Yoga or Pilates? Which is the best option?

Both yoga and pilates provide benefits to our health through their practice, both mentally and physically. Both require good concentration and mainly base their technique on breathing control. In today's article we will tell you what you need to know about each of these disciplines so that you can choose which option is best for you at this moment in your life.

What is yoga?

Yoga is a system used to balance the body, mind and spirit. It is a spiritual and practical discipline that seeks to unite the physical, mental and spiritual being, allowing stress relief.

It is a Hindu discipline, originating more than 5,000 years ago, which encompasses a whole philosophy of life. Thanks to the combination of asanas, breathing, meditation and other techniques, we balance the body with the mind.

There are many types of yoga, as well as exercises, techniques and postures that help us achieve greater physical and mental control, with great benefits. Yoga is for everyone: children or adults, men and women.

To practice it, you need a mat and certain accessories, such as wooden blocks, blankets or yoga balls. You can practice it anywhere.

What is pilates?

Pilates is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen and balance the body with the help of breathing.

Pilates is a modern discipline created at the beginning of the 20th century by the German Joseph Hubertus Pilates, who combined his knowledge of different specialties, such as gymnastics, traumatology, ballet and yoga, with work on mental control, breathing and relaxation. We can say that this technique consists of a hybridization of exercises from the West and the East: mind and body. In short, the muscles of the body are united with inner calm.

The fundamental element of Pilates is strength. In this type of exercise, calories are not burned, but each of the muscles in our body is strengthened. In addition, it helps to correct body posture and is highly recommended for people who spend a lot of time sitting or doing tasks that put their backs in pain.

Pilates is, without a doubt, a very complete exercise to strengthen all the muscles in our body while keeping our mind active.

The main differences between yoga and pilates

Both techniques seek well-being through body movements but they have their differences:

• The most notable difference between Yoga and Pilates is that Yoga has a spiritual component that Pilates does not have. In Yoga, the practice of the different asanas and postures and the different breathing techniques is directed towards meditation, with a more mystical aspect than Pilates, which is purely physical.

• While Yoga was born with the idea of ​​meditating and reaching a state of peace and stillness (although currently some types of Yoga such as Vinyasa or Vinyasa flow are more geared towards physical work), Pilates emerged as a rehabilitation method first and as a learning method to learn to move in space more efficiently later.

• Pilates aims to strengthen muscle tone and strength, while yoga aims to promote mental and physical relaxation and increase flexibility through different postures.

• In Pilates, the exercises are much more intense and fast and are performed with the body in motion. While yoga is performed using more static postures, slow movements, simulating figures and to the rhythm of our breathing.

• Pilates uses a series of machines and implements or accessories that are not used in Yoga , where one works with body weight and the use of straps and Yoga blocks to facilitate some exercises.

Benefits of practicing yoga and pilates

We already know that both yoga and pilates require good concentration and mainly base their technique on breathing control, which provides extensive health benefits.

This allows us, for example, to reduce stress, regulate sleep, improve mood and reduce symptoms of fatigue. But in addition to the mental benefits, practicing pilates or yoga helps us develop our physical side by improving flexibility, elasticity, balance and posture.

It should be noted that neither yoga nor pilates are aerobic exercises, so it is recommended to complement them with other cardiovascular activities such as swimming, running or cycling.

The fusion of yoga and pilates: complete well-being

Here's why these two disciplines work so well together:

• Both are practices that exercise the entire body and do not leave any muscle untrained.
• Pilates focuses on stretching and breathing, while Yoga focuses more on vital energy. Together, both are a good combination to balance body and mind, achieving greater well-being.
• Both are of great help to improve our body posture, achieving greater elasticity and balance with their practice.
• With both disciplines we can get to know our body better, understand it and learn to listen to it and treat it appropriately.
• These are practices that do not have an established age limit or a necessary physical condition, for both men and women.

What does it take to practice both disciplines?

To practice yoga or Pilates it is important to wear sportswear that is comfortable and allows us to perform all the movements we are going to execute.

Normally, cotton clothing is preferred for Yoga classes due to its softness and breathability. As for the equipment, a mat and yoga blocks are also needed for support.

Regarding pilates, the centres where it is practised almost always have specific equipment. Specific machines are normally used for its practice, although it can be done on a mat or with a balance ball (or fitball).

What is best for me, yoga or pilates class?

If you're asking yourself that question, the answer is very simple: it depends on what your goals are and the benefits you want to achieve. Remember that you don't have to choose just one, in fact you can combine yoga and pilates.

Both disciplines complement each other very well and you can take advantage of the best of each to improve your flexibility, muscle tone, breathing and your health.
However, if you are looking to enhance your spiritual side , we recommend that you choose yoga . On the other hand, if you prefer to do a more physical activity , pilates would be the best option since it is a very complete exercise to strengthen all the muscles in our body.