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Yoga vs. Pilates
by Marni Stone, M.S.W
If you’ve been involved in fitness for a while you’ve surely noticed the growing popularity of both yoga and pilates. The increased interest in these “softer” training modalities is a result of fitness participants recognizing that there is more to fitness than strength and stamina. Today’s fitness enthusiasts know the importance of flexibility, coordination, posture and stress relief.
The days of high-impact aerobics are long gone. However, group exercise participants now have a much wider array of exercise formats to choose from. Two of the most popular formats are yoga and pilates. The following is a list comparing the benefits and differences of each.
Yoga |
Pilates |
- Holistic spiritual discipline with roots originating in India thousands of years ago.
- Several different styles offered, each differing in their emphasis
- Mind, body and spirit approach to fitness
- Philosophical as well as physical emphasis.
- Focus is on breathing and movement as well as meditation and self- reflection.
- Holistic approach, emphasizing balance in all areas.Strengthening all muscle groups equally, creating a mental and physical balance.
- Designed to enhance healing, promotes flexibility and strength of joints.
- Poses are intended to promote the feeling of well-being and encourage a mind/body connection.
- Involves static poses that are held while exploring breathing, physical sensations and emotions.
- Exercises are done mostly on the floor or occasionally against a wall. All exercise use the body’s natural weight as resistance.
- Emphasizes flexibility more than building strength, although it enhances both.
- Provides great stress relief.
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- Created in the 1920’s by Joseph Pilates who built upon the rehabilitative techniques he used on wounded soldiers during World War II. Dancers soon discovered the movements as a means of recovering from injuries and helping to promote graceful, fluid motion.
- Mind/Body approach to fitness.
- Focus is on mental concentration, breathing and movement.
- Mainly physical emphasis. Designed to strengthen the abdominals, improve posture, stabilize and lengthen the spine, improve balance and coordination.
- Focuses mainly on the core muscles in the trunk (mid-body) termed - “the powerhouse.”
- Emphasizes control and precision of movement.
- Encourages coordination between the muscles that stabilize the body.
- Exercises can be done on mats or on specialized equipment and machines.
- Machine based Pilates involve overloading the muscles using springs or pulleys as resistance.
- Emphasizes toning over flexibility, although enhances both.
- Emphasizes the lengthening, or eccentric phase of muscular contraction. The result being long, lean muscles.
- Provides great stress relief.
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The low impact nature of both yoga and pilates make either modality ideal for injury prevention and rehabilitation. The balance between strength and flexibility offered in each format will help you create a healthy, leaner, and stronger body. If after reading about both techniques you still have questions, give both workouts a try!
Marni Stone, M.S.W., is a Certified Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer and Senior Fitness Specialist. She teaches classes at the Sports Club of West Bloomfield and Franklin Fitness and Racket Club and has an in-home personal training business. Contact Marni at (248) 626-9880, ext 4050, rosrud@sbcglobal.net |
