Pilates and yoga have continued to evolve throughout time. Now, we see different variations available across the world, and it now seems there’s something for almost everyone.

The benefits of both are well documented. Both workouts can increase overall health which in turn leads to a better quality of life. But what are the main differences between both? We will discuss this further below:

Pilates

Pilates primary benefits include:

• Improving muscle strength
• Increasing joint flexibility
• Improving postural control
• Improving balance

Pilates focuses on movements that predominately require the use of important stabilising muscles throughout the trunk and back. Most exercises in Pilates will begin with a controlled breath that allows you to properly engage your core. Unlike yoga, Pilates can be conducted on a piece of equipment called a Reformer.

The reformer uses springs, ropes and your body weight to provide resistance. The reformer allows you to have greater control over the amount of resistance you are subject to. This can facilitate slow and controlled exercise progression.

While Pilates does have some components of mobility training, compared to Yoga, Pilates will encourage greater development of strength and core control.

Yoga

Yoga is a more holistic exercise form, with mindfulness and deep breathing having a prominent role in most yoga routines. Yoga combines physical activity and purposeful  focus. This encourages increased awareness of the participant’s breath and energy.

Yoga’s primary benefits include:

• Increased breathing control
• Improve flexibility
• Relaxation

During yoga classes, participants will hold various poses, and focus heavily on their breathing and mental state. Compared to Pilates, yoga focused more prominently on mental focus and mobility.

Which Should I Choose?

Which form of exercise you should choose is dependant on your fitness goals and what you enjoy. If you are more concerned with flexibility and don’t want to pair that flexibility with increased muscular control, then yoga may be what you seek to perform.

However, if you wish to improve your full-body control, enhance your mobility and increase muscular strength, then you may look to undertake a Pilates program.

Both forms of exercise will help to improve your fitness, and can even be coupled together to provide you with additional benefits. For example, we have some members who will undertake yoga training at home three days per week, and attend Pilates classes with us for the remainder of the week.

Doing so allows these members to gain the flexibility and mind-body control benefits from yoga, and couple them with the strength and abdominal control benefits of Pilates.

We offer Pilates classes at Eltham, Heidelberg, Keilor Downs, and Sunbury—contact us to start your journey to improved strength and control.