Pilates vs. Yoga

Both Pilates and yoga have exploded in popularity within the last few years. Both are types of 'mind-body' fitness workouts designed to help you relax and feel better while giving you a stronger, more flexible, better-looking body at the same time (although Yoga has much more of a 'spiritual' focus than Pilates). Both have millions of enthusiastic practitioners throughout the world.

But the question on the minds of many people is this: which is better?

Well, as is often the case, there is no simple answer to this question. Both Pilates and yoga have many, many benefits associated with practicing them on a regular basis. Both will help you improve your coordination, flexibility, and posture while relieving stress and reducing 'imbalances' in your musculoskeletal system.

In terms of physical differences, yoga is more focused on full-body flexibility while Pilates focuses more on 'core' strength (developing the muscles of the body's core - mainly the abdominals and the lower back muscles). But the real difference between Pilates and yoga are more philosophical in nature.

Fitness expert Kathy Smith provides a pretty good explanation:

Generally speaking, I think it's fair to say yoga is more about how it makes you feel while Pilates is about how you look -- how you carry yourself and move. So if you're looking for a limbering, rejuvenating workout that will provide as much of a lift for your brain as your body -- and you're not too concerned about building muscle --I'd recommend yoga. If you're interested in a more dynamic system of muscle conditioning -- or if you just want to try something new and different -- Pilates may be the answer.

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Related links:

AllSpiritFitness

Yoga Teaching