Non practitioners of Pilates and Yoga often confuse the two disciplines or think they’re just different names for essentially the same types of exercise. But this is not the case at all. While it’s true that both Pilates and yoga are effective for injury rehabilitation as well as general health, there are several key differences between them, including the following:

Origin

Pilates was developed by a physical trainer named Joseph Pilates in the mid-1920s. Pilates served as a nurse during World War I and came up with many “minimal equipment” strengthening and rehabilitation routines to help the injured soldiers he encountered.

Although there is no clear origin story for yoga, it is at least 5,000 years old and is believed to have been developed by ancient civilizations in India. There are many different schools of yoga, with each favoring different techniques and practices aimed at helping the practitioner achieve higher spiritual and physical awareness.

Focus

One of the main focuses of Pilates is strengthening the body, with special emphasis placed on the core. With a strong core, practitioners can exert greater control over their physical movements while simultaneously improving total balance, strength, and flexibility. This focus on the core makes Pilates an ideal training method for athletes in all sports, including practitioners of yoga.

One of the main focuses of yoga is to bring the practitioner’s mind, body, and spirit into harmony. Yoga is used for healing physical ailments as well as relieving mental stress and promoting peace with one’s true nature.

Methods

Pilates workouts are quite varied, but typically consist of both mat work and exercise machine work. The mat work involves movements such as leg circles, scissor kicks, rollups, and curls, all of which engage the core and require efficient breathing techniques in order to be performed properly. The Pilates reformer machine is fitted with springs, straps, and bars that allow users to strength train with tailored resistance levels, using their own body weight.

Yoga workouts most often take the form of getting into and holding various poses. This mat work uses body weight resistance to strengthen joints and increase flexibility. Controlled breathing is also a critical part of practicing yoga.

As you can see, although Pilates and yoga share some similarities, they also differ in notable ways. If you’d like to learn more about this topic, please visit ab-solutepilates.com today.