Yoga vs Pilates

Yoga offers more balancing poses than Pilates.

Origin of Yoga and Pilates

India is where the practice of yoga originated, over 5,000 years ago. Yoga has evolved over the centuries and cultures into many different types of yoga: Ashtanga, Bikram and Vinyasa, to name just a few. Pilates was developed much more recently, in the mid 20th Century, by Joseph Pilates. Joseph created Pilates as a form of rehabilitation and strengthening. Dancers around the world began modifying and utilizing the practice to help them become stronger in their training and performance, which is what made Pilates so popular.

Breathing Techniques

In yoga, you breathe through your nose with each movement, flowing with your breath. Breath is also used to help you get deeper into each posture. On the other hand, in pilates, you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breath is used as a technique of providing your muscles with the energy they need to exercise effectively.

The Workout

Both pilates and yoga are great for the core and flexibility, however the means of getting there are much different. Pilates focuses on strength and realignment of the core and spine. It often involves many high-intensity pulsing ab exercises and twists. Yoga works every muscle in your body equally, while engaging your core. Each posture in yoga is followed by a counter posture in order to create balance in your body.

Class Structure

Pilates and Yoga classes usually last between an hour and an hour and a half. Pilates is a bit more structured than yoga, offering a full mat routine with few variations. Pilates focuses on concentration, control, centering, breathing, flow and precision. Yoga offers many postures and variations that can be combined into thousands of different sequences. Yoga also puts a greater emphasis on meditation, and always ends in “savasana,” lying still on your back. Ashtanga and Bikram Yoga offer set sequences that aren’t altered from class to class.

You will get a great workout with both Yoga and Pilates. When asking yourself yoga vs pilates, the great thing is you don’t have to choose! Both disciplines compliment each other nicely.