Two of the most fashionable disciplines today are Pilates and Yoga . Although Pilates reached its peak a few years ago, thanks to the many benefits of its practice (endorsed by science) is a discipline that has come to stay. The Yoga has had its boom more recently, partly thanks to the influencers and social networks , but also remains one of the strongest at the time of exercising disciplines.
Despite the great popularity of these two disciplines, many people still think that it is just stretching or relaxation , and do not see the differences between one and another. Today we clarify what they have in common and what differentiates Yoga and Pilates.
What differentiates Yoga and Pilates
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 different asanas and postures and of different breaths is directed towards meditation, with a more mystical aspect than Pilates, which is purely physical.
While Yoga was born with that idea of meditating and reaching a state of peace and quiet (although at present some types of Yoga such as Vinyasa or Vinyasa floware more aimed at physical work), Pilates emerged as a method of rehabilitationfirst and as a learning to learn to move in space more efficiently later.
On the other hand, Pilates uses a series of machines and implements or accessories that are not used in Yoga, where you work only with body weight (in addition to the use of straps and blocks of Yoga to facilitate some exercises). The machines and some of the implements that are used in Pilates were introduced by the same creator of the discipline, while others have begun to be used with the passage of time.
What unites Yoga and Pilates
Both Yoga and Pilates are disciplines that will help us improve our body posture, not only during classes, but throughout the day. This is achieved thanks to the work of our central or core area that we perform in both classes, and this muscle is a good part responsible for our position. It will also improve, in the same way, our body alignment.
Both Pilates and Yoga work joint mobility and flexibility , allowing us to gain quality of life and make an investment in our health in the long term. We must bear in mind that flexibility is a basic physical characteristic that is worked on and in which improvements are achieved over time: it is never too late to start and it will always benefit us, both in our daily life and in the practice of Another sports.
They also agree that there is not a single “master line” to follow in Pilates and Yoga : in the case of Yoga we can find different types that differ among them when it comes to being more fluid, more dedicated to the physical or spiritual part . If we talk about Pilates, there are different schools that, although they always share the basic principles of Pilates , have differences in their approach: some are more oriented to rehabilitation, others to dance, etc.
So, do I stay with Pilates or Yoga?
Personally, I practice the two disciplines and I think that, if we like both, there is no problem in combining them : in this way we can obtain the benefits of both without having to give up anything.
It is important that within each of the disciplines we choose the type that best suits what we need : if I personally do not care about the most spiritual part of Yoga, I will opt for a more physical type of Yoga, such as Ashtanga Yoga.
Practicing any of these two disciplines will benefit us both in our daily life and in the practice of other sports; If you still have not been encouraged to try any of them, do it now!