YOGA VS. PILATES

BoohBaby
BoohBaby Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone,

I told myself that when I got down to a certain size that i would include yoga into my workout routine. Now i'm hearing about how pilates is better for the core, abs and obliques and lower back area. This sounds like exactly what I need.
Does anyone do yoga or pilates??

Whats the difference?

Which should I choose for overall body toning. I do enough cardio so i'm good with that!

Any advice???

Holla back, guys!!
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Replies

  • Xarina
    Xarina Posts: 25 Member
    Why not do a little of both and then decide which one you like better?
  • aschr690
    aschr690 Posts: 41 Member
    Yoga is more about balance and flexibility. Pilates still helps with those things, but focuses more strengthening using your own body weight.
  • EveMother
    EveMother Posts: 20
    I've never done yoga but I love Pilates, it's helped with my back problems and I have an abdominal wall again!!! It really focuses on those core muscles!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I don't really care for pilates but I love Yoga! There are a lot of great yoga DVD's out there but taking a class in a studio is so much nicer. There are many forms of Yoga and some of them can be quite challenging. If I were you I would try both...pilates and yoga!

    I would also like to add that for 'toning' aka strength training......lifting weights and body weight exercise have been the better route for me. Squats, lunges, dead lifts, bench presses, overhead presses, pushups....all the compound moves do wonders in shaping your body!!
  • BoohBaby
    BoohBaby Posts: 50 Member
    Thank you guys.... THis is all very helpful information. I'm trying my first yoga class today. I'll definetely keep you guys posted with the results.
    AGAIN, thank you for your support .


    Oh and BTW, I do include stregnth and resistance training to my routine atleast 3 times per weelk
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    Yoga tones my abs. I have to do it in a class, it's more challenging and the teacher and correct my position.

    Pilates can't work miracles for your abs as long as fat is still covering them. Only diet can get you flat abs.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    My doctor recommended pilates or yoga so I was in a bit of the same boat. I ended up going with pilates but I don't have a scientific reason. lol It makes me super sore and I figure that's a good thing. It gives me a ton of energy too.
  • 1JenMilam
    1JenMilam Posts: 108 Member
    Thank you guys.... THis is all very helpful information. I'm trying my first yoga class today. I'll definetely keep you guys posted with the results.
    AGAIN, thank you for your support .


    Oh and BTW, I do include stregnth and resistance training to my routine atleast 3 times per weelk

    Good luck! I am signing up for Yoga classes at work 1 day a week for 5 weeks just to get a feeling for it. I'm scared out of my mind :ohwell: This is in addition to taking Kick boxing 3 days a week.
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
    I prefer yoga, but I think it is because I have been doing it for longer. I also like the way it relaxes me.

    Your best bet is to try both and see which works best for you.
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
    Have done quite a bit of both, at home and in studios. Pilates to me is almost more of a strength training exercise and it will definitely help tighten up your core, your muscles will feel it the next day. Yoga is a whole mind/body experience to me, much more all involving, working on all parts of your body plus helping to clear your mind. And don't think for a nanosecond you won't get a good workout from yoga, especially if you take it in a studio with a qualified instructor. Bet you never have seen an out of shape yoga instructor...they usually have rockin bodies, should tell you something. They are really 2 totally different exercises to me, I love them both. If I had to pick one, I would base it off of your other workouts, if you need more strengthening go with pilates, if you want a total body stretch/workout go with yoga. Try both,,,see which you prefer!
  • BoohBaby
    BoohBaby Posts: 50 Member
    Have done quite a bit of both, at home and in studios. Pilates to me is almost more of a strength training exercise and it will definitely help tighten up your core, your muscles will feel it the next day. Yoga is a whole mind/body experience to me, much more all involving, working on all parts of your body plus helping to clear your mind. And don't think for a nanosecond you won't get a good workout from yoga, especially if you take it in a studio with a qualified instructor. Bet you never have seen an out of shape yoga instructor...they usually have rockin bodies, should tell you something. They are really 2 totally different exercises to me, I love them both. If I had to pick one, I would base it off of your other workouts, if you need more strengthening go with pilates, if you want a total body stretch/workout go with yoga. Try both,,,see which you prefer!

    Great advice!! Okay, so what I'm going to do is try both to get the overall total body experience
  • gypsyrose64
    gypsyrose64 Posts: 271 Member
    I can't really comment on either, as I'm just starting out myself. I will, however, mention that yoga has been very good to this 93 yr old yoga instructor named Tao Porchon-Lynch (google her to see her in action)

    http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/how-worlds-oldest-yoga-instructor-stays-young

    I was reading about her. Just blew me away. In her spare time, she competes in ballroom dancing. *blink*
  • digitalyssa
    digitalyssa Posts: 112 Member
    I would do some research into the different types of yoga, some are more vigorous than others. For me, I love that yoga is more flowing and less like doing sets of strength exercises. So to me it feels like a beautiful dance. Yoga has just been more fufilling to me over all!

    My favourite type of yoga is Sattva (which is sort of a hybrid between vinyasa, hatha and pranayama/meditation)

    Good luck, and I hope you like it!
  • going2befit4ever
    going2befit4ever Posts: 225 Member
    I do both once a week at least cos I like how I feel after the workout. don't think i would choose to do only one cos my body responds differently to both workouts
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    So much depends on the style and the teacher - best to try classes in both and see what works for you. I'd like to do Pilates but apparently the teacher locally runs it like a bootcamp, which is NOT my style - I'm not in the least competetive. I'm planning to try yoga though.
  • _april
    _april Posts: 10
    I do a pilates "crunch" dvd and a yoga meltdown dvd from Jillian Michaels. They are two of my favorite workouts.
  • ripemango
    ripemango Posts: 534 Member
    they are completely different.

    yoga is a much more peaceful, centering experience. it's great for flexibility, clearing your head, and balance. the feeling after a yoga session is something you should def experience. Even in a beginner's yoga class, you will leave being amazed at positions you achieve. You walk away with feeling how powerful and wonderfully capable your body is.

    pilates is imo much more of workout, if that is your aim. It will do more for your core than yoga. It also improves flexibility.

