Have you always wondered about the crucial differences between yoga and Pilates? This article will help to identify these variances while resolving some age-old truths and myths between the two classes. One thing that is for sure is that both can be extremely beneficial in your health and well-being journey, as well as a valuable tool in your efforts to improve your quality of life.
Yoga is of course much older than Pilates and has a greater focus on meditation; this is due to the prominent role of spirituality in the practise of yoga. Whilst the connection between mind and body is focused on in both Pilates and yoga, spirituality is a big part of yoga practise.
The benefits of yoga and Pilates on the other hand are quite similar – for example, both classes help to improve flexibility, increase muscle strength, improve posture and body awareness and are great for stress management and relaxation. If, however, you are looking for help with a specific area, it is worth doing some more research on which class targets your individual health goal. For example, if you are looking to achieve an improved sense of inner peace, yoga has been shown to lower stress hormone levels. If instead you’re concerned with building abdominal strength to promote a taller posture, then building core strength through Pilates is great for this.
What can you expect in each class? This is a common query for those deciding between yoga and Pilates – the great thing about yoga and Pilates is that there are so many postures, sequences and variations, that routine is quite unpredictable. Pilates classes are the more structured of the two; however, the style of the teacher is the biggest influence on the agenda for the session.
If you’re still undecided, it’s worth giving both a try and seeing what works for your own specific health objective. If you’re looking for a more relaxing meditative yoga try our Alignment-Focused Hatha Yoga, or for a more core based class try our Power Conditioning Yoga and Pilates classes.
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