Pilates may be seen as the trendier younger sister of Yoga, but neither workout is a passing fad and your decision on which is right for you shouldn’t be based on what’s hot right now. We put Yoga and Pilates head to head to help you make an informed choice.
| YOGA | VS | PILATES |
| Origns | ||
| Originating in India thousands of years ago, Yoga is traditionally a holistic spiritual and mental discipline incorporating meditation and exercise. | Named after is creator Joseph Pilates. He developed this form of exercise in Germany in the early 20th century to help rehabilitate injured World War One veterans. Joseph built machines to help strengthen the soldiers’ core muscles and align their bodies. | |
| Workout Style | ||
| A Yoga workout involves slowly moving your body into stretches and poses with names like ‘downward dog’ and ‘salute to the sun’. While holding these poses it is important to focus on your breathing to help you really feel the benefits – both mental and physical. | Modern Pilates workouts can be done with our without machines. A Pilates mat class (popular in gyms) involves moving in ways that strengthen, stabilise and tone your core muscles. | |
| Benefits | ||
| The main physical benefits of Yoga include increased flexibility, balance and strength. But equally important are the mental benefits of stress relief and aiding a general sense of wellbeing. | As well as muscle conditioning and toning (ideal for rehabilitation from some injuries), the techniques learnt in Pilates are also designed to help you become more aware of your body’s movements and posture. | |
So what’s best? If you want to focus on building up particular muscles then Pilates is probably best for you. If you want a workout to invigorate mind and body and aid general flexibility and strength, go for Yoga.
If you’re still unsure, try a couple of classes of each and just see what feels right (or do both!).
