Both Pilates and yoga are exercises that focus on mind-body connection and offer similar health benefits, including improved strength and flexibility. But their approaches and goals differ.
Here's what you need to know about the differences between Pilates and yoga and which is best for you.
Yoga originated thousands of years ago in India and is a mind-body exercise. Many different styles of yoga exist, from hatha yoga to hot yoga, but all involve moving through different physical postures. Yoga incorporates different breathing techniques, such as moving with one breath per movement. Some types of yoga include meditation.
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A 2015 study found that hatha yoga participants saw improvements in muscle strength and flexibility after 12 weeks. A small 2014 study also found that women who practiced Pilates for 12 weeks improved their muscle strength and torso flexibility.
Faster-paced versions of yoga, like vinyasa, elevate your heart rate more than slower, restorative types of yoga or Pilates. "Pilates doesn't tend to have that very vigorous type of format," Pojednic says.
A small 2017 study found that practicing yoga every day for a month reduced participants' blood pressure, a key indicator of heart health.
Because yoga often includes specific balancing exercises, such as poses where you stand on one leg, it might be more helpful for balance. "In yoga, you're actually practicing the balancing, and in Pilates, you're toning the muscles that will be helpful for balance," Pojednic says.
If you're trying to lose weight, how many calories you burn while exercising matters. The calories you burn during yoga and Pilates will depend on the type you practice.
A 2013 review found that yoga programs often help people lose weight. A small 2020 study of obese young women with elevated blood pressure found mat Pilates also reduced body fat.
A 2019 study compared women who practiced yoga and women who practiced Pilates. The study found both types of exercise improved self-reported measures of well-being and psychological distress, but the yoga group saw greater improvement.
Yoga and Pilates can be "well suited to all different types of bodies and all different types of abilities," Pojednic says. You might think you need to be flexible and strong or have a dancer's body, but you don't, she says.
"If somebody gets a little bit more excited about strength training, they probably will like Pilates a little bit better," Pojednic says. "If somebody enjoys fluid, full-body motion, I think that they would gravitate a little bit more toward yoga."
Both Pilates and yoga are beneficial, and their variety means you can probably find one style you enjoy.
"I think the most important thing is to try them both and figure out which one you like better, and then keep going back to that," Pojednic says. "Finding the thing that really makes you happy, I think, is the key here, more so than getting into the nitty-gritty about which one is going to help you balance better or burn more calories."
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Should you do Pilates or yoga? Which is best for weight loss, burning calories, and toning your muscles - Business Insider India
