptical) to pilates though, burns alot more calories.

Thanks! I'm not looking to burns lots of calories, just looking to tone.

err, double post

once you give yourself a few sessions to get used to it you can do it every day. ive been doing it everyday for a couple weeks now, its a nice relaxing off day exercise. if you feel sore though you should rest a day

You can do Pilates every day since you're not overloading your muscles as in traditional weight training. The basic mat repertoire especially can, and even dare I say should, be done every day (which should only take 15-20 minutes). For the basic mat work I love System 7, 17, and 27 videos by Rael Isacowitz (yes, I'm biased, I'm BASI certified). But as darky said, listen to your body - if it says you need a rest then rest!

Pilates is not just ab work though, it's a whole body exercise regimen and the repertoire is huge, so look for some DVDs that offer you some variety and focus on different things. Stott has an extensive video collection for work you can do at home with different props like therabands, toning balls, and the magic circle. You can rent them on Netflix to see if you like them before buying them.

If you can afford it, have a private session with a certified instructor (not someone who had a weekend course) every once in a while, it's almost impossible to "get" Pilates from a video since the smallest correction in your form can make a huge difference in how it feels and how effective it is. Basic rule of thumb: if it feels easy, you're not doing it right! If a private session is out of the question then pick up a copy of "Pilates" by Rael Isacowitz which does a great job, I think, of explaining proper form and has some great imagery for the exercises.