Yoga vs. Pilates – Which one is for you?

Dear all,

I hope you’re staying yogilated and enjoying the fresh air of spring and new beginnings!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m practicing Yoga AND Pilates on a regular basis, because I appreciate the benefits of both. However, what I enjoy the most are the Pilates Mix workouts, which combine elements from Pilates, yoga, and other stretches that you sometimes find in boot-camp or step-up classes.

Some people have a clear preference for either Pilates or Yoga, but maybe you’re a in between and actually not even sure what the difference is, so here’s some help:

PILATES:

• Focus: abs and pelvic floor
• Improves: core strength, flexibility, stability, can prevent / relieve back pain, balance, posture
• Structured workout, oftentimes the same routine no matter where you go (“The series of Five” etc)
• Names of the poses are mostly in English, so you can take Pilates classes anywhere in the world and won’t be lost in translation 🙂
• Requires a thicker mat than Yoga (see HERE)
• Props you can use: pilates ring/circle, pilates cushion, or recently also a “reformer machine“

YOGA:

• Focus: toning and strengthening our long muscles, breathing, (Chakras)
• Improves: energy levels, vitality, mindfulness, balance, concentration, cardio, detox, each pose has different health benefits
• Names of Yoga poses have names in Sanskrit, but otherwise differ in their non-Sanskrit names in every language (find a list of all poses and their Sanskrit names HERE)
• Requires a thinner mat than Pilates (HERE)
• Props: straps, yoga blocks, weights, blankets
• There are 10 different kinds of yoga (commonly practiced). Please click on the names for more infos!
  • Bikram Yoga
  • Hatha Yoga
  • Vinyasa Yoga
  • Kundalini Yoga
  • Iyengar Yoga
  • Restorative Yoga
  • Ashtanga Yoga
  • Prenatal Yoga
  • Jivamukti Yoga AND my personal experience after taking a class: HERE
  • Anusara Yoga

TIP: Here is a cool article by Health Magazine that might help you finding the best yoga style for you.

UPDATE: And HERE you can find a very helpful guide about the best Yoga mats 2019. 

Of course, both can have more health benefits depending on the way you practice it, and you can also combine or/and use other props that I have not listed above. It’s just a short overview and it all depends on how you create your yoga or Pilates practice. There is no better or worse, no more beneficial and less beneficial. That’s the beauty of it.

Lastly, here is a great infographic that summarizes and compares Yoga and Pilates in a very creative way! Big thanks to HealthPerch for providing me with this!

Hope this helps you getting a better idea of the difference! Both have amazing health benefits and will certainly improve you mental vs. physical well-being in many ways 🙂 ENJOY and stay yogilated!

“Pilates or Yoga” on Health Perch