    I think you should try both or incorporate both. No reason to just do 1!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I would urge you to abstain from those resistance exercises you speak of. Try to stick with pilates AND yoga - maybe alternate days? You don't want to get too bulky, do you? My friends list is full of bulky women, I just don't know how to tell them to cut out the weights :( One of them regularly embarrasses male gym-goers by out-lifting them, that's just wrong on all levels.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I would urge you to abstain from those resistance exercises you speak of. Try to stick with pilates AND yoga - maybe alternate days? You don't want to get too bulky, do you? My friends list is full of bulky women, I just don't know how to tell them to cut out the weights :( One of them regularly embarrasses male gym-goers by out-lifting them, that's just wrong on all levels.

    *ahem*
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    I would urge you to abstain from those resistance exercises you speak of. Try to stick with pilates AND yoga - maybe alternate days? You don't want to get too bulky, do you? My friends list is full of bulky women, I just don't know how to tell them to cut out the weights :( One of them regularly embarrasses male gym-goers by out-lifting them, that's just wrong on all levels.

    *ahem*

    ditto. I do yoga, love it, but it doesn't lift me the way that squats do. Not bulky, but it makes me look oh so good from behind. :)
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    I think many people here tend to expect too much out of yoga. Yes, most yoga classes are designed to be exercise classes; so they do work you out. But, generally speaking, yoga is not so good for toning and burning calories. It is for stretching. It is for balance. Maybe, it is for strengthening your big muscle groups, a little.
    Pilates, however ,is intended to strengthen and tone. That is what it is all about. Pilates was initially invented for strengthening people who had been in bed for a very long time and become deconditioned. And, that is what it does. it reconditions you. It makes your core stronger.
    i might suggest that, if you want to tone, you want pilates. Yoga has many benefits. But it is not going to make you buff or cut . . . unless you spend a few hours a day at it.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Pilates is helpful to me as a dancer when I am recovering from an injury and especially after I had my babies and was in the postpartum recovery time. But, then it was too easy. Sometimes it can be fun, but it also gets boring. I do like that it focuses on some aspects of the body that are important for dancers. I prefer yoga. I like Ashtanga yoga or Flow because (as others said) it flows and feels like dancing. I find that enjoyable on many levels. I like yoga because it keeps me flexible and is also good for the whole core and stability and balance and I can work on various types of hand stands, inverted balancing poses, and back bends, etc. But, as others said, I also lift weights. I am a dancer that is the main use of my body and my life. I lift weights for increased muscle strength and for my life long fitness (3 times a week). Yoga is an extra thing that I can do to improve on everything I am working on and to feel relaxed and unwind through movement, use of the body, stretching. And I can do it everyday if I want to.
  • jesswait
    jesswait Posts: 218 Member
    Pilates are basically swimming without the pool, yoga is a series of stretches and breathing exercises that give you a chance to relax and decompress. Pilates are fun and helpful cardio, yoga is great stress relief with exercise mixed in.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Don't worry about getting bulky! Which weighs more- a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Exxxactly.
  • againagain
    againagain Posts: 27 Member
    I've done both. There are several types of yoga. It can range from very relaxing stretching to intense work outs. I like how I feel physically and mentally after yoga. There are movements/poses for getting in touch with almost every part of your body - even your eyes and nose! I adore yoga.

    Pilates is less about mind/body and more about the core. It is definitely a work out.

    Both are great for improving posture.

    I think both are good in different ways. If you have a busy life, I would recommend finding a good yoga class and sticking with it for a few weeks. It really makes you slow down and listen to your body once a week.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Don't worry about getting bulky! Which weighs more- a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Exxxactly.

    I have no idea, but a 10lb box of paper is not as heavy as a 10lb dumbbell - that's fo sho.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Don't worry about getting bulky! Which weighs more- a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Exxxactly.

    I have no idea, but a 10lb box of paper is not as heavy as a 10lb dumbbell - that's fo sho.
    I'll deem the one which hurts the most when hurled against your face is the heaviest.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Don't worry about getting bulky! Which weighs more- a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Exxxactly.

    I have no idea, but a 10lb box of paper is not as heavy as a 10lb dumbbell - that's fo sho.

    Not sure about that - but a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I think many people here tend to expect too much out of yoga. Yes, most yoga classes are designed to be exercise classes; so they do work you out. But, generally speaking, yoga is not so good for toning and burning calories. It is for stretching. It is for balance. Maybe, it is for strengthening your big muscle groups, a little.
    Pilates, however ,is intended to strengthen and tone. That is what it is all about. Pilates was initially invented for strengthening people who had been in bed for a very long time and become deconditioned. And, that is what it does. it reconditions you. It makes your core stronger.
    i might suggest that, if you want to tone, you want pilates. Yoga has many benefits. But it is not going to make you buff or cut . . . unless you spend a few hours a day at it.

    Yes, I expect a lot out of yoga - and it delivers. A lot depends on 1) the teacher running the class and 2) the motivation and application you bring to it.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Don't worry about getting bulky! Which weighs more- a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Exxxactly.

    I have no idea, but a 10lb box of paper is not as heavy as a 10lb dumbbell - that's fo sho.
    I'll deem the one which hurts the most when hurled against your face is the heaviest.

    *nods* the dumbbell !!

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