Pilates Vs. Yoga:
Pilates and Yoga
Pilates refers to a physical fitness exercise system that focuses mainly on developing the core postural muscles (i.e., abdominal and back) along with lengthening and stabilizing of the spine in order to achieve and maintain perfect body alignment and posture. It was formulated by Joseph Pilates more than 80 years ago by taking inspiration from the ancient Yoga postures.
Although Pilates is not as complete or a holistic health system like Yoga, it seeks to reach more or less the same physical fitness goals as Yoga through a series of controlled movements and breathing regulation. It is particularly effective for aesthetic body sculpting and makes you feel and look tall, lean, and svelte.
Pilates basically represents the adaptation of certain yoga exercises for performing them using an exercise gear, the Pilates machine, for specific and limited purpose – i.e., core strength development, perfect body alignment and posture.
The Pilates machine makes these exercises much easier to learn and more fun to perform. Pilates is a dynamic form of Yoga, you can say. Similar to yoga, the emphasis in Pilates is on concentration, control, breathing and precision. And just like in yoga, one’s own body weight is used for resistance and strength development.
However, Pilates highlights just a tiny aspect of the vast discipline of Yoga, which encompasses what Pilates comprises plus much more. Yoga lays emphasis on uniting the mind, body and spirit. It involves a combination of physical exercises, breathing exercises and meditation and is aimed at promoting flexibility, increase stamina and strength, reduce stress and cure ailments.
Yoga is considered therapeutic not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit. People practice Yoga not only to feel more physically fit and energetic, but also to reduce stress and anxiety and achieve inner peace and happiness.
Yoga is the most holistic approach to physical and mental well-being known to mankind. It is not just a physical exercise program – it is a complete system for physical and mental health, covering additional aspects like proper breathing, relaxation, internal hygiene, diet, meditation and ultimately self-realization.
The Yoga exercises are meant not only to make you physically fit and strong, they are also designed to set right the functioning of the internal organs by bathing them with rich oxygenated blood and life force energy. Yoga regulates the endocrine system, strengthens the respiratory system, improves digestion and elimination and perks up the reproductive system.
So, what should you be doing for overall health and fitness – Pilates or Yoga? The answer is a sensible combination of the physical and meditative aspects of both. Both, on some level, share the same goal of strengthening of the body using your own body weight for resistance. In fact, many of their movements and postures are strikingly similar.
And, similar to Yoga, even Pilates can be performed as floor (mat) exercises if you don’t want to spend money on buying Pilates equipment. Pilates is relatively easier to learn and simpler to understand and tends to give faster results.
But ultimately the choice is yours depending upon your patience level and the goals you have set for yourself: just physical fitness and a svelte figure or all that plus long-lasting inner peace and happiness.
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