Pilates Or Yoga? What Suits You Better And Why

We compare yoga versus pilates in terms of flexibility, strength, abs, well-being and back pain. Who’s the winner?

Strength

Yoga poses ‘build’ resistance to every major muscle group, but strength is not the focus. The general rule is that yoga is more about how we feel and pilates how we look.

Unlike yoga, Pilates uses resistance and weights to build strength and places more emphasis on physical habit. It exercises all muscle groups and leads to a weaker and more powerful body. Note that you will achieve much faster – in terms of strength training – results by utilizing a pilates reformer machine.

Read Also: 5 Best Exercises for Women Over 40

Flexibility

Yoga is the best form of exercise between the two in improving the body’s flexibility and increasing the movement of joints. In research by the University of Wisconsin, a 10-week yoga exercise improved flexibility by 13-35%.

Pilates, on the other hand, provides a distinct approach when compared to yoga. Pilates asks a simple question. Why this muscle is hard and what exercised do I need to do to solve its hardness?

Abs

With Yoga, you will train your abdominal muscles and the muscles of your torso area at the same time. This is not a priority if your main focus is to build rock hard six-pack abs.

Nothing forms better and doesn’t make a belly flat as much as Pilates: it has a unique focus on the torso muscles, abdomen and is one of the best ways to strengthen the torso, according to the American Council on Exercise.

Mental well-being

Mental well-being is intertwined with yoga. Physical activity gives the body a sense of well-being and balance, while breathing techniques enhance inner focus and relaxation.

Pilates is considered a mind-body exercise and requires concentration that can distract you from your daily concerns, but wellness is not as big a target as it is in yoga.

Back pain

Yoga improves flexibility and the strength of the spine. However, some stops are not appropriate if you hurt in the middle.

Pilates is very good at supporting and strengthening the waist. Research in Canada has found that it is valuable in reducing waist pain.

Comparison Table

	Yoga	Pilates
Strength	4	5
Flexibility	5	4
Abs	3	5
Mental Well-Being	5	3
Back Pain	3	5
	20 points	22 points

I hope you enjoyed our Yoga Vs Pilates article. What do you think about what we wrote above? Do you agree, disagree? Whatever your opinion, share it in the comments section below.

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