Both yoga and Pilates are fantastic ways to look after your mind and body, however, they are not the same. They are often mixed up as they can sometimes look similar and both use mats, are low impact, utilise controlled breathing and require mental focus.
The key differences between the two are that yoga is an ancient Indian practice and has been around and evolving for over 5,000 years, while Pilates was developed by a German, Joseph Pilates, and has only been around for about 100 years, since the early 20th century. In yoga, there is a big emphasis on mentally focusing inward, whereas, in Pilates, practitioners focus more on the exercise at hand.
In a yoga class, you will find a lot of importance placed on syncing the mind, body and breath as you transition from pose to pose. In a Pilates class, you will find lots of attention placed on maintaining a robust core along with low impact strengthening exercises.
In their simplest forms, yoga is widely thought to be best at increasing flexibility and calming the mind, while Pilates is broadly thought to be best at increasing strength & stability, and improving posture.
In terms of weight loss, both yoga and Pilates can contribute towards this. Dynamic styles of yoga such as Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga will increase your heart rate and help burn calories, while Pilates will give you a strong core, and the small focused movements will also burn calories. Therefore, it really comes down to personal preference, and what you enjoy doing more!
Until next time,
Your Wellicious Team